Fermented lemons are a delicious addition to your kitchen. They are really easy to make and are a great way to preserve a bountiful supply of lemons. The tangy and salty flavour is perfect for balancing creamy dishes or adding a bit of an exotic flare to everyday meals.
PrintFermented Lemon Pickle
Fermented lemons are a simple and delicious way to add a bit of zip to most dishes. See the bottom of the post for five recipes that feature this delicious condiment.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 quart jar 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Fermented
Scale
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lbs) lemons
- 1/2 tsp ground tumeric
- 2 tbsp non-iodized salt
- 2 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Wash the lemons well, and place them in a pot with turmeric and cover with water. Slowly bring to a boil and boil for 8 minutes.
- Drain well.
- Cut each lemon into slices or sections and remove the seeds. They will be quite juicy, so cut them over a bowl to catch all the pulp.
- Sprinkle the lemons with salt.
- Pack the lemons and their juice into a sterilized jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Allow to ferment for 1 week, turning the jar over every day.
- Top the jar of lemons with the oil to act as an air barrier for storage.
- Store in the fridge and consume within a month.
Notes
- Removing the seeds is optional, but it really improves the flavour.
- I used a mason jar with a metal ring lid for fermenting because it provides the best seal and didn’t leak when I inverted the jar. The metal won’t stop the fermentation process, but the acidity isn’t good for the metal, so I wouldn’t reuse the lid for canning.
Keywords: probiotic, keto, vegan, gluten free paleo, whole 30, spring
How to use Fermented Lemons
- Spiced lemon pickles are a delicious salty and sour pickle that is perfect with an Indian meal.
- I adore Ottolenghi. His food is beautiful, exotic and delicious. I have both Plenty
and Jerusalem in my cookbook collection. Here’s his recipe for fish kebabs with lemon pickle. - Chicken dishes benefit from the addition of fermented lemons, like this Moroccan chicken with lemon and olives.
- Fermented lemons are a great addition to salads. Dice some into a Greek salad, pasta salad or quinoa salad.
- Thinly sliced lemons add a bit of zip to a creamy pasta Alfredo, or on an olive and roasted vegetable pizza.
and 
in my cookbook collection. Here’s his recipe for 
Ryan
April 4, 2019 at 8:01 pmJust made these, and they are the bomb! And they last forever in the fridge.
★★★★★
Emillie
April 5, 2019 at 8:54 amGlad you liked them!