Homemade Moroccan Preserved Lemons: A Step-by-Step Guide

Nov 06, 2025 0

Homemade preserved lemons are easier to make than you’d think! Moroccan preserved lemons are commonly associated with Northern African cuisine, but they’re popular in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking too. Once you’ve tried them you’ll want to put them in everything. These lemons are easy to make and keep on hand.

They bring a vibrant flavor to any dish that is very difficult to replicate. Pickled lemon lends a sour, salty dimension to your dishes. Tagines often use these in recipes because of their ability to stand up to other strong, spicy flavors. For example, I use the pulp and juice in the marinade for chermoula chicken and slices of the preserved lemons in beef or chicken tagine stew. You can make that same stew vegetarian-friendly, in case you were wondering!

The prep time is quick, but note that you’ll need to wait at least a month before you can enjoy your preserved lemons.

Preserved lemons are one of the indispensable ingredients in the cuisine of Morocco. They’re sold in the souks, but they’re easy to make at home.

So if you like the taste that a pickled lemon brings to your dish, you really can’t go wrong adding these to your dish.

Moroccan Preserved Lemons Recipe - CookingWithAlia - Episode 53

Ingredients You'll Need

Here's what you'll need to gather before you begin:

Lemons: You’ll want to have at least 10 large ones on standby for these Moroccan preserved lemons. You’ll start by adding 6 lemons to the jar, then use the juice from 4 more to cover the fruit. Meyer lemons are best in the States as they are sweeter and thin skinned. I recommend Meyer or Eureka lemons. I personally prefer Meyer because they’re thin skinned and particularly sweet and not at all bitter. Eureka lemons are one of the two most common types you’ll find in the store, along with Lisbons, and are an easy choice. Since you’ll be eating the entire fruit, I recommend buying organic Eureka lemons (regular lemons) that have not been sprayed or treated with chemicals. Select ones that are heavy for their size with thin fine-textured peel and deep yellow color. Meyer lemons are also a great option, since their thinner skins are not very bitter.
Salt: Use kosher or sea salt.
Fennel Seeds: A spice to add warm, licorice-like sweetness to the fruit.
Ground Coriander: A floral spice with a citrus note similar to the fruit’s seasoning.
Black Pepper: Some recipes use the whole peppercorns, but I find that’s more for aesthetics than how to make preserved lemons with a bit of spice to them!

I claim that this recipe doesn’t require a special trip to the store, but I also realize that most people don’t necessarily keep items like coriander seeds in their pantry. This recipe is great for substitutions - or leaving spices out completely. If you only have ground versions of any of the spices, use ⅛ or ¼ teaspoon instead.

Ingredients for alternative recipe:

2 lemons
3 cups water
3 Tablespoons Kosher salt
3 whole cloves
1 dried bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick (about 3” long)
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns

Equipment

Glass Canning Jar - Make sure it’s sterilized before beginning. Wash well in hot, soapy water and then boil for 10 minutes for good measure. A tight-lid canning jar that should fit the lemons snuggly (I used a 2-liter jar) The jar you choose should fit all the lemons snuggly.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these instructions to create your own preserved lemons:

