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Farm Kitchen:  Ways to preserve lemons?  |
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Wauka Mountain Mama
True Blue Farmgirl
239 Posts
Fran
Fairburn
Ga
USA
239 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 06 2012 : 08:22:12 AM
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Morning, ladies.
I work at a resturant & my boss let me take home a bunch of lemons last night & Iam curious of all the ways I can preserve them. My family doesn't really drink lemonade but I do cook with lemons a good bit, just not enough to use all this lemons up before they go bad.
So does anybody have some tips on storing/canning/frezzing them?
Live simply. So that others may simply live.
http://waukamountainmama.blogspot.com/ |
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sissarge
True Blue Farmgirl
502 Posts
Linda
Montgomery
Texas
USA
502 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2012 : 6:04:02 PM
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| I slice and freeze. I just thaw out and use. Or I open ziploc bag and dump about 10 or so in my pitcher of water for a refreshing taste. Right now I have 2 gallon bags full, and its great to pull out one for tea, or whatever. I make lemon chicken and bake in oven etc. I never have any complaints about them being frozen. My hubby and I use them right out of freezer and squeeze them in our hot tea. I am not sure how long they will last, some bags I have had about 3 months, and make sure I use oldest first. good luck. Farmgirl #946 Linda |
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Wauka Mountain Mama
True Blue Farmgirl
239 Posts
Fran
Fairburn
Ga
USA
239 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2012 : 6:13:07 PM
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Thanks, Linda! I'll be freezing at least some of my lemons now that I know they'll hold up to the cold. I love lemon in my tea!
On Youtube I found videos on how to make "Leem" its lemons cured in salt & spices, but it uses alot of salt. So, Iam woundering if I could pickle them (& maybe use less salt) but I can't find a semilar recipe to see if the acid content would be too high to can them in my steam canner. :(
Live simply. So that others may simply live.
http://waukamountainmama.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - Wauka Mountain Mama on Jun 06 2012 6:14:26 PM |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2012 : 7:48:48 PM
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Fran - I'm so glad you asked! We buy lemons in bulk, but they never "make it" in the fridge long, so I end up sharing them before they go bad! I do know you can pickle lemons - I've seen them before at one of the local farm stores, but cannot for the life of me remember where. I'll ask around. Maybe we can find a recipe for you! :) I know you can also make a lemon marmalade - yum! And there's nothing like lemon curd... I wonder if those might be some tasty options for you?
Linda - You ROCK!!! I never in a million years would've thought to freeze them, but it sure does make sense and sound wonderful! I'm definitely going to start trying that next time around! THANK YOU for sharing your tip! AWESOME!!! :)
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Jun 06 2012 : 9:45:37 PM
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I have a huge lemon tree that produces a very lot of big, beautiful lemons. I usually squeeze the juice of the lemons into ice trays, and freeze them. Sometimes I slice the inside of the lemons and freeze.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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Marylyn
True Blue Farmgirl
316 Posts
Marylyn
Ellsinore
MO
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - Jun 07 2012 : 05:20:31 AM
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Thank you so much for posting about freezing lemons....I never would have thought about that. I love lemon in my iced tea, but since I am the only one they go bad before I get them all used!
Love,
Marylyn
(aka Auntie M)
Farmgirl # 4062 |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Jun 07 2012 : 06:12:22 AM
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Fran, I buy lemons in bulk and cut them in half, juice them and then put the juice in ice cube trays to freeze. Each cube is an oz or the juice of 1 lemon. I pop those out of the trays and store in the freezer in freezer bags. I use this in making lemon curd (recipe at my blog) and lemon pie (also at the blog) and anything else that calls for lemon juice. Then I freeze the rind halves because they are easier to zest when frozen and most recipes that call for lemon juice also call for lemon zest.
