The juice and slices of lime are particularly welcome guests in cocktails. In addition, jam can be made from and with the citrus fruits. If you have several limes at home and want to preserve them for as long as possible, simply freeze them. There are three variants - but there are also a few points to keep in mind to ensure the fruit remains edible.

Freezing just the lime juice is convenient and saves space

Method 1: Freeze whole limes

Important preliminary remark: It is essential not to freeze limes without special protection. Otherwise, appearance, consistency and aroma suffer greatly. There is also a risk that the citrus will burst. In short, limes become completely inedible in this way. Follow our instructions if you want to freeze whole limes.

  1. Take a freezer bag and put one or two limes in it.
  2. Suck the air out of the bag with a vacuum sealer or your mouth.
  3. Seal the freezer bag tightly - it must be absolutely airtight.
  4. Put the bag in the freezer.

Method 2: Freeze lime pulp

The second method is not to freeze the whole lime, just the pulp. How it works:

  1. Halve the limes. Use a sharp kitchen knife for this.
  2. Scratch out the lime peels. A large spoon will do you good service.
  3. Drain the pulp directly into a sealable container suitable for your freezer. Be careful not to put too many limes in the same box. Recommended value: two to three pieces per container.
  4. Seal the box(es) and place in the freezer.

Method 3: Freeze lime juice

Freezing the lime juice is one of the most popular and best variants. Here is a simple step-by-step guide:

  1. Squeeze the limes. You can use a manual juicer or, more conveniently, an electric juicer.
  2. Pour the resulting juice into an ice cube tray.
  3. Place the ice cube tray with the lime juice in the freezer.

Note: This is how ice cubes are made with a fresh, citrusy aroma. These are particularly suitable for cooling summer drinks, but also for various cocktails - such as Caipirinha. In addition to the slightly spicy taste, the lime cubes are particularly impressive because they do not water down the drink they are used for.

General tips and hints for freezing limes

Internet forum users often recommend quartering, eighthing or slicing limes and freezing them as is. However, we advise against this. These variants promote the loss of vitamins and greatly affect both the consistency and the appearance.

In general, you should keep in mind that limes lose both vitamins and taste when they are frozen and thawed (around 30 percent of the juice is lost). This is normal and applies to any fruit that you want to store in the freezer to preserve it. In addition, the limes become brownish and soft after defrosting.

Important: Process the limes IMMEDIATELY after thawing. Otherwise, in all likelihood, they will no longer be usable (tan, mushy consistency, extremely bitter taste).

Do not freeze limes for more than eight months.

Alternative to freezing: Limes often keep in the fridge for two to three weeks, sometimes even longer.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

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Vegetable garden