How to store lemons – general rules

How to store lemons? You can store lemons in the fruit bowl for 2 weeks and in the fridge for 4 weeks. You can store lemons slices in the fridge for 3 days and in the freezer for 12 months. So is lemon juice. You can also make lemon water from pieces of lemon, a nice fresh drink. In this blog, we will discuss how to store lemons for a long time.

You can store lemons in different places and in different ways. But if the question is, how is it right, the answer is unambiguous – in the refrigerator in the compartment for fruits and vegetables. The optimum temperature and humidity are maintained here. The use of modern technology eliminates the need to “reinvent the wheel” – to create conditions in a room or utility rooms.

Where is the lemon best preserved?

TEMPERATURE

In a warm room, citrus fruits are stored for an extremely short time. They become glassy, ​​bitter in taste. The alcohol content rises in the pulp.

At temperatures below -2 degrees, the fruits freeze. At + 1 + 4 degrees, they are affected by mold, brown spots,s and other diseases. In addition, the low temperature stops the ripening process.

The optimum storage temperature for lemons is + 6 + 8 degrees.

 ILLUMINATION

Storing lemons in light, especially in direct sunlight, is not recommended. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, they lose vitamin C, overheat.

The storage area should be dark.

HUMIDITY

Dry air is harmful to citrus fruits. Fruits begin to wilt quickly, especially small and greenish (unripe) fruits. For long-term storage of lemons, it is recommended to maintain a relative humidity of 80%.

NEIGHBORHOOD

Fruits are stored separately from meat, fish, ready-made products.

These are the golden rules. Moreover:

Lemons do not tolerate bananas and cabbage very well.

You can store them next to melons and tangerines. Apples, grapes and potatoes are considered neutral neighbors.

How Long To Store Lemon

The table below shows how long you can keep lemon.

#	Lemon type	Storage time
1	Whole lemon	2 weeks on the fruit bowl
2	Whole lemon	4 weeks in the fridge
3	half lemon	2 -3 days in the fridge in a container
4	Lemon slices	2 3 days in the fridge
5	Lemon slices	or 12 months in the freezer
6	Lemon juice	3 days in the fridge
7	Lemon juice	12 months in the freezer
8	lemon zest	3 months in a jar mixed with sugar

How to store lemons at home

The best way to store lemons at home is in the refrigerator. But if there is not enough space in the fruit and vegetable drawer, you can organize storage at room temperature. For example, on a balcony, pantry or basement.

It is important to remember 3 rules:

• Fruits placed for storage are carefully examined and spoiled ones are removed.
• Lemons are not washed, so as not to damage the peel.
• The fruits should not squeeze each other (ideally, not touch at all).

AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

If you leave a lemon on the table in the room, it will deteriorate in 10-14 days. If, at the same time, you forget to remove the package, the shelf life will be reduced by 2 times.

The following tricks are used to extend shelf life at room temperature:

• Paper wrapping.
• Coating with melted natural wax.
• Lubrication with vegetable oil.

The place should be chosen as cool and dark as possible. It is best to use a pantry to store citrus fruits. The fruit is kept in a box with sawdust or sand. You can finely chop paper instead of sawdust.

Using tricks, lemons may not spoil in the pantry for up to 2 months.

How to store lemons in a refrigerator

The refrigerator compartment in the fruit and vegetable compartment maintains a temperature of +8 degrees and a humidity of 90%. These are almost ideal conditions for storing lemons. It is slightly colder on the top shelf of the refrigerator – +7 degrees, which is also suitable for citrus fruits. They may not deteriorate up to 7-9 months (guaranteed 1-2 months).

In the refrigerator in the fruit and vegetable drawer, whole lemons are stored loose.

No need to wrap them in paper, bags. Lemongrass is just as out of place here as plastic trays, any utensils with a lid. They are only relevant for cut fruit.

It is sometimes advised to keep whole lemons in the refrigerator in a jar of water. This method has the right to exist only if the water is changed every day.

How to store lemons in the freezer

Freezing helps preserve lemons for a long time (4-5 months). It is preferable to freeze the whole fruit in the blast chiller. So more nutrients will be stored in them.

Before freezing, the peel is cleaned of wax deposits and dried thoroughly. Hardened fruits are placed in a tight bag or plastic container. Subsequently, they can be used to make lemonades, sauces. You do not need to defrost lemons. When defrosting, they soften and lose a lot of juice. It is most convenient to cut them slightly thawed.

