Rabat – In Morocco you can pick up preserved lemons at any hanout or spice stall for a very low price, but in European countries there a bit harder to come by. If you’re craving the taste of Morocco you can preserve lemons at home in a kilner-jar and sample the flavors of North Africa at your leisure!

In Moroccan cuisine preserved lemons are used in a large variety of fish and chicken dishes, as well as tagines. A particular favorite of mine is a chicken tagine with green olives, preserved lemons, and a pinch of saffron. For a lighter meal, you can use preserved lemons to flavor baked or steamed fish or even a basic tray bake with chicken thighs, potatoes, and some fresh ginger.

Today I’m going to show you how you can keep the taste of Morocco in your kitchen cupboard, it only takes 15 minutes

This simple recipe only has a few, easy to find ingredients:

5 lemons (Mayer lemons are better)

5 to 6 teaspoon of coarse salt

Juice from 2 more lemons

1 glass jar

Now we’re ready tos tart:

Wash the jar with soap and hot water and let it dry.

Wash the lemons well and wipe them with a dry and clean dish towel.

Make two incisions on the top of each lemon lengthwise downward shaped ‘X’ so that they open up but remain attached at the base.

Open each lemon and pour in 1 teaspoon of salt.

Put the lemons in the glass jar one by one.

Add the lemon juice.

Press the lemons as tightly as possible in the jar to get the juices flowing.

Cover the jar tightly and let it in a dry and dark place.

Every two or three days, open the jar and compress the lemons to release more juices.

The pickled lemons will be ready to use in a month, then you can keep them in the refrigerator for about 6 months.

Before using the preserved lemons, remember to wash each lemon to remove the salt.

Serve with tagines and salads.