Preserved Lemons For Flavorful Moroccan Tagine Dishes, VitaClay Easy Crockpot Recipes

Fall in love with Moroccan cooking with this simple, indispensable condiment perfect for Moroccan chicken tagine, vegetable tagines, chicken with lemons and olives, and salads. This simple salt-preserved lemon can also be used for braises, sauces, fish dishes and other recipes. 

Long before refrigeration was accessible, preserving food was one of the ancient techniques that were very significant to cooking. Preserved lemons are fermented food that is typically not canned, as canning will kill the natural fermentation, which is where their flavor comes from. For longer storing, refrigerating it and will last a long time. To make preserved lemons, all you need are lemons, a quart jar, and salt; it’s super easy! And guess what, I’m making chicken tagine using VitaClay, which functions as a tagine cooker, again this weekend! Check the recipe if you’d love to try it too!

Ingredients

1. Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, sprinkle salt on the exposed flesh, then reshape the fruit.
2. Place 1 tablespoon salt on the bottom of the mason jar. Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding more salt,
3. Add spices between layers (optional). Press the lemons down to release their juices and to make room for the remaining lemons. (If the juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice). Leave some air space before sealing the jar.
4. Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice. Let ripen for 30 days.
5. To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and discarding the pulp (optional) — and there is no need to refrigerate after opening.

Preserved lemons will keep up to a year.