Canning, Freezing & More Preserving / Recipes

Freezing Fresh Lemon Slices, Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest

Lemon slices

Remember my hefty harvest of lemons from the other week? Of those 60-plus lemons, I put up over half of them in less than an hour and none of it involved a jar (well, just one jar, but not in the way you think).

The trick to preserving all those lemons in a flash? Freeze them!

Lemons are indispensable in the kitchen, but rarely do I ever use a whole lemon at once. How many times have you wanted just a slice of lemon in your water, or found a recipe that calls for just a tablespoon of lemon juice? After a slice or a squeeze, I’m usually dismayed to find a forgotten, puckered-up lemon wedge in my fridge a week later.

But no more. No more shriveled-up half-lemons in the crisper bin. No more running to the store for just one lemon. No more lemon-shaped plastic bottles of artificial lemon juice. You can freeze a steady supply of fresh lemon slices, lemon juice and lemon zest to use all year long!

To freeze lemon slices that you can drop into drinks, lay them out on a cookie sheet and set them in the freezer for a few hours. Once they’re solid, collect them into a zip-top storage bag, where they’ll stay frozen individually (and not clumped together into a yellow iceberg if you were to freeze all the slices together in the bag).

I like to add a slice or two for a little zip to iced tea, or to cool down a too-hot tea.

Lemon slices
Lay lemon slices on a cookie sheet
Frozen lemon slices
Frozen lemon slices

To freeze lemon zest, I use a Microplane to quickly and finely grate the peel. The zest is stored in a glass jar in the freezer and one little pint jar lasts quite a long time. Whenever a recipe calls for that random teaspoon of zest, it’s easy to scoop out as needed.

Zested lemon
Lemon zest

The rest of that zested lemon is juiced and poured into an ice cube tray. The frozen cubes then go into another zip-top bag to save space; I usually keep a few bags of lemon slices and lemon cubes in the freezer at all times.

Each lemon cube (about a tablespoon’s worth) is the perfect serving size to brighten up dishes or drinks.

Juicing lemons
Lemon juice poured into an ice cube tray for freezing
Lemon zest and lemon juice ready for the freezer

The leftover lemon rind can be used to polish a stainless steel sink or chrome faucet; sprinkled with salt to scrub a counter clean; and finally, ground in the garbage disposal to freshen the drain.

At the end of all this, you’re left with lots of lemons, a spruced-up space and a lovely smelling kitchen!

Yield: Varies

Freezing Fresh Lemon Slices

Lemon slices

You can freeze a steady supply of fresh lemon slices, lemon juice and lemon zest to use all year long!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • Fresh Lemons

Instructions

  1. To freeze lemon slices that you can drop into drinks, lay them out on a cookie sheet and set them in the freezer for a few hours. Once they’re solid, collect them into a zip-top storage bag, where they’ll stay frozen individually (and not clumped together into a yellow iceberg if you were to freeze all the slices together in the bag).
  2. Use a Microplane to quickly and finely grate the peel.
  3. The zest is stored in a glass jar in the freezer and one little pint jar lasts quite a long time. Whenever a recipe calls for that random teaspoon of zest, it’s easy to scoop out as needed.
  4. The rest of that zested lemon is juiced and poured into an ice cube tray. 
  5. The frozen cubes then go into another zip-top bag to save space; I usually keep a few bags of lemon slices and lemon cubes in the freezer at all times.
  6. Each lemon cube (about a tablespoon’s worth) is the perfect serving size to brighten up dishes or drinks.

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About Author

I'm a plant lover, passionate road-tripper, and cookbook author whose expert advice and bestselling books have been featured in TIME, Outside, HGTV, and Food & Wine. The No-Waste Vegetable Cookbook is my latest book. Garden Betty is where I write about modern homesteading, farm-to-table cooking, and outdoor adventuring—all that encompass a life well-lived outdoors. After all, the secret to a good life is... Read more »

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