Moroccan · Condiment
Preserved Lemons (L'hamd Marakad)
Preserved lemons are the single most Moroccan ingredient there is — whole lemons packed in salt and their own juice until the rind softens to a silky, intensely savoury, faintly floral tang. They perfume chicken tagine, fish chermoula and countless salads. The method is almost absurdly simple, but it takes about a month of patience before the jar is ready.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Serves
- 12
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- 8–10 unwaxed lemons (thin-skinned if possible), plus more for juice
- About 150 g coarse sea salt
- Optional aromatics: 1 cinnamon stick, a few coriander seeds, 1 bay leaf, a dried chilli
- A sterilised jar with a tight lid
Method
- 1
Cut the lemons
Scrub the lemons. Stand each on its base and cut down as if quartering it but stop short of the bottom, so it stays joined at one end. Open it out like a flower.
- 2
Salt inside and out
Pack coarse salt generously into the cuts of each lemon and rub it over the skin.
- 3
Pack the jar
Put a layer of salt in the base of the jar, then press the salted lemons in tightly, squashing them so they release juice, adding more salt and any aromatics between the layers.
- 4
Top with juice
Squeeze extra lemons and pour in enough fresh juice to submerge the lemons completely. Seal the jar.
- 5
Cure
Leave at room temperature for a few days, turning the jar daily, then keep in a cool place or the fridge. They are ready in about 3–4 weeks, when the rinds are soft and translucent.
Chef's tips
- Keep the lemons fully submerged in salty juice — any exposed to air can spoil, so top up with more juice if needed.
- Use only the rind in cooking; rinse it and discard the salty pulp unless a recipe says otherwise.
- A little white film on the surface is usually harmless salt or lactic yeast — spoon it off; only pink or fuzzy mould means the batch has gone.
Frequently asked questions
How long do preserved lemons take to be ready?
About three to four weeks of curing at first, until the rind turns soft and translucent. After that they keep for many months in the fridge and only improve.
Do you use the whole preserved lemon?
Traditionally just the rind, rinsed and sliced or chopped, which holds the prized savoury-floral flavour. The soft, very salty pulp is usually discarded, though some cooks stir a little into sauces.