The quality of lime typically determines how long it will last. Both key limes and entire limes fall under this category. After its printed “Best by” date, store-bought lime juice will continue to be suitable for up to 6 months. The juice will then start to degrade after that.
Lime juice is a strong acid that keeps significantly better than orange juice. This is because acidity inhibits the growth of bacteria. Lime juice will, however, spoil if it is not stored properly. For this reason, most manufacturers advise using it before the “best before” date. Make sure to store it in the refrigerator in a cool, dark location if you intend to keep it there for an extended period.
How Long does Lime Juice Last?
Lime juice does go bad, but the time it lasts depends on whether you made it yourself fresh at home or bought it. Homemade fresh lime juice can be kept in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days.
So, if you intend to prepare fresh lime juice at home, store it in a suitable bottle or container and keep it there to extend its shelf life.
However, preservatives are present in lime that is sold in stores. Preservatives are added to maximize the juice’s shelf life for a long time.
Juices made for commercial use might range in preservative content from more to less. If the lime bottle is unopened, limes with more preservatives typically last a year, while those with fewer preservatives last for around two weeks to one month.
When you open a juice bottle, oxidation occurs when the juice comes into touch with air, which causes deterioration. To prevent the growth of dangerous molds and germs, it is important to preserve the bottle in the refrigerator after it has been opened. In this manner, the juice can last for around six months.
Lime juice can also be kept in the freezer, which will keep for around a year. Nevertheless, it must be kept in an airtight bottle or container.
Freezing may preserve juice since hazardous germs can only flourish at temperatures between 40 and 140 °F.
Store-Bought Lime Juice
Rarely is lime juice sold in stores chilled. As a result, you do not need to put it in the refrigerator as soon as you get home. Unopened lime juice should be stored in the pantry or a cold kitchen cupboard. The juice needs to be kept away from heat sources. Temperature changes will negatively impact lime juice.
While lime juice isn’t typically packaged in transparent bottles, darker containers don’t offer complete protection from the sun. As a result, lime juice should always be stored in a dark place to prevent the degradation process from being sped up. Lime juice should also be stored in a shady area.
Lime juice should be refrigerated after opening. Although lime juice is acidic and frequently serves as a natural preservative, you should keep it chilled to prevent it from spoiling.
Ensuring the bottle is firmly sealed is the primary need for storing lime juice in the refrigerator. The liquid must touch the air as little as possible, or it will quickly lose its properties. If the juice’s original packaging is damaged, place it into a bottle you can properly seal.
Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
Always keep freshly squeezed lime juice in the refrigerator. Lime juice should be stored in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid.
Although having fresh lime juice on hand in the refrigerator is quite useful, we do not suggest preparing this in advance to save time during cooking.
Freshly squeezed lime juice produced at home tastes the best. It also doesn’t keep nearly as long as lime juice purchased in a bottle from a store.
Therefore, refrain from pressing all your limes to have a bottle of handmade lime juice in the refrigerator. Refrigerate any leftover lime juice if you plan to use it within a day or two.
Can You Freeze Lime Juice?
Lime juice frozen is a fantastic concept. Homemade lime juice will benefit from chilling even though store-bought lime juice has a fairly long shelf life and may not need it. Lime juice that has just been squeezed will keep for up to 4 months if frozen. If the freezer’s temperature remains constant, the juice will stay much longer. But it will continue to be at its best for the first few months.
Lime juice can be frozen in ice cube trays for maximum convenience. Juice should be poured into each cube in an equal amount. To preserve freezer space, take them out of the freezer once they have frozen and place them in a zip-top bag.
Lime juice in smaller cubes won’t take too long to melt. In addition, they work well in both water and drinks.
You can freeze the juice in a plastic jar with a secure lid if you anticipate using the entire batch all at once. Be careful to allow space between the lid and the juice when freezing it in a container because the liquid expands during freezing.
The shelf life of defrosted lime juice is two to three days. Never freeze lime juice again.
Can You Use Expired Lime Juice?
Products are given best buy dates to warn you when the quality is likely to decline and become less desirable than when you originally opened it. The best buy date on lime juice indicates that it is still safe to consume after that date. Even after the best-buy date, the flavor could change.
