[With photos] Lemon freezing and storage period, recipes for how to use frozen lemons

Although it is not very well known, do you know about this property of lemon?

"Freezing lemons makes it easier to squeeze the juice."

You may feel strange when you hear the phrase "freezing lemons," but there are actually several benefits to freezing lemons.

This article introduces the nutritional value of lemons, how to freeze them, how long to store them, and recipes using frozen lemons.

If you're thinking, "I have extra lemons at home!", please check this out.

Advantages of freezing lemons

I mentioned it briefly at the beginning, but next I'll talk about the benefits of freezing lemons.

Lemons are a fruit that can be stored for about two weeks without freezing if kept at the appropriate temperature and humidity, so some people may think that there is no need to freeze them.

However, there are still benefits to freezing.

Can be stored for a long time in a cut state

Even though whole lemons can be stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks, once they are cut, their shelf life is significantly shortened.

If you just cut it in half, you can just cut off the part that is exposed to the air, but if you cut it into rings or wedges, you can't take it back.

However, if you freeze it, you can preserve it for several weeks even if it is sliced into rings or wedges.

Even if you want to use a little lemon to accompany fish or fried foods, you can quickly take out just the amount you need by freezing it.

This is a major advantage of freezing food, as it also reduces cooking time.

Makes it easier to squeeze the juice

When food is frozen, the water inside the cells expands and destroys cell membranes.

This phenomenon is the reason why it is said that ``the texture and flavor deteriorate when frozen.''

As is the case with lemons, some of the cells are destroyed when they are frozen, but this actually has an advantage in the case of lemons.

What this means is that by breaking down the cells, it becomes easier to squeeze out the juice.

The idea is that as each cell becomes more fragile, it becomes easier for fruit juice to come out from the cells.

When using lemons for cooking, most people squeeze them and use them as lemon juice.

Frozen lemons are perfect for those times.

How to freeze lemons

Now, let's talk about how to freeze lemons.

There are three main ways to freeze lemons.

• When freezing whole
• When freezing in slices
• When freezing fruit juice

From these options, choose the method that best suits your cooking needs.

When freezing whole

1) Wash the lemon well and wipe dry.

2) Wrap it in plastic wrap, put it in a freezer bag, and freeze it.

When cutting into rounds and freezing

1) Wash the lemon thoroughly and wipe off the water.

2) Cut the lemon into rounds.

3) Wrap it in plastic wrap, then put it in a freezer bag and freeze.

★You can add sugar or honey when wrapping in plastic wrap before freezing.
★In addition to cutting into rings, you can also freeze them in wedges (the steps are the same).

When freezing fruit juice

1) Wash the lemon thoroughly and wipe off the water.

2) Squeeze the juice, pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze.

★In addition to using ice cube trays, you can also put it in a freezer bag and freeze it (in that case, you can just fold it up and take it out as you need it).

How to thaw lemons and how long to store them

Once you have frozen lemons, the next step is to learn how to thaw them and how long they can be stored.

The thawing method will differ slightly depending on which freezing method you choose, so please keep that in mind.

How to thaw lemons

First, if you freeze the whole thing.

In this case, you can use frozen lemons for cooking.

You can use it in any way you like, such as grating the skin or squeezing the pulp.

However, the texture may change slightly compared to when it was raw.

The next step is to squeeze the juice and freeze it.

In this case, the frozen fruit juice can also be used directly for cooking.

If you put it in an ice cube tray, you can take it out one by one, or if you freeze it in a freezer bag, you can take it out as much as you need.

You can add it to soda, or use it as an ingredient in dressings and sauces.

Finally, if you cut it up and freeze it.

In this case, you can use it frozen, but you can also thaw it naturally.

You can easily turn regular black tea into lemon tea by cutting it into slices and adding it to black tea.

Also, if you freeze the wedges and thaw them naturally, you can squeeze out plenty of juice to serve as an accompaniment to fried foods such as karaage.

Lemon storage period

Frozen lemons have a shelf life of approximately 3 weeks.

However, this is a guideline and is affected by the freshness of the lemons before freezing and the frozen storage conditions (temperature changes in the freezer, etc.).

Therefore, even if you store it in the freezer, it is better to use it up as soon as possible.

If you're thinking, ``With a storage period of 3 weeks, it's easy to forget when you froze your food!'' Here's a recommended method.

One way to do this is to write the date of freezing on the freezer bag.

It's a very simple thing, but it's a great way to be aware of the shelf life.

lemon nutrition

First, let's talk about the calories and nutrients in lemons.

Lemon nutritional value and calories

First, there are the calories in lemons.

The calorie content of a lemon varies depending on whether it is whole (including the peel) or the juice.

☑皮を含む　54kcal/100g
果汁のみ　26kcal/100g

Each lemon weighs approximately 100g, so please consider that the calories listed above are for one lemon (of course, there are individual and type differences).

Next, let's talk about the main nutrients in lemons.

Lemons contain many types of minerals and vitamins, the most notable of which are vitamin C and citric acid.

I think many people are familiar with vitamin C, as ``lemon = vitamin C''.

However, compared to other fruits, the amount of vitamin C in lemons is actually not that high.