OH! And I just posted a recipe at the blog, yesterday, with a recipe for the most amazing drink made with strawberries and lemon juice that you can and then reconstitute with ice water, cold tonic water, sprite or ginger ale. It is amazing. So you might use some of your juice for that! :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
Edited by - Okie Farm Girl on Jun 07 2012 06:14:33 AM |
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Marylyn
True Blue Farmgirl
316 Posts
Marylyn
Ellsinore
MO
USA
316 Posts |
Posted - Jun 07 2012 : 06:37:19 AM
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You know, when I think about how much I have learned since I came here (2 months ago) I think the is nothing Farmgirls can't do!!!!
Love,
Marylyn
(aka Auntie M)
Farmgirl # 4062 |
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delicia
True Blue Farmgirl
917 Posts
delicia
cincinnati
ohio
USA
917 Posts |
Posted - Jun 07 2012 : 09:34:53 AM
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| I freeze the whole lemon but, I like the idea of slicing or using the ice trays and just keeping the juice. |
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Wauka Mountain Mama
True Blue Farmgirl
239 Posts
Fran
Fairburn
Ga
USA
239 Posts |
Posted - Jun 07 2012 : 10:04:36 AM
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Marylyn, too true! I learn something new everytime I come around.
Mary Beth, you have filled me with inspiration! I had though about frezzing the juice into ice trays but currently I only own the alumimum (ms?) ones & I was worried about the acid clashing with the metal & tasting bad like with tomatoes. I'll pick up some plastic ones ASAP!
Iam going to slice & frezze many of them & do the Leem recipe for a couple of jars. Once cured the lemons supposedly hold in the fridge for 6 months. After that whatever is left will be tossed in the frezzer whole like Delicia surrgested. ;)
Live simply. So that others may simply live.
http://waukamountainmama.blogspot.com/ |
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laurzgot
True Blue Farmgirl
1773 Posts
Laurie
Alvin
Texas
USA
1773 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2012 : 08:28:56 AM
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I also cut and slice. Then freeze. I also squeeze the juice out of the lemons and freeze them in those plastic icecube trays, so I can pop one out as I need it. With the squeezed lemons I make lemon zest and freeze in zip-lock bag.
Laurie
suburban countrygirl at heart
http://www.etsy.com/people/lauriescott60
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Wauka Mountain Mama
True Blue Farmgirl
239 Posts
Fran
Fairburn
Ga
USA
239 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2012 : 1:29:18 PM
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I didn't think about lemon zest. I'll have to do that next time, Laurie.
What I ended up doing was 2 half pints jars of "Leem". I used alittle bit of mixed pickling spice & layered the lemons with sea salt. Then I sliced 2 ziplock bags of lemons for freezing. Lastly, I used all the end pieces to make lemon scented vinegar cleaner. You know, like the kind with orange peels only I used lemon. We'll see what thats like...In the end the only thing I threw alway was the seeds so I feel pretty good about my work. Though I actually could of dried the seeds & tried to grow lemon trees! 
Live simply. So that others may simply live.
http://waukamountainmama.blogspot.com/ |
Edited by - Wauka Mountain Mama on Jun 08 2012 1:31:01 PM |
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laurzgot
True Blue Farmgirl
1773 Posts
Laurie
Alvin
Texas
USA
1773 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2012 : 2:58:16 PM
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I dried my lemon seeds and three years later I was able to plant my lemon tree in the ground. In a few years I should have lemons.
Laurie
suburban countrygirl at heart
http://www.etsy.com/people/lauriescott60
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Wauka Mountain Mama
True Blue Farmgirl
239 Posts
Fran
Fairburn
Ga
USA
239 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2012 : 9:49:54 PM
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Awwww! Now I feel bad about tossing out the seeds! :D
I'll save them next time. Growing a tree from seed sould be fun!
Live simply. So that others may simply live.
http://waukamountainmama.blogspot.com/ |
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laurzgot
True Blue Farmgirl
1773 Posts
Laurie
Alvin
Texas
USA
1773 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2012 : 12:05:37 PM
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Growing a tree from seed is very rewarding. Seeing the first shoots appear and then more and the tree is really doing great and serviving.
Laurie
suburban countrygirl at heart
http://www.etsy.com/people/lauriescott60
Aprons and More |
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Farm Kitchen: Ways to preserve lemons? |
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Ways to preserve lemons?
