Homemade Pickled Lemon

You may have seen it called preserved lemon, but my husband's family has made it and called it pickled lemon for generations in Egypt. Regardless of the name, pickled lemon is easy to make and takes about a week to marinate. 

You pickle the entire lemon including the rind.

You may be wondering why anyone would actually pickle lemons to eat them. Well, my husband is a lemon lover and pickled lemon provides the taste he is looking for to add to his sandwiches, salads, dinner, and other meals. 

My husband and his siblings grew up eating pickled lemon in Cairo, Egypt and it is still a favorite of my husband until today! 

His mother always made her own pickled lemons, but when he came to the US, we always bought it In the Middle Eastern grocery. The other day, I was introduced to a new friend from Egypt who shared her recipe! It is fairly easy.. 

First start with a plate of kosher coarse salt. 

Then the lemons are washed well, sliced in small slices, one side gets coated with salt, and then placed into a small bowl to allow the juices to ooze out and the lemon to marinate. After a day (left on the counter she said), she transfers the lemon pieces to a small jar and allows them to sit covered on the counter for 1 week. (I decided to refrigerate mine).

After a week, the lemon is pickled and can be enjoyed as a condiment on sandwiches, with meals, or alone as a pickle.

Ingredients: 

2 lemons, washed and cut into pieces 

Kosher salt 

Paprika

Directions :

Take each piece of cut up lemon and dip one side in kosher salt. Put all the pieces in a small bowl and allow the lemon to sweat for 24 hours. Pour into a small jar, add a little paprika for color and store covered for 1 week. 

MY NOTES: 

1. The liquid in the jar is from the lemon juice ( not water)