Comments on: Citrus season: pickled lemons.

By: ling

ling — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 02:35:53 +0000

thanks for the recipe.great for Arizona, where I live..only if you don’t mind my asking, what do you think they might taste like with added apple vinegar?

By: crabappleherbs

crabappleherbs — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 16:34:48 +0000

I think the vinegar would mask the delicate taste of the lemons. And you certainly don’t need it for acidity — the lemon juice combined with the lactic acid from the salt fermentation are enough to preserve the lemons just fine.

By: ling

ling — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 04:32:20 +0000

thanks! will do this recipe.

By: crabappleherbs

crabappleherbs — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 05:21:28 +0000

Let me know how it goes!

By: andy

andy — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 19:51:16 +0000

I have very much been wanting to make these lately, missing the California lemon trees. Seeing this is a good reminder to look for some affordable organic lemons in the markets.

These are typically used in all sorts of Morrocan tagine-type dishes. I mostly use them with roasted chicken (packed in the cavity and under the skin with garlic and sage), in lentils, or various stews. I most recently missed having some in the fridge when I found a great recipe for seared tuna in a tomato / black olive / preserved lemon stew.

The good news is they keep just about forever in the fridge. The last time I made them was with a big bag of Meyer lemons when I lived in California, that batch lasted me several years and came along with me on a move to New Mexico. They also made a great marmalade of Meyer lemon and rosemary, but that’s anmother story. Thanks for the inspiration to make another batch sometime soon.

By: andy

andy — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 19:51:17 +0000

I have very much been wanting to make these lately, missing the California lemon trees. Seeing this is a good reminder to look for some affordable organic lemons in the markets.

By: Revka

Revka — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 22:21:33 +0000

What a unique recipe! Thanks for sharing.

By: The Herbwife’s Kitchen » Citrus season: candied grapefruit peel (and bitters too).

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 04:25:35 +0000

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By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 16:56:23 +0000

I have recently discovered lemon stuffed cocktail olives. In a word they are divine and I want to attempt to make these at home. I am going to give this recipe a try and take the finished product to stuff the olives.

By: Vojje

Vojje — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 07:30:10 +0000

If you have an Arabic store in your area they should be selling pickled lemons imported from the Orient or Maghreb.. Go and find out how yours compare with the original. They use small plum-size lemons and do not cut them… Ahh.. I’d forget… Lactic fermentation requires slight pressure and precise amout of salt or your risk very salty brine that never ferments..

By: crabappleherbs

crabappleherbs — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 00:02:29 +0000

Vojje, the pickled lemons I make are very similar to the ones I used to buy at the Moroccan market in Montreal. (Those were semi-quartered, though, the way I do it.) I’ve never measured salt for lemons (though I do for most other pickles), and my pickled lemons always turned out tasty. I’m not sure what you mean by pressure. Do you mean something to keep the pickles submerged in the brine? Around here those are called “pickling rocks.” I’ve found that I don’t really need one for lemons, though, since the acidity of the fruit keeps them from spoiling while they ferment.

By: Myra (Australia)

Myra (Australia) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 06:57:06 +0000

Am just about to open the jar I pickled a few weeks back, once opened - how long do the lemons keep for? Presumably refrigerated once opened.

By: crabappleherbs

crabappleherbs — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 15:37:56 +0000

The lemons should keep for quite a while either in the fridge or in a cool, dark place. I’ve always used mine up before they go bad… I’ve kept some for up to a year in the refrigerator, though, and they’ve been fine.

By: Judy

Judy — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:04:47 +0000

Hi I did some over a year ago. Very good as I have been cooking lots of Moroccan type recipes lately. i had about half a jar left and they went very slimey so I threw them out. Not sure if they would have been okay or not

By: greg goodrich

greg goodrich — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:04:33 +0000

I have a metal plate in my head and often pickle lemons and place them in a plastic bag over my head with a small drip hose before I hit the hay. Over the course of the night the salted, pickled lemon juice seeps into my head, preventing corrosion (caused by high alkanity in the oxidation process) in my metal plate.

By: Nalini

Nalini — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:44:25 +0000

I read this article and thought of an interesting thing.. Thought I’d share it with all the other enthusiasts here. I had Bronchitis a few months ago and my cough did not go away immediately. There is a food court in the building that I work and I like chinese food. The lady in the chinese restaurant saw how sick I had been and gave me a blend of pickled lemons, pickled tangerines with honey and Hot water and it really soothed my throat. then i remembered that my grandmother used to pickle lemons for her cooking. And now I read how other cultures also pickle lemons for cooking and other recipes. BTW I’m from India.. I just thought how it is interesting that some of the best things are common to most cultures..