HOW TO STORE LEMONS ON THE BALCONY AND IN THE BASEMENT

A large supply of lemons are best placed in the basement. It’s dark, cool, and damp here. The storage balcony is worse.

Storage in wooden or cardboard ventilated boxes is recommended. It is advisable to lay out the fruits in one layer.

• If storage in one layer is not possible, the paper will help preserve lemons for a long time. It must be clean and dry. Each fruit is loosely wrapped and placed in a box.
• In a too warm and dry room, you can store fruits in the sand. Before that, they are wrapped in paper. A layer of sand 1 cm is poured into the box. Lemons are laid out in a checkerboard pattern. Cover the fruit with sand so that it doesn’t peek out. The sand is used clean and dry.

Methods for storing sliced ​​lemon

Cut fruits do not store as well as whole fruits. If you do not make any manipulations, after 3-7 days the lemon will deteriorate.

After cutting, the lemon should be stored in the refrigerator in the vegetable drawer or on the top shelf. The recommended temperature is + 6 + 8 degrees.

To prevent it from drying out, it is recommended to leave the “lid” of the peel. The “lid” is used to cover the exposed pulp. You can also use lemongrass, a glass plate with a tall lid. It will prevent rapid wilting and prevent the lemon from being saturated with extraneous odors.

In lemongrass, the fruit is stored for 7-10 days.

SUGAR-COATED LEMONS

Sugar is one of the most readily available preservatives in the kitchen. It retains the taste and smell of citrus well. Plus, most people sweeten lemons before they eat them. Sugar allows sliced ​​lemons to be stored for a very long period – 6-9 months.

For storage:

• Fruit with or without the skin is cut into slices (circles).
• Sugar is poured into the bottom of a dry and clean container with a layer of 1 cm.
• Layout the lemon slices in rows.
• Pour 0.5 cm of sugar on top.
• So 3-5 layers alternate, and cover the container with gauze or mesh.

Store the workpiece in a dry place at room temperature. The candied wedges are thrown into tea and other hot drinks.

Sugar-coated lemons do not spoil. They dry slowly until they turn into a treat.

LEMON STORAGE IN SALT

The next method is suitable for gourmets. Salted lemons are one of the favorite spices of the people of Morocco and Tunisia. Sauces, potatoes, rice, meat, chicken, seafood are prepared with them. When salted, the peel softens, and the lemon aroma and taste are intensified many times over. Need to:

• Make deep crosswise longitudinal cuts on the lemons.
• Fall asleep inside about 1 tbsp. a spoonful of coarse rock salt (in each fruit).
• Place fruits tightly in a sterilized jar.
• Leave in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• During this time, juice will be released, which should completely cover the lemons. If there is not enough juice, you need to squeeze it out of fresh fruit and pour it into a jar.
• After that, the jar is closed with a lid and stored in the refrigerator for 6 months.

• 

  Store lemons in salt

You can start using the seasoning after 3 weeks.

FROZEN LEMONS

The best way to keep sliced ​​lemon-fresh is to freeze it in portions.

The fruit is cut into slices, laid out on a board in one layer and frozen for 5 hours to add to tea. The hardened wedges can be poured into a bag or plastic container. They will not stick together and take up a minimum of space.

You can freeze the sliced ​​lemon in quarters. But it should be remembered that it is not recommended to defrost the fruit before use. Large chunks can be added to compotes or used to make refreshing lemonade.

If you dip a frozen lemon wedge in hot tea, the taste of the drink will be just as rich and bright. Externally and to the taste, the slice will be as fresh.

When cut, frozen lemon can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

STORAGE ON A SAUCER

Most often, after cutting, the lemon is stored simply on a saucer. To extend the shelf life to 2 weeks, it is recommended to do the following:

• Pour 1 tbsp into a saucer. a spoonful of sugar.
• Place the sliced ​​lemon in the sugar cushion.
• Cover it with a cup.
• Place in the refrigerator on the top shelf.

How else can you store lemons?

Sour fruits are rarely eaten in their pure form. Usually, they are added to drinks and various dishes are prepared. For cooking, lemons can be stored as jams, candied fruits, and more.

