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Preserved lemon

Preserved lemon is lemon cured in salt and commonly used to add sour, salty flavor to sauces, stews, and salads.

Preserved lemon — illustrative ingredient image

About Preserved lemon

Preserved lemon is lemon fruit cured in salt, usually with its juice and sometimes additional liquid, until the peel and flesh soften and develop a concentrated salty, sour, and aromatic flavour. It is used in sauces, stews, braises, salads, marinades, grain dishes, and other savoury preparations.

The peel is often an important usable part after curing, with a tender, yielding texture; the flesh is softer and more acidic. Salt curing concentrates the fruit’s sour, salty, and aromatic character. Exact flavour intensity depends on the unspecified curing time, salt concentration, packing liquid, and seasonings.

Depending on the product, the fruit may be kept whole, quartered, sliced, or packed with spices or other seasonings. Commercial jars may contain pieces in brine or juice. Curing softens both peel and flesh; rinsing, draining, or chopping changes the saltiness, moisture, and texture presented in a dish.

Ingredient type
compound ingredient

Forms & related ingredients

  • Saltcontains · Preserved lemon → Salt
  • Lemoncontains · Preserved lemon → Lemon

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Where preserved lemon appears

3 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

Showing 1–3 of 3

Main dishes

Salads

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for preserved lemon

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

preserved lemon

English

salt-preserved lemon (sliced, bottled)

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Preserved lemon nutrition & diet

Preserved lemon nutritional value

Reference: Lemon, preserved

Per 100 g of the edible portion of the stated reference food.

Calories
23.7kcal
Protein
0.7g
Carbs
1.3g
Fat
0.1g

Reference example for the named food and preparation, per 100 g edible portion. This is not a universal value for every recipe or brand; packaged products should be compared with their own label. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand. AFCD Release 3, food F005175. Available carbohydrate excludes sugar alcohols; energy converted from kJ to kcal (÷4.184). Australian data may not be appropriate for use in other countries. There are limitations associated with food composition databases. Food composition data used in the database or databases may represent an average of the nutrient content of a particular sample of foods and ingredients, determined at a particular time. The nutrient composition of foods and ingredients can vary substantially between batches and brands because of a number of factors, including changes in season, processing practices and ingredient source, and methods of calculation. Data licensed under the FSANZ Data User Licence Agreement, based on CC BY-SA 3.0 AU: https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science-data/monitoringnutrients/afcd/datauserlicenceagreement.

Portions & preparation

Use the preserved lemon form actually eaten, noting whether peel, flesh, seeds, or brine are included. Curing introduces salt and changes the edible portion from fresh lemon. Rinsing, chopping, and cooking affect how it is distributed, while sauces, stews, and salads may contribute oil, sugar, or other ingredients.

Compare the right form: Match the reference to salted preserved lemon, specifying peel and flesh, brine exposure, rinsing, chopped or whole form, and recipe use.

Diet considerations

Preserved lemon is plant-derived citrus cured with salt. Its compatibility differs from fresh lemon because the curing medium and retained brine matter. Recipes may add animal stock, butter, dairy, or cereal ingredients, while dressings and stews alter the portion consumed. Evaluate the complete preparation rather than assuming a plain citrus portion.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    May be compatible
  • Vegetarian
    May be compatible
  • Pescatarian
    May be compatible
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · May be compatible
The recorded ingredients may fit this pattern. This is not a complete recipe or manufacturing specification; check additions and preparation.
Vegetarian · May be compatible
The recorded ingredients may fit this pattern. This is not a complete recipe or manufacturing specification; check additions and preparation.
Pescatarian · May be compatible
The recorded ingredients may fit this pattern. This is not a complete recipe or manufacturing specification; check additions and preparation.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Australian Food Composition Database, Release 3, 2025 — Lemon, preserved ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .