Every once in a while limes go on sale in my area for .07 cents each and occasionally I can buy 8 lemons for a dollar. When they go on sale I cannot resist buying them in bulk. I used to panic that I would not be able to use them all before they went bad, and sometimes I couldn’t. Then I developed a strategy that allows me to buy as many as I want when they are on sale and not worry about waste: I grate the rinds, juice the fruit and then freeze the rinds and juice together for future use.
Grate the rind:
After grating each one, place the zest in a section of an ice-cube tray:
Then juice the fruit. To get more juice from your lemons and limes microwave them for about 10 seconds before you juice them.
After juicing each fruit, pour the juice into one of the sections over the zest:
Once you have juiced all of your lemons and or limes, place the tray in the freezer. Once the juice cubes are frozen, move them to an airtight container.
Most of my recipes using limes, call for the juice and rind of one lime. If a recipe only calls for the juice of one lime, I still add the zest as well to add a little extra flavor. Recipes call for different quantities of lemon juice. To help you translate ice-cube to English measurments: Each cube = 2 tablespoons, 2 cubes = 1/4 cup.
A few of my favorite recipes using lime juice:
Southwest Steak Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
This post is linked to Frugal Friday and The Weekend Round Up.
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Windy says
Great idea! I will definitely try. Was trying to figure out a good way to pre-squeeze large quantity of lemon juice for a recipe.
Judee@gluten free A-Z Blog says
This is brilliant! I freeze limes and lemons but I like your idea so much better to zest and then freeze in an ice cube tray with the juice! I’ll be doing this from now on.. thanks
Hilary Sanderson says
This is a great idea! I do something similar with parsley: finely chopped, little bit of water, freeze, then drop cube into stew or whatever you’re making.
Wendy says
Yikes! I just paid .75 EACH for (organic) lemons today. I’ll definitely be watching for sales and doing this.
Ellen says
Can you freeze the zest separately? Do you rec. using a little lime juice (just a little) or water?
Alea says
Yes, you can freeze the zest separately. When I freeze the zest on it’s own I put it in a small container without any liquid.
Anne @ Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy says
This is a great idea for when you buy reduced citrus and you don’t have time to use them all up! Will have to remember this.
Frugal in WV says
Great idea! I use a ton of limes and lemons throughout the year and this would be perfect for in the winter when the fruit is less than stellar. New follower from the weekend roundup hop, have a great week!
Frugal in WV says
Great idea! I use a ton of limes and lemons throughout the year, freezing would be great for in the winter when the fruit is less than stellar. New follower from the weekend roundup hop, have a great week! You can find me at
http://wvfrugal-wvsaver.blogspot.com/
Tricia @Hodgepodge says
This is so smart!! I shall not shy away from lots of limes now 🙂
mom2fur (aka Clare) says
Thanks for the tip! I have a few lemons I bought with the intention of making lemonade, but haven’t gotten around to it. So I’m going to zest and juice them and freeze them like you did! (I got one of those microplaner thingies for half price so I get to play with it, LOL!)
Alea says
I recently ordered a microplane and I can’t wait to play with it. I bet it will produce a nicer zest than my box grater. 🙂
Cathy says
Love this idea… will start using it for the business… thank you!!!
Candace says
What a great idea! Thank you for sharing that!
Living So Abundantly says
What a great tip! I buy lemons a lot, so my wheels are turning! Thank you for the idea!
Living So Abundantly: New meme this coming Thursday, July 7, 2011, Give Back Thursday–join the fun!
Ellen says
Great idea! What a great way to use citrus fruit in season.
Thanks for visiting me at A Season for All Things. I’m your newest follower (and fellow home schooler) and am looking forward to reading more of your posts. ~ Ellen
Tegan says
Thank you so much for sharing! I never would have thought of freezing lime and lemon juice in an ice tray! Brilliant! 🙂
April @ The 21st Century Housewife says
This is SUCH a great idea, Alea! I seriously never thought of this, but I will be doing it from now on. By the way, I love your new blog layout and button – they are fantastic!
Alea says
Thank you April. The new site is easier for me to navigate behind the scenes, my hope is that it is easier for visitors to navigate as well.
Vicky says
Love this idea!
Julia in West Des Moines, IA says
love this. and the ‘network with me’ icons are very cute!
Alea says
Thank you. Angie of BlessedBeyondWords.com designed the network icons. I cannot say enough good things about her work – and she is fast and affordable!