One of the first ways to know if lemon is terrible is its appearance. A yellow or orange lemon should look firm and unbroken. A yellow or green lemon that begins to turn bright green will not be spoiled. If you notice that lemon is getting softer or drier, you should throw it away. If you see a dark or white mold on a lemon, you should also toss it. A brown or dark green mold on fruit will be unusable.
A firm and ripe lemon should still smell fresh and delicious. A ripe, stale lemon is no longer a good choice. Lemons are a valuable part of your kitchen, so a few signs of badness can make the lemon a lousy choice. While lemons are generally bright and fragrant, they can go bad quickly. A good lemon will still smell fresh and be firm, and you should avoid those with mushy skin. You can also taste the acidity by using a citrus tester. The skin should be white, not yellow.
While this is not a surefire way to know if lemon is terrible, some signs tell you that the fruit is no longer fresh. If it has a slimy or brown coating, it’s not a good idea to consume it. If the rind is soft or crumbly, it means the lemon has lost its water content.
Suppose the skin has become shriveled or moldy. A lemon can last for a while, but a lousy lemon will be a little harder to find. Depending on how it has been stored, a lemon can last for weeks or even months. The best way to tell if lemon is going wrong is to feel it. If it feels slimy, it is a sign of decay. If the lemon is faded, it’s not good.
Is It Safe To Consume Lemon Juice?
Lemon water has various health benefits, including increased Vitamin C, weight loss, kidney stone prevention, and breath refreshing. Too much lemon water, on the other hand, can be harmful to your health, causing dental enamel erosion and unpleasant mouth ulcers. Even when it comes to lemon water, too much of anything is terrible. According to Livestrong, while lemon juice has many health benefits, too much of it in your water can have hazardous side effects, such as aggravating ulcers and causing GERD.
What Is The Best Way To Tell If A Lemon Is Bad?
It’s relatively simple to tell if lemon is spoilt or not. There are a few telltale signs that your lemons have gone wrong:
1. Change In The Color
- First and first, scrutinize your lemon. The lemon has begun to decay and lose its moisture if you notice lighter or brighter patches. The color of fresh lemon is always vivid yellow.
- Your lemons aren’t necessarily spoilt if they’ve turned a vivid green color (like lime). It can happen due to temperature variations, which is why it’s critical to keep lemons adequately stored in a cold, dry location.
- If, on the other hand, you discover some white, dark green, or brown spots, you’ve got mold, and you should toss those lemons.
2. Change In The Texture
- Lemons lose their firmness as well as their water content with time. It’s OK if your lemons bend slightly when you put pressure on them.
- However, if your lemons show any of the following indicators, they’ve gone wrong.
- The texture is soft and squishy.
- The slimy skin on the outside.
- The wrinkled and withered appearance
- The surface is powdered and dusty.
- If the lemons are pretty stiff to the touch and have shrunk in size, they have lost their moisture and are no longer appropriate for usage.
3. Change In The Taste And Smell
- The disappearance of the lemon’s distinctive citrus flavor is another degradation indicator. It is up to you whether you will utilize or discard the lemon if some of its scents have faded.
- If the lemons have developed a foul, fermented odor, they have gone wrong and should be thrown away.
How Long Does Lemon Last?
Lemons, surprisingly, have a relatively long shelf life. Because the rind of a lemon is so thick, it will take a long time to spoil. However, if stored in hot and humid settings, any citrus will begin to lose moisture within a few days.
A whole fresh lemon, for example, should last about a week at room temperature on your counter. If you keep it in a cold pantry or cupboard, it will survive up to two weeks.
Cold temperatures will keep the fruit fresher for longer. Therefore, the best option is to keep it in the fridge.
On the other hand, cut lemons will keep in the refrigerator for 3-6 days. After that period, they will begin to fade and dry up. They will lose their color and become soggy if you keep them out at room temperature. Please put them in an airtight container filled with water or cover them in aluminum foil or plastic wrap to keep them moist.
You can also freeze the whole lemons by carefully sealing them. They’ll last 3-4 months if you do it this way.
If stored in the refrigerator, freshly squeezed lemon juice will last for two to three days, and it will only last a few hours if kept at room temperature before it tastes sour. Before putting the juice in the fridge, make sure it’s in a covered plastic or, better yet, a glass container.
If left unopened, bottled lemon juice can survive up to a year. Because it was processed, condensed, and contains preservatives, it can be kept in the fridge for 2-6 months once opened.
What Is The Uses Lemon?
Lemon is a versatile culinary product used for various functions, ranging from health advantages to cleaning and polishing.
Lemons are high in vitamin C and antioxidants, which help lower the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease, aid digestion, and promote clear skin. Moldy or rotten food, on the other hand, should be avoided. If it shows signs of spoilage, toss it out and don’t use it for a drink or anything else.
On the other hand, lemons about to go wrong can still be used for drinking, cleaning, and cooking. Those are the lemons with only minor texture or color variations.
However, if you don’t enjoy the flavor of your lemonade, here are some more ways to use lemons that are about to go wrong:
Use The Zest
When you squeeze fresh lemon for a drink, use a Microplane or citrus zester to zest it and keep it in the refrigerator or freezer. It is acceptable to use the lemon as long as the skin is still yellow and free of mold patches. It’s great for a variety of recipes, toppings, and cocktails.
Lemon Water
If the lemon is still good inside, squeeze the juice and store it in the refrigerator. This juice can be used in various ways, including creating lemonade or adding a few drops to lemon water.
DIY Cleaner
Lemon’s acid, which also functions as a bleach, has antibacterial and antiseptic effects. As a result, it’s an excellent DIY cleanser. Fill the spray bottle with vinegar and a few drops of old lemon juice. It eliminates microorganisms and may remove even the toughest stains! Remove any stains off your chopping board, waste disposal, blender container, tabletop, or other textiles.
Lemon Wedges
Place the lemon wedges in the freezer after slicing them into wedges. These slices can be used as a garnish for drinks and food or a quick lemon juice injection. Please make sure the lemons are clean before using them.
Is Lemon Good For You Or Bad For You?
Lemons may help you lose weight while lowering your chances of heart disease, anemia, kidney stones, digestive problems, and cancer. Lemons are nutritious fruit, but they also have a distinct, pleasant flavor and aroma that makes them an excellent addition to dishes and beverages. It’s also crucial to consider how much lemon water you drink daily. According to a Bengaluru-based nutritionist, Having the juice of two lemons per day is plenty to keep you hydrated in the summer.
Conclusion
If it is yellow, then it’s a lemon that’s stale. You can’t use it if it is green because it will lose its fresh, acidic taste. A stale lemon will be spotted with green or white spots, which is a sign of mold. If it is green, it is a lemon that has been spoiled. If it has no color, it is a sour lemon. A lemon is spoiled if its rind begins to turn green. The rind is the exterior layer of a lemon that contains the juice. If it is green, it is a sign of mold. The flesh, however, is the interior. While a green lemon looks good, it is spoiled and should be discarded.
A lemon’s appearance will also tell you whether it’s terrible. It’s essential to check if the lemon’s rind is sour. The skin is the outer layer of lemon and should not have a distinct smell. It should be slightly grainy, and it should have a bright color. If it doesn’t, it’s a sour lemon. It would help if you threw it away immediately.
