How to Preserve Lemon Juice

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger

If you have extra lemon juice on hand and you're not sure what to do with it, try preserving it. That way, it will stay good until you're ready to use it. Freezing the juice in ice cube trays is the easiest way to preserve it, but canning is a great option if you have a lot of lemon juice. Either way, you’ll have fresh lemon juice that you can enjoy year-round!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Freezing Juice into Cubes

1
Pour your lemon juice into an ice tray. Carefully tilt your container of lemon juice and fill the squares in your ice cube tray until they’re almost all the way full. However, avoid overfilling the tray, because the juice will expand a little as it freezes.^{[1]
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- By freezing your lemon juice in cubes, it will be easy to grab what you need for a recipe.
- If you’d like, you can even portion out your lemon juice so you’ll know exactly how much is in each cube. For instance, you might measure 2 US tbsp (30 mL) of lemon juice into each cube.^{[2]
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2
Place the ice cube tray in the freezer overnight or until the lemon juice is solid. It can take several hours for the lemon juice to freeze. The best way to ensure that the cubes are frozen completely solid is to leave them in your freezer for 8 hours, or overnight.^{[3]
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- If you try to take the cubes out of the tray before they’re frozen, they’ll break, which could cause you to spill any unfrozen lemon juice.
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3
Pop the lemon cubes out of trays once they’re frozen. Bend the tray so it bows up in the middle. If the cubes don’t pop free right away, twist the tray slightly, first in one direction, then the other. You should hear the cubes separate from the tray when they’re released.^{[4]
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- If some cubes come free but some stay in the tray, remove the loose ones, then twist the tray again.
4
Place the cubes into a resealable plastic bag. In order to free up your ice cube trays, it’s best to move all of the lemon juice cubes to another container. A resealable plastic bag is perfect because you’ll be able to open the bag, grab what you need, and return any unused cubes to the freezer.^{[5]
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- You can also use a hard-sided container as long as it has a tight-fitting lid.
5
Label the bag and return the cubes to the freezer. To make sure you don’t forget when you froze your lemon juice, use a permanent marker to write the date on the bag. If you think you may freeze other kinds of juice in the future, it may be a good idea to add “Lemon Juice” to the label so you don’t forget what’s inside.^{[6]
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- Use your lemon juice ice cubes within 3-4 months for the best taste, but they’ll remain good for at least 6 months.^{[7]
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6
Thaw the lemon juice or place the frozen cubes directly into a recipe. If you want to add a little fresh lemon flavor to a drink or a dish, grab a few ice cubes from the bag. If you're adding them to a cold drink or to a recipe that's being heated, you can put the frozen cubes into whatever you're making without thawing them. If you'd prefer liquid lemon juice, place the cubes in a bowl in your refrigerator to thaw overnight.^{[8]
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Tip: Try throwing a couple of cubes of lemon juice into a glass of water or iced tea for a refreshing drink that's perfect on a summer day!^{[9]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Canning Fresh Lemon Juice

