Storing limes

[bxgirl]

What is the best way to store limes? I have a bunch of them, and I won't be using all that I have immediately, so I want the rest to keep without spoiling.
Thanks

[bxgirl]

Thanks for all the great suggestions.
ScubaSteve, I never thought of jiucing them and then freezing the juice in ice cube trays. Great idea! Can i zest them, and freeze the zest, as well?
I'll start by just putting them in the crisper, as was suggested.
Thank you all, again.

[ScubaSteve]

thanks!

i think freezing the zest may have adverse effects. but give it a shot.

[Veggo]

I concur with ScubaSteve and scubadoo97 (blow bubbles no troubles) about juicing and freezing lime juice. When the flesh begins to take on a slightly amber shade, it's too late. Lime zest is worthless, in my opinion. Lemon zest is totally a winner; a much softer and oilier rind.

[amela]

I always zest lemons before juicing and freeze. It is very easy just to break off a chunk and use straight from the freezer in recipes which are then cooked or baked. I haven't noticed any side effects from freezing other than a very slight decrease in potency.

[ScubaSteve]

i keep mine in a paper bag in the crisper bin of my fridge. and when they beging to turn i juice them into ice cube trays and freeze. i then pop them into a heavy duty ziploc for later uses.

[scubadoo97]

Yep, I've done this too with the ice trays. I usaully forget I have them and find them iced over in a zip bag when cleaning out the freezer.

Recently when I've had a half a dozen limes that needed to be used I juiced them, mixed them with some simple syrup and had a base for margaritas or mojitos. Keeps in the fridge for a few days.

[Phoo_d]

I've had luck storing limes in the cold drawer of my fridge for up to a month. They loose a bit of their oomph eventually but this keeps them from rotting for a very long time.

Phoo-D
http://www.phoo-d.com

[Phurstluv]

You can keep them in the cold drawer of your fridge, but they are very perishable. I have a couple of lbs sitting in a crystal bowl, but it's out of sunlight, in a closed glass cabinet, for over 3 weeks. I still use them for juice. If your house is not too warm, they last a couple of weeks.

[HillJ]

I keep limes & lemons in a large glass jar with a glass lid. Not only pretty displayed but room temp citrus is just plain better. They keep about 7-10 days on my counter but trust me they don't last that long!

[fourunder]

My suggestion is just to keep them out of a plastic bag. Absent of mold growing or rotting, even if the skins turn color, the limes are still good, just not attractive as a garnish. The meat/pulp may have dried up somewhat, but like all citrus fruits, the insides are still good even if the outsides look bad....or rather, lime juice can still be extracted.