Where can i buy preserved lemons?

January 9, 2007 9:26 PM

Where can I buy preserved lemon in the SF Bay Area?

I know, I know, I should make my own, but I need it tomorrow so I can't wait for it to cure. Thanks in advance.

posted by rorycberger to Food & Drink (14 answers total)

Dried lemons? I saw this at a middle eastern grocery in San Jose... is that what you're looking for? It was sold in large bags full of small, dried, brownish lemons.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 9:32 PM on January 9, 2007

Sur La Table stocks preserved lemons.
posted by J-Train at 9:33 PM on January 9, 2007

Response by poster: To clarify, I'm talking about Moroccan/North African style whole lemons that are preserved in salt and lemon juice, as by this recipe.
posted by rorycberger at 9:48 PM on January 9, 2007

rorycberger, I'm with J-Train. I think the Moroccan preserved lemons at Sur La Table are similar to the preserved lemons that would be the product of the recipe to which you link.
posted by RichardP at 10:03 PM on January 9, 2007

Hmm... Now that I think about it, for the benefit of future readers of this thread, I think this link to Sur La Table's Moroccan preserved lemons is less likely to break in the future.
posted by RichardP at 10:06 PM on January 9, 2007

Yep, I've had half a jar of Mustapha's Moroccan Lemons Preserved sitting in my fridge for the past year (no idea how long it keeps once opened), after a day-long search for them for a dish that had me stuffing them + butter under the skin of some chicken quarters. Mmm. No idea where I put that recipe, unfortunately. It (and that brand of preserved lemon, though I haven't had any other) was fantastic.
posted by J-Train at 10:18 PM on January 9, 2007

Yep, I've bought them at Sur La Table and have also seen them at Whole Foods. In the case of Whoe Foods, they were oddly placed in the cheese/chocolate cases, as sort of decorative objects, which made them difficult to find.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 11:19 PM on January 9, 2007

Here's a recipe for 'Overnight preserved lemons' in case you can't find any. It cheats by putting them in the freezer to break down the cells.
posted by slightlybewildered at 11:37 PM on January 9, 2007

Response by poster: Great, thanks everyone!
posted by rorycberger at 12:00 AM on January 10, 2007

Making them is incredibly easy, if not a lot more expensive than buying it premade. The first time you make it, you'll need at least a dozen lemons just for the juice. The good news is that you can re-use the brining liquid after you've used up all of the lemons.
posted by Dave Faris at 5:35 AM on January 10, 2007

This is weird, I just made some myself yesterday. I've never tried them before.
Must be something in the air.
posted by exceptinsects at 4:32 PM on January 10, 2007

Response by poster: fyi, if anyone is looking at this later, I found them at Boulettes Larder, for much cheaper than Sur La Table. I cleaned out their whole supply though, so you may have to wait a week or two before they have any more.
posted by rorycberger at 10:07 AM on January 11, 2007

So, what are you going to do with them? I'll need some ideas in a few weeks!
posted by exceptinsects at 5:18 PM on January 11, 2007

Response by poster: I'm slicing them into julienne and serving with 40 lbs of grilled morrocan spiced lamb sirloin steaks.

Doing a big BBQ for my company tomorrow - serving pulled pork, sliced brisket, teriyaki chicken breasts, four kinds of sausages, and the aforementioned lamb. Should be lots of fun!

For more everyday use, I like them alongside meats as a counterpoint to heavy sauces/gravies. Also great in stews, salads, tartares, etc. Anywhere you want to brighten things with a burst of lemony flavor.
posted by rorycberger at 6:07 PM on January 11, 2007