Kitchen Tips That Save You Money
How To Freeze Lemon Slices

How To Freeze Lemon Slices

 

I am so excited to show you how to freeze lemon slices. This is by far the best way to freeze them. Do not skip any steps if you want the best results.

There is nothing better than putting a fresh lemon slice in your ice water, or hot tea. I find that I drink more water during the day, when it’s flavored with a lemon slice. My sweet neighbor came by a few weeks back and brought me a bag full of lemons! I was so excited by her generosity, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to use these lemons!

cutting board with fresh slices of lemon laying one on top of the other

By the way, if you have a lemon tree and don’t want those lemons to go to waste… you will love this!

I decided to freeze most of them, and I’m so glad that I did! This is my FAVORITE freezer food technique. Everyday since, I enjoy refreshing lemon water, or hot tea with these frozen lemons. They are so easy to grab out of the freezer, and it’s just so quick to do.

How To Freeze Lemon Slices:

Freezing lemons is a very easy task. Here is a quick video of how I cut them, and lay them on a covered cookie sheet.

 

 

 

 

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
  • It’s very important to pat each side of the lemon slice on a paper towel. This will get rid of some of the moisture, and the lemon slice will freeze nicely.
  • Freeze the lemons for at least 8 hours. Then place them in a freezer gallon zip-lock bag. This method works really well, and the lemons don’t really stick to each other like a brick.

How Long Does Sliced Lemon Last In The Freezer?

Lemons can easily be stored in the freezer for 1 year. I live in California, and we grow a lot of citrus here. So I actually freeze bags and bags of orange slices, lemon slices, and lime slices for tea, lemonade, sherbet flavored desserts, and for sparkling flavored water.

The lemon slices will develop ice crystals on them, but that totally okay and does not destroy the flavor of the lemon.  

baking sheet lined with wax paper and several lemon slices laying in a row on top

Why You Should Always Freeze Your Lemons

For many people, citrus is a seasonal fruit. Freezing lemons is the best way to preserve lemons for various recipes. Using sliced lemons in my tea on a daily basis isn’t a big deal when I can quickly reach into the freezer and pull out a sliced lemon.

As you can see in the above picture, I have the lemons laying on a piece of wax paper. Parchment paper works best, however I ran out while making these. Whether you use wax paper or parchment paper, they will both work fine.

Can You Freeze Lemons Whole?

Sliced lemons is my favorite way to freeze them, however you can freeze lemons whole. I would freeze lemons whole the same way as sliced lemons, but be aware that thawed whole lemons will be much juicier and not hold it’s shape the same way once thawed.

 

 

 

 

Easy Ways To Use Frozen Lemon Slices

Once your lemons are completely frozen, carefully remove them from the paper and store them in a freezer safe bag. These will keep in your freezer for up to 1 year. Not only are they good in teas and iced water, but I also use them in savory dishes like lemon garlic chicken, cilantro lime rice, or even to make salad dressings when I run out of juice. Simply thaw out a few pieces and squeeze out the juice. 

gallon size freezer bag filled with frozen lemon slices

I hope you will give this quick savings tip a try. You will love the convenience of having sliced lemons around!

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picture of a bag of frozen lemon slices with a mug of hot tea inserting a frozen lemon slice into the hot tea.
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8 thoughts on “How To Freeze Lemon Slices

    • Thank you so much for this, Aimee. Your article was extremely timely as I just picked about three dozen lemons off my tree and was not sure how I was going to save them. This will certainly keep them from being wasted. Thanks!

    • Thanks for the frozen lemon slices. Another idea which I use is to scrub my organic lemons, peel the yellow ( no white) of ten lemons and make limoncello. From the remaining “naked” lemon I squeeze out the juice and make lemonade. After the limoncello is completed I add about 1 1/2 T. of it to an ice filled glass and top off with freshly made lemonade. Note: I freeze juice in one cup portions to make 1/2 gal and use once limoncello is ready. We love it in the hot summer!!!

    • Excellent for Gin and Tonic! Just drop in frozen!

    • I like that you freeze a lot of food for later. But you really waste a lot of plastic. The bags look all brand new; that is a lot of plastic bags your going through. And to take the spinach from a plastic container and throw it in the garbage just to put the spinach in a plastic bag is horrible on the environment. Perhaps we could all come up with some ideas that don’t involve one time use of plastic bags.

      • I understand. I now you Stasher bags for all my food storage 🙂

      • Using a freezer bag doesn’t have to be a one-time thing… simply wash it out (with bleach-water if it was storing meat), dry, and use it again. I have many bags in my kitchen drawer that are many years old. When they’re worn out beyond keeping food in them, I repair them with a piece of packing tape on either side of the hole, and designate them for keeping other things in around the house (such as separating strings of christmas lights). When they’re finished with that use, they are put into the recycling.

    • We have froze lemons for years. I usually cut them into eighths, and they go great in the smoothies. The peel is the most nutritious.

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