<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4VZXdK_0w5B0bwK00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4VZXdK_0w5B0bwK00" width="750" height="500" ><p>It may be easy to take lemons for granted, but stop for a moment and think about how often lemon juice comes into play in your cooking, baking, and cocktail-making, and you’re likely to have a newfound appreciation for the mighty lemon and lemon juice. </p><p>You might prefer to squeeze your own lemons when you need juice for a recipe such as lemon meltaways or lemon chicken. Or you might like to keep a bottle of the stuff on hand. Either way, you ought to know whether lemon juice goes bad. We consulted with Keith Schneider, a professor in the food science and human nutrition department at the University of Florida, to get the answer to this juicy question. Freshly squeezed lemon juice should last up to two weeks if stored in the fridge, while bottled lemon juice can last for up to a year.</p><p>Lemons contain vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B, and other minerals, and are believed to provide a host of health benefits. In the kitchen, the lemon—and its juice—is a workhorse. Squeezed over fish, used in salad dressings, and sprinkled over fruit to prevent it from browning, lemon juice has countless uses. </p><h2>How Long Does Lemon Juice Last? </h2><p>Freshly squeezed lemon juice can suffer from quality issues over time, according to Schneider, but due to the juice’s high pH, harmful microorganisms aren’t going to grow. Lemon juice is highly acidic and this is the reason for its high pH (it’s about a 2 says Schneider). </p><p>Schneider says there are two different ways of looking at the issue and what it means when a food item has spoiled: “One is from a safety standpoint—can you get sick? And two is, is it spoiled in that it's just unpalatable?” </p><p>Lemon juice isn’t going to “go bad” in the sense that it will be unsafe—or pathogenic—to the person. Its palatability, on the other hand, is a consideration. </p><p>The freshly squeezed stuff that you might keep on hand to cook with or use in beverages, including lemonade, should last up to two weeks if stored in the fridge. Room temperature lemon juice may only last a few days since cooler temperatures (less than 40 degrees Fahreneheit, the standard for most fridges) help preserve the juice and prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms. </p><p>Bottled lemon juice, on the other hand, which a lot of cooks like to have on hand just in case lasts a lot longer—up to a year, says Schneider. Most of these are pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria and extend the shelf life. Pasteurized juices are heat-treated, a process which Schneider says does potentially change the flavor profile. </p><h2>Signs Lemon Juice Is Past Its Shelf Life </h2><p>Chemical changes can occur in lemon juice, but these are not the same as microbiological changes, explains Schneider. “Once you open the bottle, the more air that gets in there, the more likely you are to have oxidative changes, which are chemical changes,” says Schneider. </p><p>Over time, “you might see a change in the color profile that doesn’t necessarily affect flavor, or maybe only slightly affects flavor,” adds Schneider. But, again, these oxidative changes don’t mean the lemon juice is bad in a harmful way; it just won’t be as fresh and bright as when you first squeezed the lemon for its juice. </p><p>That said, lemon juice is going to be more resistant to changes in color and flavor than other food items simply because it is so acidic. It could turn cloudy after a while or, “if it’s a microbial degradation,” it could become fermented. Use your nose and some common sense and if the juice seems off in any way, toss it and find yourself another lemon to squeeze.</p><h2>Can You Freeze Lemon Juice? </h2><p>You can freeze lemon juice—and you should consider doing so if you don’t think you’ll finish the freshly squeezed juice in less than two weeks and want to avoid any waste. </p><p>Freshly squeezed lemon juice that’s frozen can last up to six months, according to Schneider who likes the ice cube method of freezing.</p></div></body>

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Does Lemon Juice Go Bad?

It may be easy to take lemons for granted, but stop for a moment and think about how often lemon juice comes into play in your cooking, baking, and cocktail-making, and you’re likely to have a newfound appreciation for the mighty lemon and lemon juice. You might prefer to...

Does Lemon Juice Go Bad?

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