How to Keep Lemons Fresh for a Year Without Turning Bitter or Spoiling

Most people will buy lemons and store them in the fridge to use over time. While storing lemons in the fridge is not wrong, after a while, they will start to wither and even spoil. To keep lemons fresh for a longer period and always have them available for use, you can apply the following simple tips.

Storing Lemons in Sand

Choose fresh, juicy lemons, wash them thoroughly, and let them dry completely.

Prepare a jar or container and some clean sand. The amount of sand should be enough to bury the lemons completely, and make sure the sand is free from dirt, trash, or stones. Lightly mist the sand with water to make it slightly damp.

Spread a layer of sand at the bottom of the jar, then place a layer of lemons on top. Add a layer of sand after every layer of lemons. Repeat this process until all the lemons are used up. The top layer should be sand, covering the lemons completely.

Store the jar in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.

With this method, you can keep lemons fresh for about two months. When you need to use a lemon, simply take one out and wash it. This is an old-fashioned method that was commonly used to store lemons, grapefruits, oranges, and tangerines in the past.

Storing Lemons in the Freezer

Choose lemons that are heavy, with thin skins and no bruises.

Wash the lemons and soak them in saltwater.

After soaking, rinse the lemons with clean water and place them in a colander to dry completely.

For large lemons, simply cut them in half, without peeling them. However, for small lemons with thicker skins, peel off the green layer of skin before cutting them in half. For honey lemons, there’s no need to peel them as the skin is thin and soft, making it easy to squeeze.

Once the lemons are cut in half, proceed to juice them. You can use a lemon squeezer or a manual juicer to extract the juice, which will help you get the most out of each lemon. If you don’t have a juicer, you can squeeze the lemons by hand as usual.

It’s a good idea to wrap the lemon skin with a small piece of paper towel before juicing. The paper will absorb the oils from the skin, preventing the lemon juice from becoming bitter. Be careful to fold the paper as small as possible to avoid it absorbing the lemon juice as well. When the paper becomes wet, replace it with a new one.

Alternatively, you can peel the lemons, remove the seeds, and use a slow juicer to extract the juice.