LOOKING FOR PRESERVED LEMON

[niko.niko]

I am looking for a Preserved Lemon to make a Moroccan dish.
I have been looking around my area which is south bay but no luck so far.
I am looking for the lemons brined in the salt water with no spice or oil.
Has anyone seen it somewhere?

Please also recommend me a good Middle Eastern grocery store which may carry the Lemon.

Thank you!

[Gumbogirl]

Draeger's in Menlo Park and Los Altos have preserved lemons. Not a bargain at this market, but they are always in stock.

[foodie327]

I recently bought preserved lemon at the Los Altos Draegers. Two days later I found the greatest Moroccan ingredients at Casablanca Market 793 Castro Street, Mountain View.
We've enjoyed many tangine dishes in the last few months. Enjoy.

[Melanie Wong]

Splendid! What else have you found at Casablanca?

[niko.niko]

Hi foodie327 !
I will try those shops on this weekend. I'd love to make some tangine dishes.
Casablanca market shounds interesting.
I will also try to make my own .
I bought some small organic lemons the other day but they weren't thin skined...
I will look for Meyer Lemons at Sunnyvale Farmers Market.

[poot]

Wish you lived next door: I have plenty.

[Melanie Wong]

I make my own too and haven't ever tried to buy any. You might give Rose market in Mountain View a call. it's pretty big and covers a wide swathe of Middle Eastern goods although not specifically North African. Halal Meats in San Jose near the Cupertino border is also pretty diverse.

In the past we've had reports that the pickled lemons used in Southeast Asian cooking work well. I've not tried them myself. But I was in Lion supermarket on Tully Road on Monday and found these on Aisle 6. They do have preservatives, but if you give them a try and don't like them, you're only out $1.19.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniew...

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Rose International Market
1060 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94040

Halal Meats
1538 S De Anza Blvd, San Jose, CA 95129

Lion Tully
1710 Tully Rd, San Jose, CA

[escargot3]

Sorry, MW, but I just don't think the Southeast Asian preserved lemons are an acceptable replacement for the real deal. It's really best to use those small Meyer lemons.

The cuisine of Morocco is premised on those delicate aromatic flavors... like rose water, and orange blossom water.

[Melanie Wong]

I don't know, as I said above, I've not used these. I can say that they are quite fragrant, salty and citrusy when served in a salty lemon soda at Vietnamese restaurants. Have you used the Southeast Asian ones? I found the old post I remembered that recommends them as a substitute,
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/3119...

Unless the OP lucks out and finds a friend with one of those nearly everbearing Meyer lemon trees, Meyers are out of season. There are Meyer lemons in the grocery stores today, but they're from New Zealand. Sniffing them on the store shelf, they don't seem to have near the aroma of our homegrown product.

[escargot3]

I'm a little fussier than most cause I've spent a lot of time in Morocco.

I did try the Southeast Asian ones once, and thought the taste was off -- but it might've just been that brand....

And no, it doesn't have to be Meyers. But in Morocco, it's always these small lemons that seem similar to Meyers.

[Melanie Wong]

I agree, Meyers are the closest we have to the small, thin-skinned type of lemons. Where would you get some Meyer lemons today?

P.S. Now I get why someone who adopted "snail" as a handle would choose a camel as an avatar!

[escargot3]

Way to go, Melanie!
I never put the 2 together before -- both slow going -- but determined -- critters.

Anyway...lemons -- I guess the suggestion is simply small thin skinned lemons.

[niko.niko]

Thank you very much All !
I will try these places when I go to SF.
It looks that I need to wait to make my Moroccan lamb dish until then.. :)
I should also try to make my own.
I will look for some Myer lomon to start.

Thanks Again

[SteveG]

There are middle eastern markets in the south bay area. Where have you looked?

[niko.niko]

Hi Steve,
I live in Sunnyvale and tried a couple of shops here.
One of them had a dried lemon and a lady from a shop told me that she has never heard of preserved lemon. so I was actually wondering if I was trying on a right kind of shops..

[PorkButt]

Sounds like you went to a Persian store.

[saffrongold]

since you are postponing making the recipe, I think you should explore making your own. the method i use requires a curing time of 4-6 weeks.

[farmersdaughter]

There is a pretty good Middle Eastern grocery store in the Mission, called Samiramis Imports, a couple doors down from Old Jerusalem. I don't know if they carry preserved lemons but they've got a great selection of items so you may want to give them a call.

Samiramis Imports
2990 Mission St
(between 25th St & 26th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
[phone]

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Samiramis Imports
2990 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Old Jerusalem
2976 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[SteveG]

You might try the market mentioned in this thread. I'm pretty sure I saw dried persian limes, so they might have preserved lemons:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/684958

[pauliface]

These are REALLY easy to make. In just a week you can have your own!
Try this recipe here, it's what I use and I always have a jar going.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[saffrongold]

Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco sells them in bulk if you can't find something closer.

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Rainbow Grocery
1745 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94103