There are plenty of foods that get their own day, week or month. June is National Lemon Month, and it’s definitely one worth celebrating.

Beth A. Lee, founder of the OMG! Yummy food blog and author of “The Essential Jewish Baking Cookbook” is a huge advocate for lemons. Lee loves citrus so much, she co-wrote a book on it with Sarene Wallace. “Preserved Citrus: 50 Sweet, Savory & Juicy Recipes” will be out in Spring 2027.

“I love them for their visual appearance – like sunshine in fruit form,” Lee told The Journal. “In fresh form, the [acidity and brightness of the] juice [and zest] can be both the perfect finishing touch to a savory dish or the wow factor in a baked good that makes you crave another bite again and again,” she said. “In preserved form, after they are salt-cured, they transform into a different flavor profile … it can become the savory, “umami” star of a dish. The peel, she said, “becomes the main carrier of flavor and in a sense, becomes even more lemony than it was in its original fresh form.”

Lemons are one of those ingredients that can wear many hats, Lee explained. Fresh lemons are the perfect finish to a cocktail, salad dressing, soup, marinade, fish or chicken main, pasta, pesto, etc. “Once preserved, think of them anywhere you might use fresh lemon in a dish but don’t be afraid to explore beyond the expected,” Lee said. “Savory preserved lemon peel in a sweet dish? It can absolutely work.”

People always ask Lee and her co-author Sarene Wallace where to buy preserved lemons. Their answer: Make your own. “It just takes citrus and salt, a jar and some time,” Lee said. “While you are waiting for that first jar to finish preserving (takes 3-4 weeks), make some quick pickled lemons; they only take 24 hours.

“Not as magical as what the fully preserved lemons offer but pretty great; use them almost anywhere you might use a fully preserved lemon.”

Lee’s recipes for pickled and preserved lemons are below.

Lee had no idea what an amazing citrus lemon is when her family planted a Meyer lemon tree in their backyard. “The tree has thrived and delivered fruit to us every year we’ve spent in our home,” she said. “My daughter has an expression, ‘Everything tastes better with lemon on it.’”

And they say it’s the apples that don’t fall far from the tree.

For many more ideas about how to use lemons, check out Beth and Sarene’s Facebook group and Substack called Sumac & Sunshine. And follow OMY Yummy on Instagram, Facebook and Substack.

Quick Pickled Lemons Recipe

4 unwaxed lemons

1 tp plus 1 tsp sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 -3 thyme sprigs

sterilized mason jar

Slice off the end tips of each lemon, slice them into 1/4-inch rounds, and remove the pits. Stack the rounds and chop them into small cubes.

Place the lemons and their residual juices into the mason jar. Add the sugar and salt and thyme and mix well. Close the jar and let the lemon mixture sit on the counter overnight. Refrigerate after 24 hours.

Preserved Lemons, Ottolenghi-style

6 – 8 Meyer, Eureka and/or Lisbon lemons

6 – 8 Tbsp kosher salt

1 cup (approx.) fresh lemon juice – enough to cover the lemons in the jar after one week

1 sprig rosemary (optional)

2 sprigs thyme (optional)

10 peppercorns (optional)

1 spicy red pepper (optional)

2 Tbsp olive oil

Sterilize your 1 qt glass jar canning jar; run it through the dishwasher, run under very hot water, use your instant pot – just make sure it is clean.

Cut 2 slits in each lemon to create a well to put the salt in, being careful not to slice all the way through. (If you do, no big deal, many people preserve quartered lemons. It will work too). Add about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to each lemon.

Place the lemons in the glass jar fitting them in as tightly packed as you can.

Close the jar and let them sit in a cool dry place for about a week. You’ll notice juice beginning to accumulate in the jar.

After a week, open the jar, add your aromatics of choice – thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, coriander, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon, a whole pepper – your taste buds can be your guide. Then cover the lemons and aromatics with enough lemon juice to cover them all and close it up.

Let it sit out in that cool dry place for 3 or 4 more weeks. You can occasionally shake it about if you’d like. Right before you refrigerate, top with a seal of olive oil, then place in the refrigerator and start experimenting!

Notes: Some recipes for preserved lemons add the juice to cover the lemons from the very beginning along with the aromatics, rather than waiting a week. This works too!

Use organic, unwaxed lemons if at all possible. If not, be sure to scrub the outer skins well to remove any coating.

Remember to store the jar in a cool place, preferably under 70°F, until you refrigerate them. Warm environments are not optimal for preservation.

There is some new discussion among sources/experts about whether white mold on your lemons is indeed harmless or not, Beth advises. When in doubt, throw the lemons out! Her previous opinion was: if white mold develops on any of your lemons, it is generally harmless – just remove/rinse it off. Any other colors of mold are not good and if you see them, toss the lemons. “I have rarely had any issues except a touch of white mold a couple times,” she said. “And I lived to tell this tale.”