This is the second recipe for pickles, we use here at Casa Dirty Boots to preserve lemons.
It takes a little longer than the first recipe for preserving lemons. None of the work is difficult though. The lemons are finely sliced and can be used whole in dishes so you do save a little time and effort in the future! No need to remove the flesh before eating. And, as the end product is preserved in olive oil you get a virtually ready-made salad-dressing thrown in too.
Olive Oil Pickled Lemons Recipe
- Wash the lemons well (ideally these should be unwaxed fruits).
- Halve the lemons then slice thinly into half moons.
- Layer the sliced lemons with plenty of salt in a colander overnight to soften.
- Pack into warm sterilised jars adding a few pinches of hot paprika or chillis as you go.
- Cover with olive oil.
- Seal and leave for one month before using.
If you don’t have your own olive trees this method is likely to be a bit more costly. Apologies but here we have oil in excess so I may as well use it. And, as this is such a tasty preserve it would definitely be worth buying in for. The oil all gets used as salad dressing in the long run so there is no wastage.
I use these as additions to salads, grains and pulses at the end of cooking as they are delicate and tasty just as they are.
So there you have it – our two favorite methods of home canning lemons. I alwasy like to have more than one recipe for pickles, for whatever fruit or veg we have in surplus. That way we don’t get bored!
For a more self sufficient future
This would be an interesting thing to do with all the lemons that are so plentiful here in Southern California. Tell me, what are Pulses. You said you add the lemons to Pulses near the end of cooking.
Betsy Bargain’s last blog post..Get Paid to Play
Hi Betsy, the pulses are any legume type thing – lentils, split peas or any beans. They are great for jazzing up salads of any kind. Oh and good for stuffing baked fish too!
excellent article, thank you
hi Mrs Dirty Boots. Interesting article on oil preserved limes/lemons. Do you process the oil preserved or just heat the jars, pack and put on a shelf? How long do they last? I just preserved some sun dried (in the gas oven, ha ha) cherry toms. They are fabo! Now I am hooked on this oil preservation method. Also, what is a “tangine”? I looked it up and it came up as a cooking dish, not a recipe. Thanks, Dr. B
Billie,
A tangine is a cooking pot but also a recipe (using that pot if you have one and any other with a good lid if not). Basically they are spicy Moroccon stews with lots of attitude (think cumin, coriander, chilli and harissa), slow cooked till meat is super soft and yummy with things like apricots, dates and preserved lemons. Serve with cous cous and enjoy.
I just sterilise the jars, then pack seal and leave on a dark shelf. So long is the seal is good they will last well over a year, but I have had the odd jar that obviously was not sealed so well and has obviously deteriorated sooner. You do need to make sure the oil completely covers all the fruit.
The tomatoes are excellent so enjoy!