The best ways to store lemons at home

Lemon has gained recognition for its medicinal properties. A cup of tea with it invigorates, compensates for the lack of vitamins in winter, increases the body's resistance to infections. Citrus is available in stores all year round, but when buying for future use, the question arises about how to store it. In unfavorable conditions, it loses moisture, dries or grows moldy. We will tell you in detail how to store lemons at home.

Features and basic rules for storing lemons

Citrus is stored at a temperature of + 6 ... + 8 ° C. At room temperature, the shelf life decreases dramatically. The necessary conditions:

• dry cool room;
• lack of sunlight.

The fruits are protected from drying out and excess moisture. Air humidity - about 85%.

Selection and preparation of fruits

For storage, choose ripe, hard, undamaged fruits of bright color. To preserve moisture and freshness, the fruits are prepared:

• grease with vegetable oil;
• wrapped in parchment paper.

These measures protect the lemons from drying out and prevent the spread of rot in case of illness.

Reference. The indicator of fruit ripeness is the shine of the skin. In an unripe fruit, it is dull.

How to store lemons properly

It is important to choose the right temperature. Cool, dark rooms and a refrigerator are ideal. With a lack of moisture, the fruits dry out, with an excess they deteriorate and mold.

To maintain optimal moisture content, the fruit is wrapped in parchment paper or oiled with vegetable oil, placed in a plastic bag and left at a low temperature. Under these conditions, citrus fruits stay fresh for several months.

Where to store

Lemons keep:

• in a refrigerator;
• in the cellar;
• in an apartment at room temperature;
• in the freezer.

Large volumes of citrus fruits are stored in the cellar:

• in sand, which protects against drying out;
• in boxes with sawdust, previously wrapped in wax paper.

At room temperature, the fruits are stored for up to two weeks. You can increase the storage time by a week by greasing the peel of the fruit with vegetable oil.

Important! When stored at room temperature, lemons are not put in plastic bags.

The fruits are stored in the freezer for several months. Slices, zest, grated lemon, squeezed juice are frozen.

What to store

Storage of fruits in a bank is popular:

1. A jar of lemons is filled to the top with water and placed in the refrigerator. The water is changed daily.
2. A jar with peeled fruits is sterilized in a water bath, new fruits are added as needed. The dishes are sealed with a lid. Store in a cool place.

Storage methods

The fruits are stored in different states. To choose a convenient way to keep them for a long time, we offer several options.

Wholly

For short-term storage, the fruits are wrapped in parchment paper and placed in the refrigerator in the fruit compartment.

For long-term storage, the following methods are used:

• put lemons in a container, lower a burning candle into it to remove oxygen, seal it with a lid;
• fruits are wrapped with tracing paper and covered with sand;
• smear the peel with melted wax.

Cut

The cut fruit dries up in a short time. There are several ways to store such a product:

• put cut down on a plate, after pouring a few drops of vinegar there;
• lubricate the slice with whipped protein;
• put a lemon on a saucer, cover it with a glass on top to stop the access of oxygen, or place it in a glass, pulling cling film over the edge;
• put cut down on a plate of salt or sugar;
• lower the product with the cut up into a container with water, the water should not cover the cut.

With sugar

Lemons are candied at home. For this:

1. Whole fruits are peeled or cut into slices with skin.
2. Put in a jar, sprinkled with sugar.
3. Close with a polyethylene lid.

Fill the container with fruits to the brim. Sugar is taken in a 1: 1 ratio. Store in a cool, dark place.

Important! Dishes with fruits are kept at room temperature for a week to dissolve the sugar.

With salt

Lemons are stored with salt and then used for main courses:

1. Cut the fruit into thin slices.
2. They are put in jars, sprinkled with salt.
3. Add spices as desired.

Cover and refrigerate.

Without zest

Ways to store lemon without zest:

• a glass jar is filled with fruits to the brim and stored in a refrigerator without access to air;
• canning in sugar or honey;
• add salt;
• placed in a freezer.

In the form of juice

For long-term storage, dishes and lids are sterilized. The juice is poured to the top and sealed. Olive or almond oil is poured onto the surface of the juice. Store in a cool, dark place or freezer.

Attention! Do not squeeze lemon juice with metal devices - this destroys vitamins.

Dried

Lemons are sliced ​​thinly and dried in the air or oven. In the first case, the process lasts up to five days, in the second - 6 hours.

Recycled storage

In the absence of a cellar, basement and similar places for keeping a large volume of fruit, it is more convenient to store lemons in a processed form:

1. Freezing. The fruits are thinly cut and placed in a small layer for 5 hours in the freezer. Transfer to storage container without thawing.
2. Conservation is popular without oxygen: clean lemons are put in a sterilized jar, a candle stub is lit in it, and sealed with a lid. The oxygen burns out, the vacuum ensures the freshness of the fruit.
3. Whole fruits or cut are candied. Chopped lemon is chopped with a meat grinder, mixed with sugar, put in a jar. The mixture is stored for several months.

Storage periods

In a cool dry room, the fruits are stored for up to two weeks.

Whole lemons can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three months. Candied lemon lasts up to six months.

The slices, sprinkled with sugar, lie in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks. Lemons stay fresh in a bowl of water for up to three months.

Grated zest and lemon juice are stored in the freezer for 6 months.

In the freezer, sliced ​​fruits lie up to a year, dried fruits - from 6 to 9 months.

Cut lemon on a saucer under a plate in the cold stays usable for a week.

Useful tips to keep lemons fresh for longer

To increase the shelf life:

• dried lemon is dipped in boiling water for 1-2 minutes;
• do not damage the skin;
• do not store lemons in the refrigerator along with other products, but use a separate container, box, compartment;
• use lemongrass, which keeps the freshness of a cut lemon for up to a week;
• avoid high or low humidity in the storage area.

It is interesting:

We cook delicious and healthy carrot jam with lemon for the winter.

Useful properties of a medicinal mixture based on honey, lemon and celery root.

How to grow a lemon from a seed at home.

Conclusion

The choice of storage method depends on the condition of the fruits and their quantity. Large volumes are placed in the cellar, small ones - in the refrigerator, at home. They choose a suitable way of preserving or freezing and enjoy the taste and aroma of vitamin fruits all year round.