Freezing Lemon Juice and Zest

Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest can be pretty pricey most of the year, but I eliminate this consideration by freezing the juice and zest when lemons are on sale.

Roll the lemons briefly on a hard surface to release all the juice.
Then use a zester tool to harvest the zest.
Next, cut the lemons in half and juice into a strainer to remove the pulp and seeds.
Pour the juice into a plastic ice cube tray, freeze hard and then release the individual cubes into a plastic freezer bag for long-term storage.

Hint: If you will take the time to use a measuring spoon and water to know exactly how much your ice cube tray holds in one of the partitions, you won't have to guess if you have enough for a recipe.
Freeze the zest in a recycled yogurt container. Then, throughout the year when you need fresh lemon juice or lemon zest in a recipe, you already have it.

By Ronsan from Southwest Missouri

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By Joanne (Guest Post)

February 6, 20090 found this helpful

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I have frozen lemon juice in ice cube trays for years. I make lemonade and lemon pies with it year round. I also use a lemon cube in my italian sauces, soups, and many other dishes to freshen the flavor.

When I make freezer jam, I substitute half of the water to boil the Sure Jell in with lemon juice to help cut the sugar taste.

I also use the lemon zest all year and I freeze orange zest as well, so that I can make fresh tasting orange rolls all year round.

Another trick I leaned from a neighbor was to freeze lemons cut up for adding to water when I have a party or to put into a punch bowl. There are so many uses.

If I still have oranges left at the end of the season that are falling on the ground, I freeze the juice and use them in smoothies all year.

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Dorothy

April 28, 20100 found this helpful

Thanks for all your good tips.Much appreciated.

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Emma Johnston

January 21, 20120 found this helpful

Great tips, Joanne! Thanks for the ideas.

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DeBushe
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 179 Feedbacks

September 26, 20210 found this helpful

I have a tree that produces a bazillion lemons every year. I squeeze out the juice into the small plastic bottles that honey comes in that will fit in the door to my freezer. Some of the juice is used in a pop-out ice tray and the rest is frozen.

When those cubes are gone I thaw a bottle of juice and refill the tray. That way I have lemon juice even when the tree is between crops in the Fall. I put some of the skins through my garbage disposer to clean it out about once a month.

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