The Only Way You Should Be Storing Lemons (Cut, Sliced, Or Whole) - Tasting Table

"Whether they end up as a slice in a glass of water, a wedge on the side of a fish dinner, or juiced for salad dressing, you know they'll be used eventually. This can leave you with a few lemons in rotation, which are more than likely stored in a bowl on the counter until they're cut. But to keep them at their juiciest and freshest, lemons should be stored in the refrigerator, even when whole."

"To extend their shelf life, keep them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. For the most effective method of storing lemons, they should be kept in an airtight container or bag. Although the crisper is the most humid part of the refrigerator, the addition of a bag or box will help the lemons retain moisture for longer. Using this technique, you could expect lemons to last around a month - four times as long as on the counter."

"Once you cut into a lemon, you're dealing with more than one enemy of freshness. And as well as needing to keep the lemon from drying out, you also need to protect it from oxygen, which can speed up spoilage. It might seem like a no-brainer to put your lemons in the fridge after cutting, but that half lemon lying bare on the fridge shelf is going to deteriorate pretty quickly."

"Just as with whole lemons, you should store cut citrus in an airtight container or bag, but take the extra measure of adding plastic wrap to protect the cut surface. Alternatively, opt for something like this Good Grips cut-and-keep lemon saver that uses a flexible silicone cover to create a seal. When stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator, cut lemons will last 4-5 days."

Whole lemons should be refrigerated to prevent moisture loss and extend freshness. Leaving lemons on the counter causes them to dry and remain good for only about a week. Storing lemons in the crisper drawer increases humidity; placing them in an airtight container or bag further preserves moisture and can make them last around a month. Once cut, lemons are vulnerable to drying and oxygen-driven spoilage. Cut lemons should be wrapped and placed in an airtight container or bag, with plastic wrap over the cut surface or a silicone saver to seal. Properly stored cut lemons last about 4–5 days.

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