Rock Sugar Preserved Lemon (Easy, Foolproof)
腌制冰糖柠檬（简单不翻车） · pan chinese cuisine
This version was made with large, fragrant home-grown lemons, but regular store-bought lemons work just as well. Quantities are written for a medium-sized sealed jar and are only a guide — adjust freely.
Yuki TanakaTokyo-born, now in Chicago. I post about dashi, pickles, and bento for picky kids. My kitchen is tiny but my knife game is sharp.Nutrition & allergens
No supported allergens detected from surveyed ingredients.
Some ingredients are not yet allergen-surveyed; this label is not exhaustive.
Per serving (4 servings)
- Energy (kcal)
- Unknown
- Protein (g)
- Unknown
- Fat (g)
- Unknown
- Carbs (g)
- Unknown
- Sodium (mg)
- Unknown
Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.
Lemon柠檬
3.0 piece
17.64 oz
1.0 piece
Techniques you'll use
- Cold dressing (liang ban) ↗
Toss cooked or raw ingredients with a bold chilled dressing.
Steps
- 1
Step 1
Scrub the lemons with edible salt, rinse well under water, and pat the surface completely dry with paper towels. (The photos use large home-grown lemons, but regular lemons work the same way.)
✅ Done when: The lemons are scrubbed, rinsed, and their skins are fully dry to the touch.
- 2
Step 2
Slice the lemons and remove the seeds — don't skip this step, or the preserve will turn bitter. Discard the slices from both ends of each lemon, since the thick pith there is also bitter; keep only the middle slices, deseeded.
✅ Done when: All slices come from the middle of the lemons with every seed removed.
Use a glass jar with a tight-sealing lid (scald it with boiling water and wipe dry with paper towels, or sanitize and dry it in a sterilizer) — everything must stay free of water and oil. Place a layer of rock sugar in the jar, then a layer of lemon slices.
✅ Done when: The jar is clean, dry, and oil-free, with a layer of rock sugar topped by a layer of lemon slices.
- 4
Step 4
Continue alternating layers of rock sugar and lemon slices until the jar is filled, finish with a layer of rock sugar on top, and close the lid tightly to seal.
✅ Done when: The jar is full of alternating layers, capped with rock sugar, and the lid is sealed tightly.
Store the sealed jar in the refrigerator; the preserve is ready to eat after about one week.
✅ Done when: After about a week of refrigeration, the preserve is ready to eat.
- 6
Step 6
After about a week the rock sugar will have melted and the lemons released their juice, so there will be more liquid in the jar — this is normal, and the slices should still look fresh in color. To serve, use clean, dry, oil-free chopsticks to lift out a few slices and steep them in warm water, cooled boiled water, or ice water; for a stronger flavor, add some of the syrup from the jar.
✅ Done when: The sugar has fully melted, the lemon slices have released juice, and they still look fresh in color.