Lemon Storage Tips: Do lemons dry up and shrink even after keeping them in the fridge? Follow these 5 easy home remedies to keep it fresh for a long time

Lemon has a very important place in Indian kitchen. Whether you want to enhance the taste of pulses and vegetables, make salad spicy or prepare fresh shikanji in summers – lemon always comes in handy. Lemon, rich in Vitamin C, citric acid, potassium and antioxidants, also strengthens our immunity. This is the reason why lemon is bought in bulk and stocked in most of the houses.

But, many times it is seen that despite being kept in the refrigerator, lemons start drying, shrinking or becoming hard like stones very quickly. This happens due to extremely cold temperatures of the refrigerator, lack of moisture in the air, or storing them incorrectly. Dried lemons yield very little juice and their taste also becomes bitter. Let us know some magical storage tips to keep lemon juicy and fresh for 3 to 4 weeks:

5 most effective ways to keep lemon fresh (Lemon Storage Hacks)

1. Store only after completely drying: If you wash lemons after bringing them from the market, then wipe them with a cotton cloth and dry them thoroughly before storing them. If there is even a little moisture left on the surface of the lemons, they may grow mold and rot in the refrigerator.

2. The magic of zip-lock bags or airtight containers: Never leave lemon open on the refrigerator shelf. Keep them sealed in an air-tight container or zip-lock polybag. By doing this, the natural moisture inside the lemons remains intact, due to which they do not shrink. Also, the smell of other things kept in the fridge does not penetrate into the lemon.

3. Use Crisper Drawer: Always keep lemons in the ‘crisper drawer’ (vegetable compartment) at the bottom instead of keeping them in the coldest part of the fridge. The temperature and moisture level of this part is considered most suitable for maintaining the freshness of citrus fruits.

4. Correct rule to store cut lemon: If you have used half the lemon and half is left, then never make the mistake of leaving it open. Wrap the cut portion well with aluminum foil or plastic wrap or keep it in a small airtight container, so that its juice does not dry up.

5. Keep wiping off excess moisture: If you have kept the lemon in a zip-lock bag, open it and check once in 3-4 days. If you see water droplets stuck inside the bag (due to evaporation), wipe them off with a clean cloth. Excessive moisture also causes the lemon to spoil prematurely.

How many days are lemons safe for?

If you follow the correct storage techniques, the shelf-life of lemons increases significantly:

• Whole Lemons: When stored properly in the refrigerator, 3 to 4 weeks (about a month) Can remain completely fresh and juicy till .

• Cut Lemons: Use of cut lemon even after keeping it wrapped 3 to 4 days Doing it inside is better in terms of both health and taste.

Do not make these 4 mistakes even by mistake (Common Mistakes to Avoid)

• Storing wet lemons in the refrigerator: By doing this the fungus grows very fast.

• Putting bad and good lemons together: If even one lemon in the stock starts rotting or has a stain on it, immediately separate it from the rest of the lemons. Otherwise, its infection will spoil other good lemons within a day or two.

• Leaving the cut lemon open: The cold air of the refrigerator absorbs all the juice of the cut lemon and it starts turning black.

• Leaving for a long time without pruning: Check your lemon stock once every 4-5 days so that the spoiled pieces can be removed in time.