Monday, August 15, 2016

How to Freeze Whole Lemons for Convenience and Ease

organic lemons

Did you know that you can freeze whole lemons and limes and always have one handy for fresh lemon juice or lemon zest!

I buy organic lemons or limes by the bag at Trader Joe's.  They usually are good for about a week. Sometimes I just don't get to use them fast enough, so they start to spoil. While browsing Pinterest, I found a post that says you can freeze lemons or limes for convenience and ease!
Who knew?


I love the idea!  Not only does it prevent waste, but you will always have lemon in the freezer if you need some. Frozen lemons/limes defrost quickly and are great to have in a pinch. You can even buy extra organic lemons when they are on sale and keep them frozen until you need them. 

How to Freeze Lemons and Limes: 
Wash the lemon or lime well and pat dry. Depending on how you want to use the lemons or limes in the future, either freeze the whole lemon/lime just the way it is,  or cut the lemon into quarters. Do not remove the peel. Place in a baggy and label the baggy with the date for future reference.

How to Use Frozen Lemons:
  • Lemon zest? Simply remove the frozen lemon from the freezer without defrosting. You can zest the lemon more easily while frozen. The zest itself will defrost in seconds. 
  • Lemon juice? - You can use quartered or halved lemons. Simply defrost for 10 minutes and squeeze. 
  • Make ice cubes and put a piece of  cut up lemon in each cube. Use in drinks as needed.
  • Make my Middle Eastern Lemonade Recipe
Stop! Don't Throw Away the Peel
Ever since I became aware of the intense nutritional benefits of lemon and lime peel, I've been obsessed with creating recipes that include them. Apparently, we lose a lot of the nutrients from lemons by not using the peel!

Some sources say that the peel provides 5-10 times more vitamins than the lemon juice itself and a much higher Vitamin C level.According to the a post on Healthious- I'll let you read that yourself if you are interested- lemon peel has healing properties. Another post on Healthy Holistic Living goes into even more detail about cancer treatment and lemon peel.

Actually, I recently went to a vegan pot luck hosted by a holistic researcher and  biochemist , and he suggested throwing half of an organic lemon ( with peel and pits) into your smoothies each morning ( you need to use a Vitamix or a very strong blender to completely pulverize the peel)

The same biochemist confirmed that the lemon peel has a wealth of health benefits to offer, and we lose out by not using it. Of course, he suggested using only organic lemons and pulverize well.

Two Recipes which use the entire lemon with the peel:
bold lemon salad dressing and watermelon limeade

If you would like a recipe using the peel, I use whole lemons with the peel in my Bold lemon salad dressing


lemon salad dressing

And I use a lime with the peel in my 3 ingredient refreshing watermelon limeade

watermelon lime coctail



Do you freeze your lemons? How do you use lemon peel ?

Regardless of how you intend to use your lemons, freezing extra lemons makes sense from an economical and practical viewpoint.

I'll be linking this post to these  blog carnivals

29 comments:

  1. did you just put them in the freezer or did you put them in a zip lock bag when kept whole?
    Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Margaret,
      Yes, I did put them in zip lock baggies. Sorry, I'll go back and make that clearer. Thanks

      Delete
  2. I only use fresh lemons for peel juice etc. Unfortunately I was tossing alot of them out, I had no idea you could freeze them. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just found out too, and I am going to freezing my extra lemons from now on!

      Delete
  3. Love it! I never knew that you could freeze lemons!
    Thanks!
    Michelle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was news to me too! but why not ? We can freeze must fruit and vegetables.

      Delete
  4. This tip I definitely must remember! Thanks for sharing, Judee.

    Shirley

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    Replies
    1. Hope it is helpful to save a lemon or two from spoiling and for the convenience of having a fresh frozen lemon in the freezer! Did you know you can peel , remove pit, halve and avocado and freeze it too!

      Delete
    2. Yes! And I read about freezing avocados on Pinterest as well, but haven't tried it yet. Have you, Judee?

      Delete
  5. Glad to learn that lemons and limes can be frozen as I often can't use a whole bag before they go bad! I like to put 2 apples and 1/3 lemon (both unpeeled) into a juicer to make apple lemonade. It's delicious and so refreshing after a workout. The lemon flavor is intense due to the peel. Thanks for sharing! Blessings, Janet

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jan,
      I love your idea for apple leamonade made with the peel. I'm convinced we lose a lot of vitamins when we discard it!

      Delete
  6. Wow! I never knew that lemons could be frozen OR that the peel is so nutrient dense! I definitely have a new ingredient to throw in my smoothies!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Casey,
      The lemon peel will not only add nutrients, it will add an intense delicious flavor. Be sure to use a powerful blender that can pulverize it!

      Delete
  7. I didn't know that you could freeze lemons! Awesome info!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Bethany,
      As I said, it was new for me too. I was so glad to discover it as I frequently have a lemon go bad or cut a lemon in half and don't have a use for the other half. Now, I freeze it immediately!

      Delete
  8. Just the tips I needed to read! I use so many lemons in my life starting with warm lemon water in the morning. Thank you for sharing How to Freeze Whole Lemons for Convenience and Ease at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I'm Pinning and sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deborah,
      I'm glad that the tips will be a help to you and thanks for pinning and sharing it!

      Delete
  9. I learned that if you take a large jar, fill it with water and put the lemons in them and refrigerate, they stay very fresh but the skins get soft. I have kept them for quite a while this way. I hate waste but I will also try freezing some when they are on sale.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is also a great tip- Because I buy my lemons by the bag, sometimes I want them handy and not frozen. This works for me too.. thanks for sharing

      Delete
  10. Congratulations!
    Your post is featured on Full Plate Thursday Top Ten this week. Thanks so much for sharing with us and have a great week!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Miz Helen,
      Thank you so much for the feature! Full Plate Thursday is one of my favorites. I'll be over to see it- Thanks

      Delete
  11. I would've never thought about freezing them. I also buy whole bags at Trader Joe's and I sometimes do not get through them all before they go bad. Thanks for the tip!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know. Sometimes the lemons in the bags at Trader Joe's are very ripe and go bad quickly.
      So one more reason to freeze half the bag when you buy it!

      Delete
  12. I never knew you could freeze lemons whole! This would have saved me a ton in lost produce over the years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jamie,
      I was as delighted as you when I found this out too.. Hope you remember to freeze your lemons next time you have to many- good luck

      Delete
  13. You mentioned using the whole lemon - doesn't the white part (the pith) give a bitter taste?

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  14. I found that the oils emanating from the lemon peel from the frozen whole lemons permeated into my butter and baked goods I had in the freezer. To solve this I juiced them first, froze them in ice cube trays and then bagged them up. No problem since.

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  15. I can't even count the amount of lemon's i have had to throw away before they became moldy/ too ripe. Thank you so much for sharing how to keep my favorite fruit from the trash bag!

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  16. Pinned it!!! Thank you!!!🍋🍋🍋🍋🍋🍋🍋

    ReplyDelete

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