Preserved lemons are a North African pantry staple that has migrated into kitchens worldwide. Whole lemons are quartered (almost — leave the quarters joined at one end), packed with kosher salt, and left in their own juices for at least four weeks. The salt cures the rind into something soft, fragrant, and intensely savory — completely transformed from the raw fruit.

It’s the *rind* you want, not the pulp. Rinse a wedge to remove excess salt, scrape away the pulp (save it for vinaigrettes), and finely chop the rind. Add at the end of cooking — heat dulls the brightness. Tagines, grain salads, roasted chicken, and bean stews are where it earns its keep.

A jar in the fridge keeps for six months and gets better past month two.