The procurement process is slow, but it allows you to save the product for 1-2 years. If there are a lot of fruits, then this is the best option. After processing, they will take up a minimum of space.

How to preserve lemons for a long time?

To preserve lemons for a long time, you need to follow the recommended storage conditions. This is the backbone of the basics. It is also recommended:

• Sterilize the dishes in which the fruits will lie.
• Use containers that do not oxidize (glass, ceramic).
• Inspect fresh lemons once a week, and remove tainted ones.

How to keep lemon zest for a long time?

Many people throw away citrus peels. But in vain. You can use it to prepare the zest. The top layer of lemon peel gives the dishes a bright color, smell, and taste. It contains the bulk of essential oils.

Lemon peel is stored for a long time – up to 12 months in dried form in an airtight container.

It is mainly used in cooking: they prepare pastries, aromatic drinks, sauces, marinades, lemon salt, sprinkle fish, meat and salads before serving.

Before harvesting the zest, the lemons are washed with a brush, scalded with boiling water and wiped dry. Then cut off a thin-colored crust with a vegetable peeler, a special knife, or rub the zest on a fine grater.

• Dried zest is stored in a tightly closed glass jar at a temperature of + 8 + 20 degrees in a dark place. It is important to dry it well, and wash the jar and lid with soda and sterilize. For drying, the zest is laid out in a thin layer on paper. It dries quickly – in 3 days at room temperature. The shelf life is 10-12 months. After that, the seasoning loses its taste and aroma.
• Frozen rind. After removing the zest, dry it on the table for 2 hours. It is then frozen in a bag or food container. It remains crumbly and easy to portion. The shelf life is 5-6 months.
• Fresh zest. For long-term storage, freshly removed zest is mixed with sugar in a ratio of 1 to 2. In a glass jar in the refrigerator, it can stand up to 7-9 months.

Frozen zest is suitable for savory dishes and baked goods, fresh zest for confectionery and drinks. Dried zest is considered universal. Its taste and aroma are muffled, delicate, piquant.

To prevent the lemon zest from being bitter and stored for a long time, you need to remove it thinly. The recommended thickness of the removed layer is 1.5-2 mm.

Questions and answers

How to store lemons so that all vitamins remain in them?

Fresh fruits are considered the most useful. Shock freezing allows you to save up to 98% of nutrients (in whole lemons). In dried fruits (at 50-55 degrees) 90% of vitamins are retained, in jam – only 60%.

How to choose lemons for storage?

Lemons grown in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan are best suited for long-term fresh storage. Fruits should be yellow, firm, and medium in size. They should be free of dents, stains, and damage to the skin.

Lemons have the longest shelf life of any other citrus fruit. The citric acid they contain is a natural preservative. Under ideal conditions, fresh fruits can last 7-9 months. However, it is difficult to create such conditions in an ordinary apartment. Therefore, fruits are more often bought as needed.

You can make a stock for 1-2 months and store lemons in the refrigerator. Or prepare dried zest, jam, vitamin mixture, candied fruits, and other useful for future use from citrus fruits.

How much to store lemons

A whole lemon at room temperature – 2 weeks, in the refrigerator for no more than a month in the vegetable compartment. The fruits should not be stored in polyethylene, because they will quickly “suffocate”.

The lemon cut in half should be laid out cut down on a saucer, covered with a deep plate on top, and sent to the cold. So it will be fresh for a week, and before use, cut the edge of the lemon a couple of millimeters.

The sliced ​​fruit can be placed in a container, sprinkle each layer with plenty of sugar, and cover the container with a lid. The packaged container can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 weeks.

Try to consume lemon within a couple of weeks after purchase – after that, the benefits of lemon will decrease. The first signs that the lemon begins to lose its taste are drying out, thinning and dryness of the zest, dark spots on the zest.

Ways to keep lemons longer

1. Freezing. The fruits should be washed, wiped off with a paper towel, and cut into thin slices. After that, you need to line the polyethylene in several layers, spread the lemon on it, and send it to the freezer for 1.5-2 hours. Next, the frozen circles must be transferred to the bag and placed in the freezer. Shelf life is 1 year.2. Jam. It should be stored for no more than two years.3. Grease the skin with vegetable oil. Then place the fruits in a ventilated container and leave them indoors. The shelf life will increase to three weeks.