How long does fresh lime juice last in the fridge?
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Limes are a citrus fruit that is grown in warm climates. They grow on trees and produce fruit used for cooking or juicing. The juice of the lime contains citric acid, which has many uses in food preparation. Well, if you’ve got lots of limes, you can make lemonades, a sweet tart tangy treat, or whip up a margarita if you love cocktails. Lime is perfect in dressings, sauces, and vinaigrettes, or make it into a main dish dinner that will feed the whole family. So, how long does lime juice last in the fridge? Lime juice comes from squeezing the juice out of limes. If you’ve got limes, you must check how to store limes.
Lime juice will stay fresh and usable for a long time if stored properly. Most bar chefs agree that it may remain good for up to 24 hours. A lime juice experiment was done by a researcher of citrus plants and fruits, and they found that the flavor peaks around 6 hours but lasts for about 18 hours. Here is everything you need to know about lime juice and its storage techniques.
Does lime juice go bad if not refrigerated?
Lime juice does go bad if not refrigerated! Well, the shelf life of it varies according to different preparation procedures. Let us take two scenarios of making it at home and a store-bought version of the same for a simple comparison.
If you have squeezed the limes by yourself at home, it lasts for about 4 to 5 days if stored properly in an airtight glass jar or bottle. And the store-bought lime juice lasts for a very long time in the fridge since they have preservatives.
How long is fresh lime juice good for?
Freshly squeezed and homemade lime juice is good for about 6 hours at room temperature. It lasts for about 4 days if you store it in the refrigerator. In case you are planning to prepare it at home, make sure to use a suitable container, i.e.; a glass bottle or a good quality plastic bottle with an airtight lid if you do not want your hard-earned (squeezing lime juice isn’t an easy task, phew!) lime juice to get ruined just because you did not store it properly.
Can you freeze fresh lime juice?
Freezing homemade lime juice is always a great option because it increases the shelf life of the lime juice, and you do not have to keep making it all the time. Do it once in large quantities, freeze it and use it according to the requirements.
Lime juice bottles sold in the stores have commercial preservatives in them, which makes them last for a year. Some have less, and some have more preservatives. The ones with more preservatives last for more months, provided the bottle is unopened.
Freeze fresh lime juice by placing the squeezed limes in a deep freezer bag and then in the freezer for up to 2 months. Another method to freeze the juice is by pouring the juice into ice cube trays. To enhance the flavor of the juice, you can also put a pinch of grated lime zest in the ice cube tray along with the juice.
How long does concentrated lime juice last?
Since lime juice is a key ingredient in many recipes we make, Concentrated lime juice is the best way of maintaining the stock of lime juice at home. While we understand that making concentrated lime juice at home is not going to happen, the store-bought version is all we have!
The concentrated lime juice you get from the store last for about 14 to 18 months. The regular lime juice cans available in the market have preservatives, and the concentrated ones have more of them, hence more shelf life!
Can old lime juice make you sick?
As time goes by, lime juice (even when stored in the fridge or freezer) will go bad after the shelf life is over. Yes, consuming old lime juice can make you sick. Since lime juice is acidic, once the shelf life is over, the acidity is reduced, and there is a high probability of bacterial growth, toxins, etc. Therefore, it is essential to note that you are consuming a combo of lime juice and its toxins!
And Yes! You can juice limes in advance. The lime juice can stay at room temperature for 6 hours. You can also squeeze them and store them in the refrigerator for later use. Even the store-bought lime juice needs to be refrigerated. The shelf life of lime juice in the fridge depends on whether you have opened the can or not.