☑レモン（丸ごと）　100㎎/100g
アセロラ　1700㎎/100g
グァバ　220㎎/100g
温州ミカン（丸ごと）　約35㎎/100g
オレンジ（丸ごと）　40㎎/100g

Source: All Guide Food Composition Table 2015 (based on Japan Standard Composition Table 2010)

On the other hand, the citric acid contained in lemons is said to be at the highest level among fruits, and it is said to contain 4 to 8% of the whole lemon.

In fact, the ``queen'' in citric acid comes from the word ``kuen'', which is another name for lemon, and it can be said to be the epitome of sourness.

Benefits of lemon

Most of the benefits of lemon are related to the vitamin C and citric acid introduced above.

Here, we will introduce some of the benefits that are particularly familiar to our daily lives.

Anti-Aging
fatigue recovery

First, let's talk about anti-aging.

The vitamin C contained in lemons has the effect of supporting collagen production.

Collagen is a component necessary to keep our bones, blood vessels, and skin youthful, and vitamin C is essential for producing collagen.

Also, vitamin C has antioxidant effects.

This suppresses the action of active oxygen in the body and prevents cells from being damaged by active oxygen.

In this way, vitamin C has anti-aging effects through collagen production and antioxidant effects.

Next, let's talk about fatigue recovery.

When you exercise intensely, active oxygen is generated in your body, which damages your body's cells.

At this time, in addition to the vitamin C mentioned earlier, citric acid is also effective.

When cells are injured, our bodies produce ingredients to repair the injury, and citric acid is necessary to produce this ingredient.

By ingesting citric acid from foods such as lemon, it becomes easier to produce ingredients that repair cells, and recovery from fatigue becomes smoother.

>> [Freezing for a long time] 3 points to keep in mind when preserving vegetables

>> Click here for how to freeze meat

>> Click here for how to freeze fish

5 easy recipes using lemon

Honey Blueberry Hot Lemon

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4366746

☑材料（１人分）
・レモン果汁　大さじ1
・はちみつ　大さじ1
・ブルーベリージャム　大さじ1
・お湯　200ml

<How to make>
1) Use frozen lemon juice. It is in ice form, so if you want to drink it hot, please let it melt a little before using.
2) Put lemon juice, honey, and blueberry jam in a cup, pour hot water, and it's done.

★Adjust the amount of lemon juice, honey, jam, etc. according to your preference.

honey lemon

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4383237

☑材料（１人分）
・レモン　2個
・はちみつ　レモンが浸るくらい

<How to make>
1) Use frozen whole lemons or sliced lemons while still frozen (if using whole frozen lemons, slice them thinly with the skin)
2) Sterilize the storage jar by boiling it in advance.
3) Put honey and lemon in a jar alternately and put it in the refrigerator for about 2 days and it's done.

★It's a versatile syrup that can be eaten as is, mixed with water or carbonic acid to make lemonade, or added to tea.

lemon marmalade

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4345537

☑材料（125gの瓶3つ分）
・レモン　6個
・砂糖　レモンと同じ重さ分

<How to make>
1) Use whole frozen lemons or frozen wedges (if using whole frozen lemons, it is best to take them out of the freezer 1 to 2 hours before cooking).
2) First, cut into 8 equal pieces lengthwise, remove the stems and seeds, and then thinly slice the skin.
3) Weigh the cut lemons and add the same amount of sugar to the pot.
4) Mix lemon and sugar well and leave until water evaporates.
5) When the water comes out, simmer gently for 30 minutes over low heat.
6) While the pot is boiling, boil water in another pot and sterilize the storage jar by boiling it.
7) When it thickens to the point where it becomes jam, turn off the heat and it's done.

★Pour the liquid into a bottle while it's hot and fill it to the brim.
★When boiling in a pot, be sure to keep the heat low (if the heat is too strong, it will burn).

lemonade

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4392943

☑材料（２人分）
・炭酸水　400ml
・レモン　1.5個
・はちみつ　適量
・砂糖　適量

<How to make>
1) As long as you can get the juice from 1.5 lemons, it doesn't matter which method you use for freezing them (you can freeze them whole, or you can squeeze out the juice and freeze them already).
2) Pour carbonated water into a glass and squeeze lemon juice into it.
3) Next, add the desired amount of honey and sugar and it's done.

★Add some sliced lemon for a stylish look.

lemon cupcake

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/43360 37

☑材料（４人分）
・小麦粉　90g
・ベーキングパウダー　2g
・卵　1個
・砂糖　80g
・生クリーム　30g
・バター　25g
・レモン　1/4個
・塩　少々
・粉糖　適量

<How to make>
1) Combine flour and baking powder in advance and sift. Melt the butter.
2) Use frozen whole lemons (you can also use frozen wedges). Grate the yellow part of the skin and squeeze out the juice.
3) Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk until white.
4) Add sugar and salt (a little), mix, then add fresh cream and whisk further.
5) Switch to a spatula and mix in the flour, melted butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice in that order.
6) Divide into cups and bake at 160 degrees for about 20 minutes. Once cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar and it's done.

★Adding lemon zest and lemon juice gives it a refreshing taste.

Conclusion

So, how do you freeze lemons?

Here are three ways to freeze lemons.

freeze whole
Cut into rounds and freeze
Freeze fruit juice

All methods are easy, so even if you have 5 to 10 lemons, Preparation takes about 15 minutes It only costs

If you have bought a lot of lemons and have some leftover, please try this method.

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