Stop Wasting Lemons and Grab This Genius $9 Tool That’s Extends Freshness by ‘Several Weeks’

I’m horrible about saving lemons I’ve halved, peeled, or zested for lemony dishes and tasty cocktails. I’m pretty good at putting away leftovers in general, but when it comes to citrus, they just end up sitting out for days — in fact, a drying-out half lemon is literally sitting at the edge of my sink right now. Countless dishes benefit from a squeeze of the fruit, and so many sauces and condiments are improved vastly with a few tablespoons of its juice; still, keeping unused portions of lemons fresh can seem like an impossible task. Too often I make the mistake of thinking I’ll use the rest of one “soon” — but two days later, the dried-out half inevitably makes its way to my compost bin.

When shopping online recently, I came across a genius lemon-saving tool that seems like the perfect answer. And it’s just $9.

Hutzler Lemon Saver

Amazon

I’ve tried a lot of ways of saving lemons. I’d wager that there are several half-used lemons hidden in plastic wrap in the back of my fridge, and certainly one or two in plastic deli containers stacked under other, more enticing leftovers. I’ve even tried keeping them cut-side-down on a plate on the counter, trying to avoid them being lost forever inside my fridge. This lemon saver is the perfect solution to my citrus-saving woes.

For one, it’s bright yellow and super easy to see in your refrigerator, preventing the issue of it getting lost in the chaos. And, it’s small, so it won’t take up much space. The gadget prevents airflow, exposing the fruit to minimal air so it dries out far less quickly. This also means it keeps the smell of the lemon reined in. Finally, it’s dishwasher-safe and BPA-free, which are always great benefits.

One shopper said this “perfect solution” keeps lemons fresh for “several weeks,” with another adding that it “prevents the lemon from absorbing any odor or smell that might be present in your fridge.” Yet another lemon enjoyer said that before they bought this, they always used a receptacle that was much too big, but that this size “works superbly.” (The same customer also said they enjoy using it alongside the brand’s onion container, which is a similarly great solution for the allium.)

Another shopper pointed out that, like the brand’s other produce containers, the shape and color make it easy to locate your lemon quickly: “I don’t have to wonder what is inside each container, as it is the exact color and shape of the veggie it is meant to store. This makes it easy to find the veggie you need quickly and get cooking!” Beyond lemons, the shopper is a fan of Hutzler’s other produce keepers — they also own a tomato saver, onion saver, pepper saver, and even an avocado holder!

Whether you want to improve your lemon-saving game or just add some color and general sustainability to your kitchen, it’s time to turn away from waste (and from using excessive plastic wrap) and check out this clever $9 solution.