The Shelf Life of Preserved Lemons

I have just marinated my chicken in some preserved lemon which has been in the fridge for 2 years.. will it kill me? haha it smelled good - i never opened it in 2 years..

Tangential but helpful tip for keeping them a long time.
One of my recipes reminds us to remove the lemons with a clean utensil...not something already used in cooking or stirring other food ....to avoid contaminating or adding bacteria to the preserved lemons.

Yes. Salt is a natural preservative. Submersion is key as well. The flavor should by now be very intense so follow guidance on major websites, i.e., FoodTV, NYTimes, etc. I have some current jars ranging from 2 1/2 years to 5 years and they are all very heavy with flavor and umami.

If 4 quarts have you wondering what you were thinking, AntoniaJames, I have 10. Seriously.

Also, I read somewhere (a respected cookbook author, I'm sure, but I cannot remember who) saying that he doesn't even open his until they've been around for a year, because he likes the ones that have aged so much better. I agree. That said, I also topped mine off with fresh lemon juice, which I suspect contributes to their good staying power. ;o)

I have some preserved lemons made about 15 months ago with my own, right off the tree, Meyers and a lot of good, fresh juice, which I topped off every few months until lemon season ended last summer. I topped off the lemon juice again in January. The preserved lemons now are terrific. They're a bit more mellow, but with a deeper lemon flavor, than the "younger" ones. I don't refrigerate them, but do keep them in a consistently cool storage area, away from the light. (I'm still trying to figure what I was thinking at the time, making 4+ quarts of them . . . . ) ;o)

Thank you for asking the question, TT. The same had crossed my mind, but I obviously hadn't run it to ground. I seriously have a lot that have been in the fridge for probably 4 months now. I've used a few, but I need to get a move on. I'd hate to lose them.

Thanks Amanda! Do the flavors loose their brightness,or they are not as lemony? I ll give one a try. I am itching to use them. I suppose I'll have to get some fresh jars going.

I would love to hear some more feed back on this thread

Good to know. I've got some in the fridge that need to get used up.

They are probably safe but they may not taste very good. I find their flavor begins to diminish after just a few months, even in the fridge.