Use boiled lemons to add wonderful rich lemon flavour plus vitamin C to your savoury or sweet dishes and drinks.
Learn how to boil lemons to reduce bitterness and soften the peel so the whole lemon is edible. This easy method creates mellow, versatile boiled lemons perfect for sauces, soups, marinades, and everyday cooking.
Boiled lemons add a delicious tangy rich citrus flavour to your dishes. They can be used whole, chopped or pureed.
Boiling lemons, like boiling oranges, makes the skin soft and tender and removes any bitterness so the whole lemon is edible.
Whole boiled lemons can be added to stews, tagines and baked dishes. Use them chopped in salads and vegetable dishes. You can even puree boiled lemons to add to sauces, dressings, marinades desserts and drinks.
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How to use boiled lemons
Boiled lemons are a simple ingredient with many culinary uses. Boiling softens the peel and mellows the bitterness, making the entire lemon-peel, pith, and flesh-edible. Once boiled, lemons can be chopped, blended, or mashed and added directly to recipes for a subtle citrus flavour.
Here are some easy ways to use boiled lemons in everyday cooking:
- Sauces: Finely chop boiled lemons and stir them into pasta sauces, yogurt sauces, or pan sauces for chicken and fish.
- Salad Dressings: Blend boiled lemon with olive oil, mustard, and honey for a balanced citrus dressing.
- Soups & Stews: Add chopped boiled lemon to chicken soup, lentil soup, or vegetable stews to brighten the flavour without sharp acidity.
- Grain Dishes: Mix into rice, quinoa, couscous, or farro along with fresh herbs.
- Marinades: Combine boiled lemon with garlic, herbs, and olive oil for chicken, shrimp, tofu, or lamb.
- Spreads & Butter: Mash into compound butter, cream cheese, feta or ricotta for spreading on bread or serving with vegetables.
- Middle Eastern & North African Recipes: Use boiled lemons as a substitute for preserved lemons in tagines, chickpea dishes, or rice recipes.
Why boiling lemons makes them easier to cook with
Boiled lemons are less acidic than fresh lemons so they add depth and aroma rather than sharp sourness, making them easy to use in both hot and cold dishes.
FAQs
Boiled lemons are used to add mild citrus flavour to sauces, soups, grain dishes, marinades, and dressings. Boiling softens the peel and reduces bitterness, allowing the whole lemon to be eaten.
Yes you can. After boiling, the lemon peel becomes soft and much less bitter, making it safe and pleasant to eat when finely chopped or blended into recipes.
Boiled lemons are significantly less bitter than raw lemons. The boiling process reduces bitterness in the peel and pith, resulting in a mellow, slightly floral citrus flavour.
Boiled lemons are cooked in water, while preserved lemons are cured in salt over time. Boiled lemons are less salty and can be used immediately, while preserved lemons have a stronger, fermented flavour.
Boiled lemons can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For best flavour, chop them as needed rather than all at once.
Boiled lemons work best as a flavouring ingredient, not a direct substitute for lemon juice. They add aroma and complexity rather than sharp acidity.
What type of lemons to use
Select firm, heavy unwaxed medium or large lemons, any variety will do and wash before using.
How to make them
Place the washed lemons in a pan with water. The lemons will bob around the top so you will need to cover the pan while it is cooking.
Bring to a boil then boil for 20 minutes then. drain and use a large spoon to carefully remove the lemons to cool in a separate dish.
Use the boiled lemons whole, chopped, sqeezed or pureed.
Top tip
Before pureeing or to use boiled lemons in a dessert, first cut them in half to remove the seeds before using.
Storing instructions
Storing instructions are the same for whole boiled lemons and pureed boiled lemons.
Boiled lemons can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To freeze, cool to room temperature the store in a sealed container in the freezer for up to three months.
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Recipe
How To Make Boiled Lemons
Ingredients
- lemons - unwaxed, washed 2
- water for boiling
Instructions
- Place 2 lemons in a pan of water, cover and bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Drain and carefully remove lemons using a large spoon then set aside in a dish to cool.
Notes
Boiled lemon uses
Boiled lemons can be used in a wide variety of savoury recipes as the peel becomes tender and the bitterness is reduced, making the entire lemon edible. Finely chop or blend boiled lemons and add them to sauces, soups, marinades, salad dressings, grain dishes, or chicken and fish recipes for a mild, balanced citrus flavour.Storing instructions
These are the same for whole boiled lemons and pureed boiled lemons. Boiled lemons can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To freeze, cool to room temperature the store in a sealed container in the freezer for up to three months.Only you will see your notes and you can edit them anytime.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically per serving and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
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