Can You Get Sick from Old Lime Juice?
Like any other meal, stale lime juice can make you sick. Freshly squeezed lime juice carries a larger risk of developing a foodborne illness than lime juice in a container, but it is still possible if stored incorrectly. Lime juice will lose the flavor before it spoils and makes you sick, so always exercise caution when consuming foods that are past their best before date.
How can I Extend the Freshness of the Juice?
Why can those tiny green bottles at the grocery store stay on the shelf (or in your fridge) for longer if lime juice only lasts for 24 hours? All juices can be preserved in various ways. It’s how we may get juices like oranges, apples, and more without consuming them on the same day we purchase them.
Pasteurization, a preservation technique, is used to keep these juices fresh. Juice that has undergone pasteurization is safe to consume and keep since it has undergone a controlled heating process that doesn’t cause microorganisms to grow.
Sadly, pasteurization can slightly reduce the juice flavor, and it’s not a readily available method. You could wind up with rotten juice if you do it incorrectly.
Anybody may undertake the simplest method of preserving lime juice at home if they have a freezer and an ice cube tray.
Squeeze your limes until you have a sizable amount of juice for this. Pour the juice into the tray in equal portions, then freeze.
Remove a cube from the tray when ready to utilize your lime juice for recipes or other creative applications. You can either thaw it first or add it to your meal.
How to Store Lime Juice in the Refrigerator?
Freshly Squeezed
It would help if you filtered freshly squeezed lime juice before keeping it. This is due to the possibility that the pulp and seeds may contain bacteria that taint the juice. Cheesecloth or a sieve with fine meshwork are both equally well. After straining, keep the lime juice in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container.
Bottled
To extend the shelf life of lime juice in bottles, store them in a cool, dry location, such as the pantry, away from light and heat. Make sure the bottle is properly sealed before keeping any lime juice in bottles. Any container for food that has been opened before should not be used again since it may contain dangerous bacteria that could eventually cause it to spoil.
How to Tell if Your Lime Juice Goes Bad?
Despite having a longer shelf life than many other juices, lime juice still has a high risk of spoiling. It will be easier to decide whether to discard lime juice if you know the warning indications of a problem.
Because lime juice is quite acidic and bacterial development is challenging, it generally does not go rancid quickly. However, your juice will soon degrade if you don’t keep it in the fridge, especially in a warm setting.
It’s also important to remember that when you open a bottle of lime juice and forget to keep it chilled, the color can change, which doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong.
The browning process is normal and has no impact on the drink’s efficacy. It is thought to be safe to eat. If the lime juice has gone wrong, there are additional, more obvious indicators. Two typical signs to keep in mind are as follows:
Bad Smell
To smell lime juice is the simplest way to tell whether it’s gone bad. The peculiar odor of lime juice is a telltale clue. Check for offensive or odd odors first because these are obvious warning indicators.
The most important sign of the quality of citrus fruits and drinks is usually their aroma. Before using it, give it a thorough sniff if it has been sitting open for a while. Throw it out if it doesn’t have a fresh citrus scent.
Of course, lime juice should smell like limes, but in a pleasant, potent, and energizing way. Your senses will typically warn you if there is a problem with your lime juice.
Bad Taste
It would help if you discarded this lime juice because it is no longer safe due to its unusual taste. When you gave it a sniff, how could you know if it was still edible or not? Take a drink after that and taste it. Throw it aside if it tastes nothing like lime, is unusually sour, smells strange or rancid, or has any of these qualities. It means something has gone awry or lost all flavor due to a drop in quality over time.
Throw it out when the citrus flavor starts to fade. You won’t want to utilize an ingredient in your recipes that has altered its flavor. The flavor of your words and beverages will be impacted if you continue to use lime juice, even though it is no longer beneficial.
Conclusion
Lime storage is most effective when kept whole in a refrigerator drawer. Please do not put them in plastic bags or wrappers as this could lead them to become spoiled by dampness. Instead, use a container that is well sealed. In the long term, proper storage will help you save money and time. Additionally, proper food storage will decrease food waste.