Prepare the Lemons. Wash and dry the lemons. Rinse and dry the fruit. Scrub the lemons cleanClean the lemons very well by scrubbing them under running water.
Cut the Lemons. Cut an X into 6 lemons: starting from one end, slice lengthwise downward almost to the base, turn the lemon 90 degrees and repeat, keeping the quarters together. Cut the lemons Trim 8 large lemons on the top and bottom by cutting about 1/4-inch on each side. From there, stand the lemons flat on a clean cutting board. Keeping the lemons attached at the bottom end, cut each lemon into quarters part-way through. Take one and slice lengthwise from the base to the opposite end, turning 90 degrees and repeating the motion to carve a deep X into the fruit. Don’t cut all the way through. Repeat with 5 more of the lemons for a total of 6.
Combine the Seasonings. Add the spices and salt to a bowl and whisk together. Whisk the spices into the sea salt.
Push the Seasoned Salt into the Lemon. Push the seasoned salt into the lemon. Open up the lemons some and stuff them with the kosher salt and sugar mixture. Stuff the lemons with copious amounts of salt. Soak the lemons in lots kosher salt and little sugar and refrigerate for 1 day Transfer the lemons to a large bowl. Prepare 1/2 cup of kosher salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Open up the lemons at the top and stuff each with plenty of the salt and sugar mixture, then roll them around in whatever remains of the salt and sugar. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight and up to 24 hours. the lemons will release some juice.
Pack the Jars & Store. Pack the lemons as tightly as possible into a clean, airtight jar (I use mason jars or canning jar with lids). Start packing the whole lemons into a clean, large jar. A quart mason jar worked well for me, but depending on the type of lemon you use, you may need a bigger jar. Pack the 6 fruits into a sterilized jar - the less space between them the better. The less space there is between the lemons the better and it will make for a more attractive presentation.
Add More Lemons If Desired. After 5 days, the fruit should have softened enough to make room for more lemons! If desired, add as many as will fit into the jar. After 5 days add as many more additional salted lemons as will fit into the jar. Pack the lemons so tight that they won't dislodge as they soften and preserve.
Cover the Lemons with Juice. Make sure to then cover the lemons with juice from remaining 6 lemons (or more if needed) and let the spices settle. Make sure all the lemons are submerged in lemon juice. Add fresh lemon juice to fill the jar and cover the lemons (you’ll use juice of another 8 lemons or 2 1/2 cups of fresh lemon juice). Be sure to submerge the lemons so that the lemon juice covers the very top). After adding the first 6 lemons to the jar, you want to fill the container with enough lemon juice so the fruit is completely covered. Let it spill a bit out of the top if you have to! If you find they don’t reach the top, use a smaller jar. Seal the jar shut and store in the fridge for 3 weeks to 1 month before consuming. Place a lid on the jar and allow the lemons to cure at room temperature for 4 weeks. You can allow the lemons to cure for up to a year at room temperature. Once opened, store in the fridge indefinitely. Store in a cool, dark place. The lemons will soften slightly and juice will be released.
Wait. They will be ready after one month of preserving. Allow lemons to rest for at least 5 days and up to 3 months.

Instructions for alternative recipe:

Read also: Delicious Moroccan Chicken

Rinse lemons and score peels down length of lemons, about 1-inch apart.
In a saucepan, combine lemons, water and salt and bring to boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the peel can be pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
Transfer lemons to a canning jar, pressing down slightly to release a bit of juice. Reserve salt water in pan.
Add cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns to lemons in jar.
Pour reserved salt water over lemons, filling jar and submerging lemons completely.
Seal with lid.
Cool completely and refrigerate, turning jar occasionally.

How to Use Preserved Lemons

Rinse the brine off of the lemons prior to use. Rinse off any excess salt and brine before using the preserved lemons in recipes. To use these fermented lemons, you can chop and use them as is for a source of lemon flavor and salt, or you can rinse the lemons. I mostly discard the pulp, then rinse the rind well to chop and use anywhere I’d use lemon zest. It doesn’t take much fermented lemon to add a delicious bright lemon flavor to recipes.

Pickled lemons are often used in North African cooking to add brightness and flavor to stews, soups and more. You can also use some in place of lemon slices in my Chicken Tagine recipe. Pickled lemons can transform your lunch sandwiches; just add them as you would any pickled vegetables. Or, if you’re using as a garnish and you’re short on time, fried lemons work as a substitute.

For example, I use the pulp and juice in the marinade for chermoula chicken and slices of the preserved lemons in beef or chicken tagine stew.

How are preserved lemons different from fresh ones?

They’re a bit like lemons without the bite. The taste is distinctly “lemony,” but there isn’t that sharp, mouth-puckering sourness you associate with citrus. Instead, they’re more salty than sour - though still sour to a degree. Additionally, the rind becomes very soft and easy to bite into.

Read also: Pilau: A Kenyan Delight

Storage Tips

Store in the refrigerator indefinitely; these lemons also keep at room temperature for a year. Properly stored in the fridge, salt-preserved lemons can keep for a good 6 months. It is important to use a good canning jar with a tightly closed lid, and make sure the lemons are well submerged in the lemon juice. Some sources say they will last a good year, that may be, but I like to play it safe. Also, we use them so regularly over here that they do not last very long.

After a jar is opened, the preserved lemons need to be refrigerated. If the fruit begins to take on a more foul sour scent, if its texture becomes mushy or slimy, or if the jar’s lid starts bulging, they have likely gone bad.

The most important thing to remember is that a thicker-skinned fruit will take longer to preserve and that the idea of preserved lemons is to eat the whole fruit - so the flavor is just as important as the exterior.

NOTE: You may notice a lacy, white substance clinging to preserved lemons in the jar.