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a silicone bag with frozen lemons and a glass of lemonade.
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How to Freeze Lemons

Learn all the tips and tricks for how to freeze lemons to build a freezer stash of this versatile fruit. Freezing lemons is a great way to preserve without needing to know any special kitchen skills.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Freezing Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 10 minutes
Course: How To
Cuisine: American
Keyword: freezing lemons, how to freeze lemons
Servings: 20 slices
Author: Sarah Cook

Equipment

Ingredients

  • lemons

Instructions

How to Freeze Whole Lemons

  • Wash the outside of the lemon and dry off excess water.
    lemons
  • Place lemons in a freezer-safe bag, seal, and remove excess air.

How to Freeze Lemon Halves

  • Wash the outside of the lemon and dry off excess water.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
  • Cut the lemon in half down the middle (not end to end).
  • Place lemons cut side down on the parchment. Freeze for 4 hours.
  • Remove frozen lemon halves and place in a freezer-safe bag, seal and remove excess air.

How to Freeze Lemon Slices

  • Wash the outside of the lemon and dry off excess water.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
  • Cut the ends off of the lemon. 
  • Make additional vertical cuts into the lemon. Depending on the size of the lemon and the width of your slices, you'll get ~3-10 slices. Remove seeds if desired.
  • Place the lemon slices on the parchment and freeze for 4 hours.
  • Remove frozen lemon slices and place in a freezer-safe bag. Seal, and remove excess air.

How to Freeze Lemon Juice

  • Transfer lemon juice to wide-mouth glass jars (leaving 1-inch of headspace) fitted with a lid, or carefully pour into freezer bags, ice cube trays, or silicone freezer trays.
  • (If using bags), carefully remove excess air, and seal completely. Place flat on a baking sheet and freeze for 4 hours.

How to Freeze Lemon Zest

  • Wash the outside of the lemon and dry off excess water.
  • Zest lemon, making sure you only zest the peel and not the pith (white part).
  • Mix zest with a tiny bit of water, to create a "paste".
  • Press the paste into ice cube trays and freeze for 3 hours.
  • Remove frozen zest cubes and place in a freezer-safe bag. Seal, and remove excess air.

Notes

  1. Store whole or sliced lemons for up to 12 months in the freezer. Lemon juice and lemon zest are best used within 6-9 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1lemon | Calories: 17kcal