Seasonal cooking
Making Preserved Lemons: The Winter Citrus Season
Preserved lemons — hamad mrakad — are one of the defining ingredients of Moroccan cooking, and their making is tied to the season. When the winter citrus harvest floods the markets with cheap, fragrant lemons, kitchens across the country pack jars: whole lemons, quartered but held together at the base, stuffed with coarse salt and pressed into glass until they sit submerged in their own juice. Weeks later they emerge transformed — soft, intensely salty-sour, almost umami — ready to flavour tagines, salads and olives for the year ahead.
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- 7 min
- Season
- Seasonal cooking
- Updated
- 20 July 2026
At a glance
- Preserved lemons are made in winter when citrus is at its peak and cheapest.
- The process is simple: lemons, coarse salt and time.
- They need at least four weeks to cure; many cooks prefer two to three months.
- The rind is the part used in cooking — soft, intense and irreplaceable.
The making
The method is ancient and simple. Each lemon is cut into quarters from the top, stopping short of the base so the fruit holds together. The cuts are packed generously with coarse sea salt, and the lemons are pressed tightly into a clean glass jar. As they soften, they release their juice, and more lemon juice is added to cover them completely. Some cooks add a cinnamon stick, a bay leaf or a few peppercorns, but salt and lemon are all that is strictly needed.
The jar is sealed and left at room temperature, turned occasionally, for at least a month. Over time the rind softens, the bitterness mellows, and the flavour concentrates into something far more complex than fresh lemon — salty, deeply sour, almost fermented, with a fragrance that is purely Moroccan.
How they are used
It is the rind that matters. The pulp is usually scraped away and discarded; the soft, yielding rind is sliced or chopped and added to dishes in the last stages of cooking.
- Chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives: the single most iconic use.
- Fish tagines: sliced rind laid over the fish with olives and herbs.
- Salads: finely diced rind stirred into tomato, carrot or beetroot salads.
- Olive marinades: chunks of rind cured alongside cracked olives.
- Couscous garnish: scattered over the finished plate for a hit of salt and perfume.
Buying, storing and the right lemons
In Morocco, the best lemons for preserving are the small, thin-skinned boussera variety, intensely fragrant and juicy. Larger, thicker-skinned lemons work but take longer to soften. Jars of preserved lemons last indefinitely in the fridge — a well-made jar only improves over months — and are sold ready-made in every souk for those who do not make their own.
Making your own is one of the easiest ways to bring Moroccan flavour into a kitchen anywhere. For the dishes they go into, see seasonal vegetables in Moroccan tagines, and for the wider citrus season, citrus season in Morocco.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make Moroccan preserved lemons?
Quarter lemons from the top without cutting through the base, pack the cuts generously with coarse sea salt, press the lemons tightly into a glass jar and top up with lemon juice to cover. Seal and leave at room temperature for at least four weeks, turning occasionally. The rind softens and the flavour concentrates into a salty, intensely sour ingredient.
How long do preserved lemons take?
A minimum of four weeks, though many Moroccan cooks prefer two to three months for a deeper, mellower flavour. Once ready, they keep indefinitely in the refrigerator and only improve with age.
What part of the preserved lemon do you eat?
The rind. The soft, cured rind is the prized part — it is sliced, diced or torn and added to tagines, salads and olive dishes. The pulp is usually scraped away and discarded, as it is very salty and has given most of its flavour to the brine.