My family loves lemons; luckily, it’s the lemon season at home, so we got so many. The one problem we have is keeping them safe and fresh for long. Do you know how to store lemons for months?
I want mine to stay for at least a month, and that’s what we are looking for here. Yet I will be using them for my grills and pastries, so I need the rinds just as much as I need the juice.
We all love the taste of lemonade on a hot sunny evening or baked goods with lemon rinds, and this is why I like buying lots of lemons, especially when it’s their season. Unfortunately, if you don’t store it right, then you’ll have all the lemons get spoilt.
Can you store lemons for months?
Of course, you can store lemons for months. The only thing you need to consider though is the freshness of the lemon when you decide to keep them.
How you store them will also determine whether they serve you over a long time. If we use them for the pastry, for example, we always need to consider how we keep them. This is what we are interested in showing you today.
How to store lemons for long
While you can also store the sliced lemons, they may not last as long as the whole ones. Here we focus more on how you can keep the whole lemons.
Choose fresh lemons
First, you want to ensure you only choose fresh lemons. In this case, if you are plucking them from the garden, only choose the fresh ones. Ensure that the ones you choose don’t have the spots and are also free from molds.
This is the first thing to consider because it will determine how long and fresh the lemons stay. So before you even start the storage process, you should check the ones with clean rinds.
Prepare the lemons
Next, you want to make sure you wash the lemons clean you don’t want to store them with the soil dirt. After they are clean, you can wipe them and set them safely ready for storage.
At this point, check on the ones still decaying so you don’t store them with the good ones. Unfortunately, the bad lemons will go on to damage the good ones. ‘
Set them in the freezer bag.
If you will use them within a few days, just set them in the refrigerator and use them briefly.
If you intend to have them last over a long period, you need to have the proper ziplock bag and then make sure you release all the excess air.
Set in the freezer
You can then set them in the freezer. Note that if you also use the air-tight container, you will have it last more than a month. We aim to keep the lemons fresh, so you have to keep them in an air-tight container or Ziploc bag.
Defrost when you need to use
You will notice that the lemons are so hard that when you are ready to use them, let them defrost, and then they will be soft again for easy use.
FAQs
What is the shelf life for the lemons?
When you store them in the freezer, it will stay fresh for longer. It can stay fresh for three months at the proper storage temperature in your freezer. Nonetheless, the pulp will start being mushy at some point, although the juice is still rich.
Why not just set it in a clean bowl exposed?
Unfortunately, while the easiest way to store the lemons is to keep them in a bowl, it doesn’t last long. I recently had to throw my lemons away, so I’m interested in the longer storage periods.
If you let it in the display counter, the lemon pieces will dry out, which means you’ll have lesser juice with tougher rinds.
Soon it starts going bad, and you can’t use it anymore; if you like to use the lemons, store them in the freezer for safety.
Tips
You’ll need to consider a few things if you store the lemons over a long time. Although mentioned above, the tips below will influence how long the lemons last.
Ensure you choose the right lemons.
When you’re going to buy lemons, you should choose the freshest lemons. Make sure you only select the lemons free of bruises and scars, as that will tend to go bad sooner.
Whether you are choosing the green lemons or the yellow ones, ensure the rinds are free of all the scars.
Just don’t store the lemons with other fruits.
One mistake we make is keeping the lemons with other fruits. For example, don’t store bananas, apples, and lemons together. They release the ethylene gas as they get to ripen. Unfortunately this will speed the lemon ripending process.
Always use air-tight containers or freezer bags.
By all means, we want to keep the lemons free of air so they don’t get spoilt.
Did you try it?
It’s easy to store lemons for a long, but you have to know the basic tips. If you like to make salads and smoothies, you know we love to use lemon juice in it too. This is why you want to have them remain fresh.
I hope this guide helps you keep the lemons still fresh.