How to Store Lemons and Limes To Keep Them Fresh Longer

Many people want to know how to store lemons for long time and keep them fresh, specially when lemons are very cheap in the market or they have huge lemon crop. This article shows you tips on storing lemons and limes to keep them fresh for up to 4 to 6 months with or without refrigeration. My lime tree produces too many limes every season, so I use the following ways to store them in refrigerator, freezer and without fridge to keep them fresh for a long time.

Fresh Limes from Garden

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How To Keep Lemons Fresh Without Refrigeration

1. Buy the Right Lemons and Limes : You can keep lemons and limes fresh without refrigerator for up to a week if your buy them right.
2. Buy lemons and limes that are not too mature or over-ripe. Slightly unripe lemons will last longer in storage.
3. Lemons and limes stay fresh for about one week at room temperature. If you have to use them within a few days, then store them on your kitchen table, away from direct sunlight.
4. Store lemons away from fruits which emit ethylene gas such as apples, pears and bananas. The ethylene gas can speed up the ripening process of limes and lemons.
5. They will start to wrinkle if kept more than a week. But there are ways to extend the life of your lemons.

How To Store Cut Lemons

1. If you have a cut a lemon into halves or wedges and unable to use it fully, then it will dry out and lose its taste quickly due to water loss and oxidation due to air contact, if left on the kitchen table. But you can store it with proper care for a few days.
2. Wrap the cut side of lemon in plastic wrap and store in airtight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator. The cut lemons will remain good for 3-4 days.

How To Store Lemons in Fridge

1. You can store ripe lemons in a Zip lock bag and place in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. The temperature in the fridge remains  between 4º and 10ºC (39–50ºF), which is good for ripe lemons and limes to store  up to 3-4 weeks.
2. Sealing the lemons in the bag prevents the loss of moisture due to evaporation, thereby extending their life.
3. The low temperature of the fridge prevents drying of  lemons, which otherwise happens at a quicker rate at room temperature.
4. Storing Lemons in Water:  Put the lemons in a glass jar and fill it with water. Place the jar in the refrigerator. This simple method to store lemons will keep them fresh longer. 

Store Limes in a Bag and Put In Fridge

Limes Stay Fresh after Storing for 4 Months in Freezer

Storing Lemons In Freezer To Extend Life

1. Wash the lemons and dray them with a cloth. Seal them in a polythene bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. Or better, put them in a vacuum bag and take out all the air and create vacuum inside. 
2. Put the bag in the freezer. The lemons will remain good up to 6 months.
3. Defrost them at room temperature before use, they will become soggy, but good in taste.
4. You can seal the lemons in many smaller bags containing 4-5 lemons and freeze them. You can use them as and when you need them. This way you do not need to open the larger bag and expose them to atmosphere.

Store Lemons, Limes in Freezer to keep them fresh longer

Storing Lemon Juice In Fridge For Long Time

Refrigerate Lemon Juice

1. Squeeze out the lemon juice and fill in a dark bottle. You can keep freshly squeezed lemon juice in the refrigerator that will remain good for 2 weeks, after that the juice will start to lose its taste.
2. If you want to store lemon juice for long time up to 4 months, then an ice try with the juice and put in freezer to make juice cubes. Take out the cubes and use them as and when you need them.

Store Lime Juice in Fridge to extend its life

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