A reader’s kitchen tip: You can freeze lemons and limes

We asked readers to send in their money- and food-saving kitchen tips, and it’s been fun hearing from so many people. Today’s tip comes from a reader in New Hampshire.

Here’s my kitchen tip: Buy lemons and limes when they’re on sale then freeze them in freezer bags. When frozen, they’ll last for 4-6 months. When you defrost them, they are MUCH easier to juice and produce more juice. (Just my personal opinion, not scientifically proven!) If you have leftover juice or lemon half, don’t put it in the fridge. Juice it and freeze the juice. It defrosts quickly, saves a step in the kitchen, and is handy when you need it.

CYNTHIA SHELDON, Northfield, N.H.

Cynthia is onto something; there’s a ton of advice out there for the best way to freeze lemons and limes. The online food safety website Still Tasty says to “place the whole fruits in a freezer bag and stash them in the freezer. When you need fresh lemon or lime juice, simply defrost the frozen lemons or limes in the microwave for a few seconds (or submerge in cold water for about 15 minutes). The texture of the lemon or lime will likely be mushy once thawed, but the juice will still be perfectly fine for use in your favorite recipes.”

Food.com advises quartering the fruit first, and then putting the pieces in a single layer on a cookie sheet into the freezer. When they’re frozen, put them in a freezer bag until you need them. The site also suggests zesting the lemons before freezing them, as well as freezing the juice in ice cube trays.

Please keep your tips and tricks coming. E-mail them to christine.morris@globe.com with “kitchen tip” in the subject line. Please include your full name and hometown.