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Freezing Citrus

© Pier Jones

I was recently given a sack full of fresh, organic oranges and lemons, picked right from the tree. There is no comparison between these and those orange and yellow orbs you buy in the grocery store. The lemons are so sweet, you can just peel and eat them!

However, there were more than we could eat in a few days, so I set about trying to preserve them for later use. I opted for freezing. Here's what I did, and am finding the results to be excellent:

to freeze Oranges, Lemons, or Limes:

Peel and separate into sections. Pack the sections in freezer plastic containers, or (my preference) wide-mouthed pint canning jars. Seal and freeze dry, or drizzle with a little honey or a light sugar syrup.

Lemons and limes can be frozen whole in freezer bags. The peel will be soft when thawed, but the pulp will not.

If you have a lot of fruit, you can always juice it, and freeze it for later. I usually don't have enough to use as a beverage, but I do like to freeze some in ice cube trays, to be used in recipes such as marinades and dressings.

Here is a delicious way to use those sliced oranges:

Simple Citrus Salad

orange slices

red onion

fresh greens, such as Lettuce, Mustard, or Arugula leaves

a sweet, spicy dressing, such as French or Catalina

Slice the red onion very thinly, and place the rings in a jar of water in the refrigerator for several hours. This will serve to both crisp the onion and take some of the bite out of it. Cut the thawed orange segments into thirds or fourths. For each serving, make a bed of fresh greens, top with the onion slices and orange segments, and pour a little of the dressing over it. You can also crumble a little fried bacon over the top, but it's not necessary.

Enjoy!!!

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