Homemade Preserved Lemons
Whole lemons cured in salt and their own juice until the rind turns soft and mellow. A spoonful lifts tagines, couscous and dressings.
- Time15 min plus 4 weeks curing
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.14 a head
- Oven120°C (100°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Wash a 1 litre jar and its lid in hot soapy water, rinse, and sterilise in a 120°C (100°C fan) oven for 15 minutes. Scrub the lemons well under warm water.
- 2
Cut 6 of the lemons from the top down in quarters, stopping about 1 cm from the base so they stay joined like a flower. Pour 1 tbsp of the salt into the bottom of the jar.
- 3
Pack salt generously inside each lemon, then push them into the jar one at a time, pressing down hard so they release juice. Tuck in the bay, coriander seeds and cinnamon as you go.
- 4
Squeeze the juice of the 2 remaining lemons, plus the extra juice, over the top until the lemons are fully covered. Press down again, leaving 1 cm of space.
- 5
Close the jar and leave at room temperature for 4 weeks, turning it upside down once a day for the first week to spread the salt. The lemons are ready when the rind is soft and translucent.
- 6
To use, rinse a lemon quarter, scrape away and discard the pulp if you like, and finely chop the rind. Store in the fridge once opened, keeping the lemons covered in juice, for up to 6 months. Throw out any that grow mould.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
