Citrus Fruits are jam-packed with vitamin C and other nutrients that a body needs. They’re a great way to naturally boost your immune system. You can enjoy them as a snack, in a homemade fruit juice, in a yummy recipe as one of the main ingredients.
When purchasing you want to look for ripened fruits. Don’t buy under-ripe or over-ripe fruits. Once they’ve been picked from the tree the ripening process is haulted. Unlike other fruits…citrus fruits can last a lot longer when they’re properly stored.
Once purchased you need to treat them with gentle care. Don’t bang them around in your grocery bags which can cause bruising. Once you get home you need to decide if you’ll be eating them within a week or do you want them to stay fresh longer than 7 days.
If you plan on eating them within a few days you can let them sit out on the counter at room temperature. If you want them to last longer you should refrigerate them. Don’t store them in a plastic bag. The only exception to that rule are lemons. If you’re storing lemons you’ll want to place them in a plastic zipper-closure bag and store in the refrigerator.
Grapefruits, limes, oranges, tangerines, tangelos, etc. should be store in a mesh bag in the refrigerator to allow air circulation. No mesh bag? Place them in your veggie bin with no other fruits or vegetables and gently turn them every 1-2 days to allow for air circulation. When properly stored and taken care of they should last for 2-3 weeks.
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These are some good tips. We get Clementines but they usually end up going bad before they get eaten up. I didn’t know about the mesh bags, I have some and will have to try it.
We got fresh lemons today fresh off a tree. Thanks for the advice
I am very glad to have read this article. I love citrus fruit and I shall store them more carefully.
Thanks for these helpful tips. I buy lots of citrus fruits especially this time of year when there are some good sales and want to keep them as fresh as possible.
Oh my goodness, I never knew about using a mesh bag thank you so much for sharing this one. I buy a ton of citrus fruit especially lemons and never knew about the air circulation tip.
Lots of good information here. Sometimes I get stuff and it will last and then other times is goes bad almost over night.