Can You Freeze Lemons? Positive, Let Me Current You How!

Questioning ought to you possibly can freeze lemons? The good news is that you’d have the ability to! Let me share with you my failsafe data to freezing lemons. For added bonus elements, this technique works properly on totally different citrus fruits just like oranges and limes.

I hate meals waste. Are you aware that 17% of the meals on the market to clients – in retailers, households, and consuming locations – goes straight into the bin? It’s a shocking statistic, notably on account of chopping meals waste may assist beat native climate change. Subsequently I’m always aiming to extra reduce the amount of meals I waste.

I’ve already made huge strides with this, and I now moreover compost meals waste. Nonetheless, undoubtedly there could also be nonetheless further that I would do to help reduce what I’m sending to compost. I always suppose that composting should be the ultimate resort. 

Citrus fruit, particularly, shall be onerous to compost so it’s a superb suggestion to utilize as loads of it up as attainable. With this data, it is best to use nearly all of the lemon with little or no waste. 

How To Freeze Lemons

The good news is that in relation to citrus fruit, just like lemons, you’ll freeze the zest and juice. What’s further, the simplest half is that you’d have the ability to freeze explicit individual slices.

Isn’t that pretty revolutionary?! As an occasional gin drinker, the considered always having a slice of lemon or lime at hand to garnish an impromptu gin is pretty good!

It’s not merely that though. Fairly often as soon as I’m cooking or baking, the recipe requires the zest of a lemon or the juice of half a lime. What used to happen to me may very well be that the rest of the lemon or lime would sit going off throughout the fridge.

Now this wastage isn’t any further. Any leftover lemon goes straight into the freezer for yet another day’s cooking, baking, or to be used in drinks.

The one part of a lemon I’m now disposing of is the pith. This composts much more efficiently than as soon as I used to be composting lemon peel. Let me current you methods!

The Zest

I’ve found freezing lemon zest to be an excellent technique to reduce meals waste. Notably so when a recipe requires the juice of a lemon nevertheless not the zest.

To freeze the zest all I do is grate the lemon pores and pores and skin with a small grater. I then pop a teaspoon of zest into an ice-cube tray. Subsequent, I then add only a few drops of lemon juice to the zest. 

Freezing lemons on this methodology signifies that it’s very simple to return out one portion of zest everytime you need it. What’s further, the addition of the juice retains the zest good and hydrated. No further dried-up zest!

As quickly as frozen, you’ll take away the cubes from the tray. Chances are you’ll then retailer the zest cubes in a container or a bag throughout the freezer, to help liberate your ice-cube tray for further meals waste low cost movement!

I’ve tried only a few methods of freezing lemon zest, and that’s positively one of many easiest methods. 

Some people say to solely add the zest to a small tub throughout the freezer, nevertheless you then ought to chisel off some zest when it is important to make use of it. Portioning the zest sooner than you freeze is much extra helpful as a result of it helps steer clear of this need for chiselling!

The Juice

My most popular approach for freezing lemon juice is as soon as extra, the ice-cube tray approach.

In case your recipe requires the juice of half a lemon, then merely squeeze the juice out of the redundant half. Then pour the leftover juice into ice-cube tray compartments, sooner than inserting the tray throughout the freezer. 

For easy portioning, one ice cube is similar as about two teaspoons of lemon juice. Two ice cubes are roughly half a lemon.

Now I don’t must buy these little plastic lemons/limes crammed with juice and I’m not dropping any lemons! Win!

As soon as extra, as quickly as frozen, you’ll pop the cubes of lemon juice in a shower or bag and protect them throughout the freezer. This suggests you don’t must buy various ice cube trays!

Don’t neglect to zest your lemon skins too!

The Slices

Acquired half a lemon or lime leftover from cooking?

Properly, one different technique to freeze lemons or limes is to cut them into skinny slices. Subsequent, place them in a Tupperware container, after which pop them throughout the freezer.

To maximise area for storing, you’ll add further layers of lemon slices. Merely ensure you add a layer of greaseproof paper between each layer so that your lemons don’t stick to 1 one other.

It’s a really useful technique to freeze citrus fruits. It means I’ve always acquired a slice for drinks, just like tea, or scorching water and lemon. Or for my boozy elderflower cordial!

The Peel

Whereas lemon peel isn’t one factor it’s essential to use in your cooking, you’ll freeze it and use it to make herb infused vinegar for cleaning with.

Merely place the peel in a bag throughout the freezer. Upon getting spherical three lemons worth of peel you’ll pop the peel in a jar of white vinegar (there’s no should defrost the peel), and depart it to steep for not lower than a fortnight. The result is lemon-scented vinegar that’s good for cleaning your individual residence.

While you’ve received any leftover herbs it is also potential to pop this in with the lemon peel, for a lemon and herb-scented cleaning spray. Any leftover herbs can also be frozen until you’re in a position to infuse the vinegar.

How Prolonged Can You Retailer Lemons Inside the Freezer For?

Frozen lemon juice, slices, and zest shall be saved throughout the freezer for spherical six to eight months.

It’s good observe to label your tubs or baggage with what your objects are and the date on which you froze them. This helps take away meals waste extra, as you aren’t left scratching your head attempting to remember what one factor is or how prolonged it’s been behind your freezer!

Can You Freeze A Whole Lemon?

Chances are you’ll be questioning ought to you possibly can merely skip all of these steps and easily freeze a whole lemon.

Technically speaking, then positive you’ll freeze full lemons. I merely personally select to not. It’s as a result of everytime you defrost the lemon it goes all easy and squidgy. 

A defrosted lemon is totally top quality for squeezing juice from. Nonetheless, you do lose the pliability to zest the lemon or decrease it into slices. I’d fairly zest the lemon first after which save the juice, or slice sooner than freezing for drinks. Nonetheless, it’s your identify – you do regardless of works most interesting for you.

And that’s my ultimate data to freezing lemons (and totally different citrus fruits!). Under no circumstances let one different lemon go to waste in the back of your fridge as soon as extra!

Check out the rest of my meals waste options for further useful advice! I’ve acquired tons of posts, along with advice on freezing oat milk and freezing canned coconut milk.

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