Lemon: Avoid Mold – This is How it Works

Prevent mold in lemons – this way the fruits can be kept for a long time

As soon as the lemon has moldy spots, it is a health hazard and must be disposed of. You already lay the foundation for the shelf life of the fruit when you buy it.

• Make sure the lemons feel nice and firm and don’t have any soft spots.
• If the lemon has soft spots that can easily be dented, you should not buy them. Mold quickly forms on the soft spots.
• When transporting it home, make sure that the lemons are on top. The sensitive fruits quickly develop bruising, which in turn quickly causes mold to form.
• Tip: If you want to use the lemons straight away, you should use soft fruits because they give off most of the juice when you squeeze them. If you then have some juice left over, you can use it to create a secret code for your kids.

Proper storage is important

If you store your lemons properly, the fruits will keep for about four to eight weeks without mold forming. However, there is a risk that the lemons will dry out over time.

• The refrigerator is not the best place to keep tropical fruits. If you have a small pantry, but the lemons are there. In the dark, at room temperature, but not too warm and not exposed to the sun, the fruits lie well.
• Wrap each lemon in paper towels to drain excess liquid to the outside. Do not place the fruits too close to each other and especially not on top of each other. If mold does form on a lemon, the spores cannot immediately spread to the other lemons.
• Fruits that give off ethylene, such as apples, should never be stored with other fruit. The ripening process is extremely accelerated by ethylene.
• Another way to keep lemons for a long time and without mold is in water. For example, place the fruit in mason jars. The containers must be closable and have a large opening so that you can easily put the lemons in and take them out again. The downside to this type of storage is that you have to change the water about every three days.
• If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, you don’t have to cut the lemon straight away. Prick the lemon with a toothpick and remove the required amount. Then wrap the lemon in kitchen paper. The lemon lasts a little longer this way, but the fruit should be used up as soon as possible.
• If you want to keep half a lemon, let the surface of the cut side dry first, as mold will form there very quickly.
• If you don’t have a suitable place to store the lemons, you can use the refrigerator if necessary. Place the lemons in the middle of the fridge, where the temperature is around ten degrees. However, do not place the lemons in the vegetable compartment, because at around five degrees it is too cool there.
• Extra tip: unlike lemons, lemon juice is always kept in the fridge. It stays there for about three days before it increasingly loses its aroma.