1
Sanitize several half-pint jars and lids. Either place your jars and lids in the dishwasher and run a sanitizing cycle, or boil the jars for 10 minutes in your canner or a large stockpot fitted with a rack. If there’s any bacteria present in the jars, your lemon juice could spoil inside the jars.^{[10]
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- You’ll need 1 half-pint jar for every 1 cup (240 mL) of lemon juice that you want to can.^{[11]
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- Make sure you use canning jars with a lid and a band to ensure a proper seal.
- If you'd like, you can leave the cans in the hot water until you're ready to pour the juice.
Tip: If you live at an altitude of more than 1,000 ft (300 m), boil for 1 additional minute for each additional 1,000 ft (300 m) of elevation.
2
Pour your lemon juice into a medium saucepan and heat it to a low boil. Over medium heat, boil your lemon juice for about 5 minutes. This will help the cans come up to temperature more quickly in the canner. Also, it can help prevent breakage caused by lowering a cold jar into boiling water.^{[12]
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- If you don't want any pulp in your juice, strain it before you bring it to a boil.
3
Fill your canner halfway with water and bring it to a boil. The easiest way to can lemon juice is in a water bath in a canner.^{[13]
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Research source} However, if you don’t have a canner, you can use a stockpot with a rack on the bottom. Fill it about halfway with water as well, and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat on your stove.^{[14]
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Trustworthy Source
National Center for Home Food Preservation
Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food
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- If you’re using a stockpot, it’s important to make sure the cans don’t touch the bottom of the pot. If they do, the heat from your stove may cause the glass jars to shatter.
4
Pour the juice into the jars and seal them. It’s important to fill the jars almost all the way full, because air in the jar could cause the lemon juice to spoil. However, the juice may expand during the canning process, and the pressure could cause the jars to explode, so leave about ¹⁄₄ in (0.64 cm) of space at the top of each jar.^{[15]
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- To seal the jars, place the flat lid over the mouth of the jar, then screw on the ring tightly.
5
Lower each jar into the boiling water in the canner. If you have a jar lifter, use that to grip each jar around its neck, then lower the jar into your canner or stockpot. If you don’t have one, use a dish towel or a potholder instead. However, be very careful not to let the cloth touch the hot water, as you could get scalded. Either way, lower the jars slowly so the hot water doesn’t splash up and burn you.^{[16]
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Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food
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- A jar lifter is an inexpensive tool that you can buy wherever canning supplies are sold. It looks similar to a pair of tongs, but it’s designed to securely hold a round canning jar.
- If your canner has a rack with handles, load the jars onto the rack, then lower the rack into the canner by the handles. However, you should still take care not to burn yourself.^{[17]
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- Once you’ve added all the jars, the water should cover them by about 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm). If it doesn’t, add more hot water.
6
Close the lid on the canner and process the jars for 15 minutes. The water in the canner should remain at a boil for the entire 15 minutes. This will create a seal that ensures your lemon juice stays fresh inside the cans.^{[18]
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- After the 15 minutes, turn off the heat and wait for the water to stop boiling before you proceed.
7
Remove the jars from the water carefully and let them cool. After you’ve processed your jars and the water has stopped boiling, use your jar lifter or dishcloth to carefully remove the jars from the canner. The jars and lids will be very hot, so take care not to burn yourself. Place the jars in a draft-free place, and set them at least 2 in (5.1 cm) apart to help prevent them from shattering as they cool.^{[19]
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National Center for Home Food Preservation
Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food
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- It will take several hours for the jars to cool completely.
8
Label the jars and store them in a cool, dry place. Write the date and “Lemon Juice” on the lid of each jar so you don’t forget when you canned the juice or what’s inside the jar. Then, move the jars somewhere they won’t be disturbed, like your pantry or a cabinet.^{[20]
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National Center for Home Food Preservation
Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food
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- If you sanitized your jars and sealed them correctly, the juice should stay good for 12-18 months.
- To ensure the jars are sealed, press down on the bubble in the middle of the lid. If it makes a popping sound, or goes down then comes back up, the jar isn’t sealed. In that case, put it in the refrigerator and use the juice within 4-7 days.

Community Q&A

Question

How small can the jar be?

Community Answer

There are really no size limitations, it just depends on how much you make. Or, if you want to divide it into more jars to give to friends or family members.
Question

How long will the lemon juice keep using the "old fashioned method"? Does it need to be refrigerated before you open it?

Community Answer

Once you are ready to preserve the lemon juice, place it in the refrigerator. You can always use it and put it back for re-use. The lemon juice will last a couple of months, if kept in a cool, dark place, especially refrigerated. This method was once used on ship travel to preserve lemon juice in the 1800s.
Question

Does freezing it change the nutritional value of lemon juice?

Community Answer

No, freezing lemon juice shouldn't alter the nutritional value in any significant way.