Lemon pickle is a fantastic and flavorful Middle Eastern condiment that’s SO delicious! Pickling is easier than you think, especially if you use this quick pickle recipe.

Homemade condiments taste so much better than store-bought, and they can be fun to make, too. Not only that, but I think it feels good to know exactly what is (and isn’t) in the condiments I use.

If you’ve never done it before, pickling fruits and vegetables may seem intimidating, but I assure you, the process is really simple. What steers many people away from it is the time involved. 

The good news is, this quick lemon pickle doesn’t take long at all. If you’re short on time, quick pickling is the way to go!

Types of Pickling: Fermentation and Quick Pickle

Pickling is a method of preserving food to lengthen its shelf life. There are two methods; fermentation and quick pickling.

Examples of quick pickle recipes include chutney, salsa, and ceviche. With a quick pickle recipe, vinegar (or another acid such as lemon juice), sugar and salt are the ingredients that preserve the food.

Using this method, the entire pickling process takes up to 24 hours, but the pickled food does not keep indefinitely.

On the other hand, fermenting foods involves bacterial growth, which in some cases, extends the shelf life almost indefinitely. The downside is that the fermentation process can take several days, and sometimes even longer. This is because bacteria needs quite a while to grow.

Examples of fermented foods include kimchi, sourdough, and corned beef.

Ingredients to Make a Quick Lemon Pickle

One particularly nice thing about pickled lemons is that the acid you need exists naturally, right in the fruit. Because of this, you don’t have to use any additional acid like vinegar.

• Lemons– Nothing fancy needed here; just a few simple fresh lemons, including a couple to squeeze for fresh juice.
  
• Red chili peppers– I like a spicy lemon pickle, so I use a mortar and pestle to massage a red chili pepper with lemon juice. If you aren’t a fan of spicy food, it’s perfectly okay to leave it out. Or, you could use a less spicy pepper, such as jalapeno.
  
  If you’d rather not use a chili pepper at all, you can substitute it with a teaspoon of shatta sauce.
  
• Spices– For seasoning, you’ll need salt, sugar, and three other basic spices; paprika, turmeric, and cumin.

Instructions

1. Clean, slice, and juice the lemons.
   After slicing the lemons, add them to a glass bowl, and place the lemon juice into a separate bowl.

IMPORTANT TIP:
Be sure to use a container made from a non-reactive material, like glass. Otherwise, the acid in the lemon juice could eat right through the container.

2. Combine lemon juice and chili pepper.
   Use a mortar and pestle to combine and create a paste with the lemon juice and chili pepper. If you’d rather not use a chili pepper, you can substitute it with a teaspoon of shatta sauce.

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3. Massage the chili paste into the sliced lemons.
   The easiest way to do this is with your hands (I think it’s more fun this way, too!)
   
4. Add the seasoned lemon slices and any accumulated juices to a sterilized glass jar.
   
   It will take up to 8 hours for the lemon pickle to be ready for use. Until then, store it in a sterilized jar with a tight fitting lid.

FAQ

You can also opt to make this into a chunky spread, which I prefer. If so, drain and discard juice. Then pulse/ puree in food processor to desired consistency!

Other Uses for this Quick Lemon Pickle Recipe

The next time you make stew (like this Moroccan chicken stew), add a bit of pickled lemon to the dish. It’ll give the dish a wonderful, bright flavor! 

It can also be used as a delicious garnish on top tomato or lentil soup, or try it with a dollop of labneh on Moroccan vegetable couscous cakes.