I love cooking with lemons, especially when warmer weather rolls around. There’s just something about that bright, citrusy flavor that makes everything feel fresher and more vibrant. I love a squeeze of lemon over grilled fish and using them to make a tangy vinaigrette and as spring turns to summer, I'm looking forward to making pitchers of lemonade.
But what about those times when you don’t need a whole lemon? We've all been there—using just a slice or half of the sunny citrus. The usual go-to is wrapping it in plastic or tossing it into a baggie, but that creates unnecessary plastic waste. Luckily, a brilliant tip from reader Chip Kinman of Burbank, California, shared by Cook’s Illustrated (@cooksillustrated), offers a simple, eco-friendly solution. All you have to do is reassemble the lemon and use toothpicks to hold it together.
Cook's Illustrated is a popular food magazine known for its rigorously tested recipes, in-depth kitchen tips, equipment reviews and scientific approach to cooking techniques. Their readers love smart tips as much as the magazine's editors, and those tips are shared in each issue of the magazine. Here's what you need to know about this clever trick.
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This trick works because lemons, like many fruits, start to dry out and lose their juiciness once they’re cut and exposed to air. The key to keeping them fresh longer is minimizing that exposure. When you place the cut lemon back together and secure it with toothpicks, it helps in a few ways.
For one, the fruit’s natural barrier—the peel—helps slow the drying process and prevents excessive oxygen exposure, which leads to quicker deterioration. Second, keeping the cut sides pressed together limits evaporation, keeping the lemon juicy and fresh for longer.
Plus, open citrus can easily pick up fridge odors or bacteria. Keeping it whole protects it better than leaving the cut side exposed.
This simple, no-waste hack keeps a lemon fresh for several days in the fridge and it's far better than wrapping it in plastic, which can sometimes cause condensation buildup, which can make the lemon spoil more quickly.
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Other Ways to Keep Citrus Fresh Longer
If you don’t want to use the toothpick method or don't have any toothpicks handy, here are a few more ways to extend the life of cut citrus.
If you’ve only used half a lemon, place the remaining half, cut-side down, on a small plate. This limits air exposure and keeps it juicy. You can also use a reusable silicone or plastic citrus saver that is designed to fit over the cut fruit, creating an airtight seal.
For an eco-friendly alternative to plastic wrap, beeswax wraps can help keep cut citrus fresh while allowing it to breathe just enough to prevent condensation. If you know you won’t be using the rest of the lemon for a while, squeeze the juice into an ice cube tray or slice the lemon into wedges and freeze them for later.
Lemons are a kitchen staple, especially in my house, and keeping them fresh longer means less waste and better flavor when you need them. Whether you’re using the toothpick trick or freezing them for later, these simple methods ensure that every last drop of citrusy goodness gets put to good use.
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