Post #326438 by Chip and Andy on Sat, Aug 18, 2007 12:58 PM

Lime juice will keep uncovered for three or four hours (possibly more, but it is going to loose a lot). According to some authorities on the subject, and I mean people that actually went to school for this kind of stuff, say that more than four hours unrefrigerated and you are inviting something nasty to get into the juice. (cue in Alton Browns little germ models)

Refrigerated you have a day or more, well actually four or five, but you loose a lot of the 'freshness' that way. What helps is if you put plastic wrap over the juice and push it down so it is actually touching the juice. The key is to keep as much air away from it as possible since the process of oxidation is what kills the fresh flavors.

Frozen you can keep it for three or four months, but you still want to keep it in as small a container as possible to keep the air away from it. Freezeing is OK, but you loose a whole lot of the freshness during the thaw.

The best way to keep lime juice is in its original contianer (the lime) until ready to use. I have had some luck freezing the whole limes and then thawing the day before I need them. I say some luck because they don't look pretty after the thaw, kind of brownish on the outside.... But it was experimental because we can get limes year-round. Not cheap all year, but available all year.

If you really need to store lime juice I would recommend you seek out some of the bottled options since most have been pasteurized or generally processed for longer storage. It may not be as fresh as fresh, but when you need lime you can't really sub anything else.....