How to Freeze Whole Citrus
Description: A quick and easy tip on how to freeze whole citrus fruits to save money and reduce waste. Frozen citrus is great for zesting and juicing, and can be easily thawed.
Ingredients
- whole citrus fruit (lemons, limes, oranges, etc.)
Instructions
- Wash and dry your fruit to remove any waxy coating.
- Place the whole citrus fruit in a heavy duty freezer bag and seal it up tight. Air exposure is the enemy when it comes to freezing food because it sucks out moisture and deadens flavors.
- Freeze the citrus. They will last for months in the freezer. If the peel begins to dry out, the zest may not be as flavorful, but the juice inside will still be quite usable. It's recommended to use within three months for optimum quality.
- To use the frozen fruit, remove it from the freezer bag and zest the fruit while frozen solid.
- Once zested, thaw the fruit by either microwaving for 15-20 seconds, or running it under warm water.
- Once thawed, slice in half and squeeze the juice as usual. The juice should flow from the citrus quite easily.