Don’t Waste Extra Lemons! This Easy Juice-Storing Hack Will Preserve Their Health Benefits
I never know how many lemons to buy. No matter the dinner recipe or cocktail, I often get too many, thinking I’ll just use the extras throughout the week. But of course, I always forget that they’re rolling around in my crisper drawer. That’s why I was so happy to come across a storage tip for lemon juice on TikTok.
According to the video published by “Natural Remedies,” the best thing you can do with excess lemon juice is put it in the freezer. And it gets even easier than that! Instead of painstakingly squeezing each lemon half into ice cube slots (or using a simple juicer to do the job), try peeling off the rind, then tossing the entire lemon in a blender — seeds and all. The reason? Juicing your lemons leaves out all the pulp, which contains much-needed fiber and vitamin C. And the seeds are good for you, too: They also contain vitamin C and a little salicylic acid, which is the same ingredient in aspirin.
How To Store Lemon Juice in the Freezer
To test out this storage hack, I first peeled the rinds off two small lemons. This took me a bit longer than peeling an orange, as the rinds are tough. In my opinion, it was worth it — and I saved the peels to zest at a later time.
After tossing the peeled lemons into the blender for about 30 to 45 seconds, I filled my ice cube tray. I managed to fill seven slots with the juice and pulp slurry, which is more than I would have filled using juice alone. Then, I placed the tray in the freezer overnight.
As expected, the lemon juice and pulp froze beautifully, and I was left with perfectly-sized cubes. I added one to my morning cup of water and found that one cube gave me enough flavor for two additional refills! I can’t wait to try out these cubes in a smoothie or a savory sauce for dinner.
How many lemons will fill up an ice cube tray?
Well, how much juice is in one lemon? Most sources agree that one small lemon is about 3 tablespoons of fresh juice, one medium lemon is 4 tablespoons, and one large one is 5 tablespoons.
My ice cube tray can hold about one tablespoon of liquid per cube, and I managed to fill seven cubes with the juice of two small lemons (though you can see that some cubes are a bit smaller than others). My tray has 16 slots, so I would have needed about four and a half small lemons to fill the entire tray. That’s not bad!
How long can lemon juice remain frozen?
The cardinal rule for freezing anything is to use it in three to six months, and it should still be good. For fresh lemon juice, however, about three months is the limit before it starts to develop freezer burn. (You can also freeze whole lemons for about the same amount of time.) In contrast, fresh lemon juice lasts just two to three days in the fridge. Hopefully, this new trick inspires you to make delicious, citrus-filled meals and drinks!
