Having lemons in your kitchen can provide a lot of flexibility. They are just so good in almost anything, whether it’s a meal or a smoothie, they are always there. They also provide a lot of antioxidants for your health needs.
Maybe that encouraged you to go for a bulky amount in your kitchen. Then you ask yourself: Do Lemons go bad?
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Do Lemons Go Bad?
Lemons are (surprisingly) a fruit, not a vegetable. Most fruits can go bad. Lemons are no exception. They can easily spoil in bad storage conditions.
Mold is to blame for such spoilage. You know it when you see it, the bright yellow turns into an ugly greenish-gray that slowly takes over your lemon.
This penicillium mold, which is common in plenty of citrus fruits such as Oranges. While not necessarily dangerous, some people have severe allergies to it that can cause side effects, plus the ugly look of the fruit itself.
If you want to learn how to protect your lemons from this mold, follow along.
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How Long Do Lemons last?
Lemons aren’t known for their long-lasting life. They can lose their moisture quite fast if they are left in a dry area like the pantry at room temperature.
According to WonderfulCitrus, lemons can last at room temperature for a week at best. afterward, they might start developing mold spots that will spread rapidly.
This is because moisture leaves the lemon when in a dry place using the pores. This also makes the lemon an easy target for the mold to spread all over it.
If you decide to store the lemons in the fridge to preserve their moisture, they will start to last even longer, at around a full month of storage.
Cold areas inhibit any growth of mold on the lemon, it also preserves the moisture. This will make sure your lemon can last as long as you please.
Freezing lemons is your best option for long-term storage. You can freeze your lemons and get up to 4 full months of storage, which is a good idea if you have a lot of lemons to store.
Lemons Shelf Life [Full Chart]
| Lemons | Counter | Pantry | Fridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole | 2-4 Weeks | Up to 2 months | 1-2 Months |
| Cut | Same Day | 2 to 4 days | 2-3 Days |
| Fresh lemon juice | ---- | 2 to 4 days | 2-3 Days |
| Lemon juice in a resealable bottle | ---- | Up to 6 months | 4-6 Months |
| Fresh Squeezed Lemonade | Same Day | 7 days | 1 Week |
| Processed Lemonade (Unopened) | ---- | 7 days | 2 Weeks |
| Processed Lemonade (Opened) | ---- | 2 months | 1 Week |
How to Store Lemons?
Now that we know that your citric can go bad, it’s important to learn about proper storage and how you can take care of it.
The fridge is your best friend. this means using a freezer bag and putting the lemons inside of it. Take all the air out as well, this will ensure your lemons can last for their expected 2 weeks in perfect condition.
As for freezing, the steps are quite simple:
- use a freezer bag and a vacuum if possible.
- Wash the lemons thoroughly, this will ensure it remains hydrated while in the freezer.
- Put the lemons inside the bag and stash them in the freezer.
If you have to keep some lemon out for decoration in the kitchen or for generally the nice smell they emit, make sure they are well hydrated as well as kept in a cool place.
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How To Tell If Lemons Have Gone Bad?
Perhaps you don’t remember when you stashed your It, and now you are looking at them and wondering, did they go bad or not?
The signs for lemon spoilage aren’t really that hard to note, here they are:
Mold
The most obvious one is the mold starts to scatter around the citric. Mold looks like green or black splotches all over the lemon.
Some people try to take out the moldy part and keep the rest. This can work if the mold is only on the surface. if it started to seep into the fleshy part of the lemon, it’s a no-go.
Texture
Lemons are usually tough. The exterior of fresh lemon can be quite hard to cut through. This is not the case when it spoils.
It will start to become softer and “mushy” as it goes bad, it might also have some wrinkles from drying out.
When you notice that, it’s not suggested to add it to your meal, the taste won’t be that great either.
Smell
a Fresh lemon have an irresistible aroma. As the lemon starts to go bad, it loses that alongside its taste.
Losing the citric aroma isn’t necessarily means that lemon has spoiled, but it could mean it’s starting to do so, which suggests consuming it as soon as possible.
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Wrapping Up
Lemon is a lovely part of any kitchen and knowing when it spoils can be a real life-saver for your cooking endeavor.
If you have any questions concerning lemons, feel free to ask in the comments and we will reply as soon as possible. Thanks for reading and have a great day.
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