Preserved Lemons: A Taste of Lisbon at Home

We grow our own lemons in Tings Lisbon's Garden

I don’t know how people dealt with Covid. How they manage not going crazy of boredom and lack of social life.

I “played” with food in our kitchen.

Most of my recipes are the extracts of a lifetime of food experiences from travelling all over the world where eating locally of course has been an important part the experience.

At one point we have eaten enough to get the idea behind the local cuisine and need something else. When that happens I start playing around with the local ingredients and make my own versions of dishes we have tasted the previous weeks and creating brand new recipes based on what is available locally.

This way of cooking was the ‘dogma’ behind Tings tea Lounge in Kathmandu: Healthy and affordable non-local dishes based on local ingredients…

People loved it.

When Covid forced us to close down Kathmandu our lounge had been among the most popular international restaurants since we opened in 2010.

So in order not to get crazy I used our food dogmas and imagined different parts of the world based on whatever I could get hold of as locally as possible and started cooking. And what’s more local than salt preserve lemons from the tree in our own garden and use them for Tings Lisbon’s Salted lemons – our take on the Moroccan Pickled Lemons.

People have preserved Lemons for ages - and in all cultures.

When we started up Tings Tea Lounge in Kathmandu we only had electricity 6 hrs every day – way to little to keep the fridge cold. So the lack of cooling facilities forced us to think differently.

Like using our great-grandmothers cooking techniques from the time before the fridge. That’s how rillettes de wildboa (Hindus don’t eat pork and veal but wildboa and buff) and confits de chicken (local ducks are impossible to eat) – entered our menu. These French Classics were nothing special back then – just the way they preserved the meat to prevent it from rotting.

And of course they also preserved fruits and vegetables – like lemons. And we are surrounded by lemons!

The most local ‘item’ in our life here in Graça is lemons. They are growing right outside our kitchen.

Combine them with the – maybe – most common Portuguese gastronomy item: Salt and you have the two ingredients for one of the best ‘pickles’ in the world. Salt Preserved Lemons.

Made the right way you can keep them forever and turn plain simple dishes into exotic North African or Middle Eastern dishes in no time: Take a slice of your salted lemon, remove the pulp, fine chop the peel and add it to your pasta, omelet, mix it in your rice or couscous, use it for a Bloody Mary…

There are NO reasons for not making your own Salt Preserved Lemons

The recipe

If you live in Lisbon you don’t have to buy your own house with a garden with lemon trees.

Most likely you have friends, family, colleagues or neighbors that don’t know what to do with their lemons. If not you can buy them around the corner of from one of the many vans at the round-a-bouts in the outskirts of Lisbon that as selling their own seasonal products. Alternatively buy them where you buy your vegetables. BUT they must be 100% organic!!! Its the peal you eat!!!

The salt is ridiculously cheap everywhere – just much better in Portugal compared to most other countries. I get it for free from good friends in Alcácer do Sal who have access to mountains of salt from the many local salines.

With this Recipe for Tings Lisbon’s salted lemons you are set to go.

That’s all you need 🙂

Salt Preserved Lemons from Tings Lisbon's Garden — All you need is salt, lemons, a jar, a sharp knife, a cutting board a pestle, a bowl and beautiful settings.

At Tings Lisbon we preserve the lemons from the garden - here is the recipe. Rub the lemons with sea salt — Take 1/2 spoon of salt and spread inside the lemons.

At Tings Lisbon we preserve the lemons from the garden - here is the recipe. Place the salted lemons in the jar — Tightly pack the lemons into the sterilized jars, packing salt around them generously as you build up the layers. Poke the herbs and spices (if using) around the lemons.

At Tings Lisbon we preserve the lemons from the garden - here is the recipe. Check the daily for some weeks - add salt if necessary — If needed add more salt (there should always be a layer of salt in the bottom of the jar)

At Tings Lisbon we preserve the lemons from the garden - here is the recipe. Add extra lemon juice if necessary — Add lemon juice until the jar is completely full. Check every two hours and top up with more juice the jar is completely ful. It make take 2-3 days.

At Tings Lisbon we preserve the lemons from the garden - here is the recipe. When the Jar is full - cluose and put aside — Leave the jar in a cool dark place for at least three months before using. Turn it every day.

At Tings Lisbon we preserve the lemons from the garden - here is the recipe. When you cant add neither more salt nor jiice leave them for 2-3 months — To get rid of our mint that grows like weed we use it as much as possible. So we make also make a mint version of our preserved lemons.

Preserving my own lemons was a perfect way to combine the practicalities of visiting friends, buying salt and have a swim at the best beach around Lisbon…

And even better. Preserved Lemons are not only local and good for the environment! They are very easy to make and every body can make them. You neither need machines, experience nor skills. Just the little time it takes…

Tings Lounge in Lisbon is not opened yet. But hopefully it wont be long before be fore we do.

Until then you can play around with your own lemons.

Enjoy

Thomas