Frozen oranges and lemons can keep fresh, preserve convenient citrus drinks and recipes, and ultimately save money. Citrus fruits contain a lot of vitamin C, folic acid and antioxidants, which can protect your cells from damage. Learn how to properly freeze oranges and lemons to maintain their quality and make them easy to use. According to Clemson Cooperative Promotion, citrus fruits can only be kept in the refrigerator for two weeks, so it's meaningful to refrigerate your winning fruit, so don't use it immediately.
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span= "article-image inner caption-class"> lemon slices cut on the wooden table. (Picture: Hand-drawn/iStock/Getty Images)Prepare oranges and lemons as well as all foods, wash hands, use clean containers and prepare food surfaces. Cut off the damaged peel. These areas may harbor microorganisms that cause foodborne diseases. Clean the whole peeled orange and lemon with clean water. Don't use soap or detergent because fruit absorbs it. If you want to freeze some oranges for juicing, open the peel and cut the fruit in half so that they can be re-juiced. Peel the oranges you want and cut them in half or into segments.
Wet Packaging
A popular method of orange freezing is to put orange pieces in a large Quart can and cover them with 40% sugar thick syrup. The same method applies to lemons. The University of California, Davis, says sugar is unnecessary for frozen citrus, but it helps maintain the color and texture of the citrus. In order to reduce the added sugar, some fruits can be packaged with their own juice or water to freeze oranges or lemons. Leave a 1/2 inch head space (the gap between the fruit and the lid) so that citrus fruits and liquids expand during freezing. Wrap up a piece of wax paper and place it on the top of each jar to keep the citrus in the liquid.
Citrus fruit without liquid freezing is called dry packaging. In wide cans, freezing bags or freezing containers, cut oranges or lemons as required. If you pack them in cans or refrigerators, leave at least an inch of head space. You can wrap the oranges tightly. Cut lemons in half and oranges in half or a quarter, depending on how you want to use them. < p > < H3 > Notes for Citrus Freezing < / H3 > < p > Use only canned or frozen cans, because the glass is tempered to withstand temperature changes. Other cans will crack when they freeze. The University of California, Davis, said navel oranges suffer from freezing because of their high limonene content. Other orange limonenes are less abundant. According to the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Department, oranges and lemons will be refrigerated for four to six months at zero degrees Fahrenheit or lower temperatures.
Raw fruit juice, including orange juice, can carry foodborne diseases. According to the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida, people who are susceptible to such diseases should avoid drinking juices that are not sterilized by high temperatures.