Spice Free Preserved Lemon
Bright, briny, and deeply aromatic, these salt-cured lemon rinds are one of those pantry staples that quietly transform everything they touch. The curing process is beautifully simple ā just lemons, kosher salt, a touch of sugar, and fresh lemon juice ā making this a naturally spice-free preparation that relies entirely on time and technique to develop its complex flavor. Optional bay leaves and a cinnamon stick are listed, but the recipe works just as well without them if you're keeping things completely neutral. After four weeks at room temperature, the rinds turn soft, translucent, and intensely fragrant in a way that no store-bought version can quite match. Rinsed and scraped, the cured rind adds a mellow, salty citrus punch to grain dishes, roasted vegetables, dressings, and more ā without any heat or spice to worry about. This is a low-effort, high-reward project that rewards patience with a condiment you'll reach for constantly.
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Learn more āIngredients
1 serving
- 8 medium lemons, scrubbed (preferably thin-skinned, such as meyer or eureka)
- Ā½ cup kosher salt
- Ā½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 additional lemons)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 dried bay leaves (optional)
Can be omittedbay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
Can be omittedcinnamon stick
Instructions
- 1
Sterilize a 1-quart wide-mouth glass jar and its lid by running them through a hot dishwasher cycle or submerging them in boiling water for 10 minutes, then setting them upside down on a clean towel to air-dry completely.
- 2
Stir together the kosher salt and sugar in a small bowl until combined, then set aside.
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