I am using a bought 100% lemon juice (pasteurized). I thought that it will be cheaper to squeeze some lemons and heat at on the stove for pasteurizing. How much time can I use my own pasteurized lemon juice? are there other health consideration I need to take into account?
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Why do you need to pasteurize lemon juice from nature's lemons?– RobMar 25, 2019 at 11:18
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2I just want to point out that (a) heated/pasteurized lemon juice has a significantly different flavor profile than fresh squeezed, and (b) fresh lemons last quite a while in the refrigerator.– moscafjMar 25, 2019 at 12:40
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I want to have a bottle of lemon juice which I can save for several days in the refrigerator– gboxMar 25, 2019 at 14:08
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Just as a personal comment (not necessarily because I supplied an alternative answer) but you should probably allow at least a day before accepting answers as you never know what surprising or useful answer might come next :)– yetanothercoderMar 25, 2019 at 14:16
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2 Answers
Just because industrial food producers can create a safe process for a given preservation method, it does not mean that you can do it too.
The best you can do in this case is to make canned juice, which, as long as it is in a closed jar or bottle, will last on the shelf for months and years. But as soon as you open it, you will only have 3-5 days in the fridge, after which you have to throw out that can. You also have to subject it to proper canning temperatures for a sufficiently long time, so it will not taste like fresh juice afterwards. Also, it is highly unlikely that you will see any savings - even if your own time costs nothing to you, fresh lemons are more expensive than bottled juice.
Most people do not see the point in that and simply squeeze their lemons whenever they need juice. But if you want to go the canned route, you can simply follow any recipe for high-acid juice canning. And obviously, you don't need to acidify it extra the way it is done with other juices, since lemon juice is already more acidic than standard acidifiers like vinegar.
answered Mar 25, 2019 at 10:24
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If I just squeeze the lemons into a bottle and keep in the fridge I have 3-5 days correct?– gboxMar 28, 2019 at 7:29
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That's the guideline for food safety in a fridge kept between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius, yes. The taste will change slightly in that time, it is up to you whether it bothers you.– rumtscho ♦Mar 28, 2019 at 8:21
What my family does with the lemons from their tree is:
The squeeze the lemons and use either ice-cube trays or bags and just freeze the juice.
Then when they need some lemon juice the just take as many cubes as they need from the freezer, defrost and use it. According to this site the shelf life of the frozen juice should be about 3-4 months but my families experience is that it keeps well beyond that.
