Omani Lemons

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Omani Lemons

Indeed, Omani lemons are not lemons at all!  They are dried limes and also go by the names black lime, loomi, amani and noomi basra (to name a few).

I scooped these up one day at a Middle Eastern specialty store and have been adding them to braises and rice dishes ever since.  They go a long way, so one of them has enough flavor for around 3 cups of basmati rice (with which it goes especially well).

Omani lemons are used in cooking throughout the Middle East and even North India. Typically, (fresh) Omani limes are boiled in salt water and then dried in the sun.  This preservation process turns them anywhere from a light tan to black in color and hollow in the center.  Their flavor is tart, more like the peel than the juice, without any sweetness, and they also have an indescribable muskiness.  They are fantastic as a souring agent in place of lemon juice in a sauce.

To use them, you can poke a small hole in one or two and throw them into whatever slow-cooking pot is at hand.  They can also be crushed or even powdered, and they are sold whole, crushed or powdered at various ethnic grocers.

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

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Moroccan Preserved Lemons

Preserved lemons are an incredibly distinct and subtle ingredient used in North African, Middle Eastern, and even certain East Asian cuisines.  They may be added to soups, stews, salads, rice dishes, tagines, used as a stuffing, baked in a savory or even sweet pie…there are endless uses.  Since it takes a month or so for the lemons to preserve and the flavor to really develop, I wanted to get on it immediately.  I’ve been envisioning a beautiful sauce or even a bright salad to be served with summer’s grilled fish dishes and a cold goblet of rosé for a summer Sunday “family” dinner party…and maybe a friendly game of spades.

Although the flesh is used, it’s truly the peel and pith that are the celebrated ingredients.  Meyer lemons are great for this because they naturally have a softer peel that eats very well.  A cross between a lemon and a mandarin, their sweetness is an added bonus.  If only regular lemons are available, go with them – that’s the tradition anyway.

Many recipes call for various spices like coriander and bay leaf to be included in the pickling liquid; some even add rose or orange blossom water.  I’m keeping this super simple because I want these little lemons to be as versatile as possible.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Meyer lemons or regular lemons

Sea salt

Lemon juice

Sterilized jar

Procedure

I’m not giving exact quantities because it really depends on how large the jar is that you are using.   You want enough lemons to fit in the jar and be completely submerged in lemon juice.  You also want to be able to apply some level of pressure on the lemons so the juice oozes out of them.

Start by slicing each lemon into quarters but still keeping them intact at the stem end.  Then, take ¼ tsp of sea salt per lemon and rub it onto the inside flesh.  Place each lemon into the jar pressing down as you go.  When the lemons are all prepped and in the jar, add enough lemon juice to cover completely.  Weight down or use the lid of the jar as pressure and seal.

At this point, you just want to store them in a cool place.  As I mentioned, they will take about a month, but they do look beautiful on the kitchen counter!