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    Home » How-to

    How to: Store (Freeze) Lemon and Lime Juice

    Published: May 21, 2011 · Modified: May 2, 2022 by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 56 Comments

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    HowtoLemon1

    It has been the week of lemons for us. Thanks to my in-laws' prolific tree, we brought back a bounty of Meyer lemons from our California trip a couple of weeks ago. This led to a batch of Lemon Sugar Puff Pastry Twists, which disappeared faster than Donald Trump's presidential bid. From there we moved onto Grilled Lemon & Rosemary Chicken, which has earned a place in our summer grilling line-up.

    My mum, who was here for a visit, set to work juicing the rest of the lemons, producing six cups of fresh citrus juice. She rummaged around for extra ice cube trays in our pantry and, using a small ladle, filled them with the juice. We now have lemon juice to last for the summer, which will help me avoid those extra trips to the store when I discover the lemons I bought two weeks ago are now shriveled specimens.

    Now, I know some of you are thinking, "Why doesn't she just use the bottled lemon juice or the lime juice in those cute little plastic, squeezable limes?" This is where my "fresh is best" snobby side comes out. The side of me that can't palate bottled lemon or lime juice (or bottled garlic, for that matter) is the same side that flips out at house guests when they try to use my "day off" mug for their coffee. Seriously, my husband and I have special mugs dedicated to our weekend coffee and tea breaks, to be used only on the weekend...only by us. Now you really want to come and stay with us, don't you? Well, I may not let you use my mug, but I do promise to make you some great dishes fresh citrus juice.

    How to do it:

    To make the fruit easier to juice, roll firmly on the counter with the palm of your hand to loosen up the flesh. Cut the fruit in half crosswise and juice it using a handheld juicer, food processor attachment or whatever tool you happen to favor.

    Using a small ladle or a small pitcher with a spout, pour the citrus juice into ice cube trays. Each standard-sized ice cube will contain about 2 tablespoons of liquid. However, I suggest measuring the capacity of your ice cube tray to be sure.

    HowtoLemon2

    Freeze until solid. Juice will freeze to a stage that is slightly softer than regular ice cubes. Remove cubes from the tray and place in a freezer resealable bag.

    HowtoLemon3

    When you are ready to use the juice, remove the number of ice cubes from the freezer that you desire and defrost them.

    Recipes that use fresh lemon or lime juice:

    Cookin' Canuck's Fish Tacos with Creamy Green Chile & Cilantro Sauce
    Cookin' Canuck's Lime Squares with Gingersnap Crust
    Cookin' Canuck's Avocado, Tomato & Cotija Cheese Salad
    Kalyn's Kitchen's Pan-Fried Asparagus Tips with Lemon Juice & Lemon Zest
    Herbivoracious' Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette
    101 Cookbooks' Lime, Grapefruit & Ginger Juice

    How to: Store (Freeze) Lemon and Lime Juice

    Ever wondered how to freeze lemon juice or lime juice. All of the details are included in this tutorial
    4 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Beverages, How To
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Freezing Time: 4 hours
    Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
    Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

    Ingredients

    • Whole lemons
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • To make the fruit easier to juice, roll firmly on the counter with the palm of your hand to loosen up the flesh.
    • Cut the fruit in half crosswise and juice it using a handheld juicer, food processor attachment or whatever tool you happen to favor.
    • Using a small ladle or a small pitcher with a spout, pour the citrus juice into ice cube trays. Each standard-sized ice cube will contain about 2 tablespoons of liquid. However, I suggest measuring the capacity of your ice cube tray to be sure.
    • Freeze until solid. Juice will freeze to a stage that is slightly softer than regular ice cubes. Remove cubes from the tray and place in a freezer resealable bag.
    • When you are ready to use the juice, remove the number of ice cubes from the freezer that you desire and defrost them.
    Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

    16Shares
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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. John

        September 29, 2011 at 2:15 am

        I simply cut the citrus in half and place into a zippy bag then freeze. At the moment I have about 4 shopping bags full with last years lime crop. Just thaw and squeeze for lime juice for fish etc. Too easy.

        Cheers,

        John.

        Reply
      2. Kristina Vanni

        June 13, 2011 at 2:11 pm

        Great tips! Whenever I have a leftover half of lemon or lime I squeeze it and save the juice in a small container in the fridge....now when that starts to overflow I can just freeze it!

        Reply
      3. Elle

        June 07, 2011 at 8:56 am

        You know, I always freeze zest, so why not the juice? Great tip!

        Reply
      4. Marly

        June 01, 2011 at 3:01 pm

        I love this idea! I agree with you - fresh is best! We can be fresh fruities (you know, like foodies?)!

        Reply
      5. Kevin (Closet Cooking)

        May 30, 2011 at 6:16 pm

        Great idea to freeze lemon and lime juice! Now I just need to clear some more space in my fridge.

        Reply
      6. Anna

        May 25, 2011 at 4:18 pm

        so smart! thanks for sharing!!

        Reply
      7. megan @ whatmegansmaking

        May 25, 2011 at 6:40 am

        what a great idea! Seriously, how did i not think of this?

        Reply
      8. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen

        May 25, 2011 at 5:07 am

        I've been doing this with pesto and sauces but never thought to do it for lemon juice, so simple and so easy!

        Reply
      9. Shaina

        May 24, 2011 at 11:00 am

        This is a fantastic idea. I'm with Marla on letting them go to waste all too often.

        Reply
      10. marla

        May 24, 2011 at 6:12 am

        Dara, this is a very smart idea. I find that we often let lemons & lime go to waste - now there is no need to do that since we can preserve their precious juices. Great how-to post!

        Reply
      11. Laurie

        May 23, 2011 at 11:08 pm

        Thanks for the tip. We get lemons and limes in big batches, and I spent a week cooking with lemons and still have more left.

        Reply
      12. DessertForTwo

        May 23, 2011 at 5:55 pm

        We're overwhelmed with citrus juice from our trees. Must get to juicin' and freezin'! Thanks 🙂

        Reply
      13. Alison @ Ingredients, Inc.

        May 23, 2011 at 9:10 am

        great teaching here!! Are you going to EVO btw. Were your ears burning this weekend? I was talking about how I love your site and you!

        Reply
      14. Rachel @ Baked by Rachel

        May 23, 2011 at 7:32 am

        The perfect use for ice cube trays!

        Reply
      15. thepickyeater

        May 23, 2011 at 4:30 am

        what a great idea ! i drink loads of lemon juice during summer....its the best drink

        Reply
      16. Nancy@acommunaltable

        May 22, 2011 at 9:46 pm

        Brilliant!! I agree with you - the bottled stuff just doesn't cut it!!! So much better to have fresh juice and this is the perfect way to make sure you always have some when you need it!!

        Reply
      17. Katrina

        May 22, 2011 at 9:07 pm

        Such a great idea because I hate when I run out of fresh lemons and limes and I hate it even more when I didn't use them fast enough and they are starting to go bad!

        Reply
      18. Chef Louise

        May 22, 2011 at 8:19 pm

        love this idea... hate wasting fruit when i don't get to it...

        Reply
      19. Jeanette

        May 22, 2011 at 6:52 pm

        What a great idea, freezing fresh lemon/lime juice - I usually just keep them in my refrigerator but sometimes they go bad and end up getting thrown out, what a shame.

        Reply
      20. Maris (In Good Taste)

        May 22, 2011 at 6:28 pm

        Great tip! Thanks so much!

        Reply
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