How long will pasteurized lemon juice last..

[SEEING-TO-BELIEVE]

i've a bottle of pasteurized lemon juice..
it says it will last 3 weeks after opening if stored in the fridge..
can't it be longer than 3 weeks?

and is it true that pasteurized lemon juice tastes much better than lemon juice with preservatives?

maybe i will freeze some of the lemon juice in ice tray.. or something..

tnx

 

[onedaychef]

will probably still be good, in a sealed container, in 50 years time - seriously.

 

[pictonguy]

Israel is an exporter of actual lemons and why someone would want and need pasteurized lemon juice in their life is beyond me, sorry I'm no help.

 

[taxlady]

I used to buy some Italian organic lemon juice and lime juice. It lasted a long time in the fridge and didn't taste pasteurized. I didn't have any preservatives in it. I have had organic, pasteurized lemon juice from California and I could definitely taste that it was pasteurized. It reminded me of orange juice that came in a can many years ago. Definitely had a cooked flavour to it.

If a household doesn't use a lot of lemons, they won't have fresh lemons at home all the time. That's when it can be very convenient to have good quality lemon juice on hand. But, if the container is only fresh for 3 weeks after it's opened, it loses much of it's convenience.

 

[dragnlaw]

I've had bottled lemon and lime juice for ages. I only buy fresh if it is vitally important, as in needing the zest and rind.
I notice the smell over the bottle is nothing like fresh but in the recipe, of course, some can tell the difference but it is honestly very subtle.
And I've never had any "go bad".
ahhh no, not true - I did, but it wasn't even 'bad'. The colour had changed from yellow to sort of a brown? I had already added it to the recipe before I noticed. And... in the recipe it was not noticeable.

Of course fresh is always better, but like taxy says, households that don't use a lot will have the concentrate. It's OK, no biggie and it does last forever.
I'd much rather use concentrate than constantly throw away dried out or rotten lemons & limes.

 

[taxlady]

I quit using ReaLemon a long time ago. Then I realized what I didn't like about it. A friend made some hummus. She used ReaLemon as the lemon juice. I could taste the preservative from the lemon juice in the finished hummus. Really unpleasant bitter flavour. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was strong enough to make that hummus unpleasant.

 

[dragnlaw]

I rather think I can understand that with Hummas. It's not cooked and you initially add quite a bit of lemon juice, no? Just guessing - I'm not partial to Hummas and have never made it.
I have had it, both homemade and store. It's OK, I'll eat it but don't really care for it all that much.

 

[SEEING-TO-BELIEVE]

Israel is an exporter of actual lemons and why someone would want and need pasteurized lemon juice in their life is beyond me, sorry I'm no help.

it is imported from italy.
in the summer time there are no good lemons because they are dry inside..

 

[SEEING-TO-BELIEVE]

I quit using ReaLemon a long time ago. Then I realized what I didn't like about it. A friend made some hummus. She used ReaLemon as the lemon juice. I could taste the preservative from the lemon juice in the finished hummus. Really unpleasant bitter flavour. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was strong enough to make that hummus unpleasant.

most hummus restaurants use citric acid for hummus.. i guess..

 

[pictonguy]

it is imported from italy.
in the summer time there are no good lemons because they are dry inside..

In Canada where lemons don't grow I always have lemons from the many countries we import them from.

 

[SEEING-TO-BELIEVE]

In Canada where lemons don't grow I always have lemons from the many countries we import them from.

i didnt know they may be good year round

 

[Meryl]

I always keep preserved bottled lemon juice in my fridge, for when I don't have fresh lemons on hand, it lasts for months, but nothing can beat the taste and smell of fresh lemon juice. I only drink my daily glass of refreshing tonic water with a slice of real lemon.

I hope my little green lemons on my lemon tree become big and yellow soon.

 

[blissful]

We like the bottled lemon juice for lemonade and canning tomatoes. We probably buy 5 or 6 of the 32 ounce bottles/year. For giving a lift in flavor, lemon juice or ac vinegar, just a little, will help out soups, gravies, and stews. I also use lemon juice as an alternative to AC vinegar in salad dressings.

If the reduced produce for sale at our regular grocery store has bags of lemons or limes for $1, we'll grab a few to treat ourselves to fresh lemons and limes. Sometimes I'll clean up the outside of lemons and limes, then use a microplane zester and dry that to use in baking and cooking.

 

[taxlady]

I like to have dry lemon and lime zest handy too. Sometimes I use a potato peeler to remove strips of the coloured part of the peel to dry and have handy. They can add a little boost to some dishes.

 

[blissful]

@taxlady you reminded me. I would dehydrate at a low temperature (115 deg F), slices of citrus including peel and pulp. I used these in drinks and tea. I also crumbed them into the coffee grinder to make a powder, it can be used in baking or cooking.
More specific instructions to prevent darkening: https://www.thepurposefulpantry.com/dehydrate-citrus/

 

[dragnlaw]

Zest I've used, peel I've used (and candied (orange), but never thought of drying peel. How interesting!

 

[blissful]

Since lemons don't grow in the northern US, american indians still needed 'sour' and vitamin C. They made use of SUMAC. It grows naturally everywhere. The staghorn red seed heads are sour. I've harvested them a couple of times and then used the ground up seeds for seasoning.

Sumac is slightly invasive and they grow in 'stands' which spread through the ground. Many are on the sides of country roads. The leaves turn a gorgeous red in the fall. They are a very attractive fall plant. https://www.studiobotanica.com/wildly-delicious-sumac-lemonade/

 

[dragnlaw]

I know them well, never realized they werre edible.
and now, looking for them, I see nary a one.

 

[blissful]

I know them well, never realized they werre edible.
and now, looking for them, I see nary a one.

Are you talking about sumac? they are easier to see in the fall with the red leaves. And to harvest the berries, they need to be harvested right away when they are red and still sour. They are harvested before the leaves turn red. https://www.thechoppingblock.com/blog/sumac-foraging-and-preparation-0

 

[taxlady]

I know them well, never realized they werre edible.
and now, looking for them, I see nary a one.

There are loads of them along Highway 401, well at least the part from Cornwall to Quebec. I have often noticed them along autoroutes here. Not that this will help you, but there are a lot of them in Centennial Park in DDO.

They are easy to recognize by the leaves, even when they aren't red. The berries grow in bunches, sort of like tiny grapes.