When lemons are stored in the fridge, they last considerably longer than when stored on the countertop where they are likely to harden within a week—so assemble that still-life worthy display with some other fruit instead. The simplest way to store lemons in the refrigerator doesn’t involve much effort—just toss them loose in the crisper drawer and you’ll be able to cook with them for about three weeks. But is that the best method for storing lemons? The folks from America’s Test Kitchen thought not; then, they proved it.
These everyday culinary heroes conducted an experiment to test three popular storage methods for lemons: countertop, loose in the crisper drawer and bagged before refrigeration. Then, the food scientists weighed the citrus at regular intervals to determine which storage method produced the least amount of unwanted weight loss (i.e., dehydration). What were the results? Your refrigerated lemons can hang loose for a month, but they’ll stay plump and yield more zingy juice if you seal them in an airtight plastic storage bag before sending them off to a colder climate. The more you know.
Bottom line: To make the most of your fruit’s zesty flavor, seal lemons in a ziploc and then stash ‘em in your fridge. Using this tried-and-tested method, you’ll have up to four weeks to savor lemon's tantalizingly tart juice on anything you serve.