Print3 Lemons in bag turned to green dust. Keep the rest?
A friend brought me a huge bag of lemons from Costco and I didn't have room in the fridge (he brought me a ton of produce), so I left them in the bag on the counter for 2 days. I could see the perfect lemons in front, but the plastic at the back was not see-through. Three lemons had turned to smelly green dust! Mystery smell solved. There was only one other that I had to cut off part of the rind and I squeezed the juice from that for my dish, but I scrubbed all the rest, and put them in a bowl in the fridge. I hope they don't freeze - no room in the crisper. Any suggestions there would also be appreciated.
I have a question for you. Would you zest lemons that had been exposed to that green dust? Should I spray them with a bleach solution and rinse? Should I trash them? What would you do?
I originally put this in the thread about kitchen odors, but was afraid it would get lost.
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7 Comments:
I'd do it, I think most produce has been touched by stuff worse than green dust before it even reaches the grocery store....don't want to think about it, but let's be realistic. Go for it!
embolini9 at 9:15AM on 04/17/08
Citrus should always be washed with soapy water before zesting. This is less about removing pesticides and dirt than it is about removing the wax that's usually applied to citrus fruits for improved storage and appearance (organic citrus is usually not waxed, but you should be able to tell by looking). After washing, rinse with a vinegar/water solution to remove any remaining detergent/soap residue.
The lemons you're storing in the fridge would do better in a plastic bag or airtight container (at least three weeks). Make sure they're completely dry before bagging them, or you'll get more mold. They'll shrivel and dry out more quickly if stored loose. Bring them to room temp before juicing.
LoCo at 11:28AM on 04/17/08
Perky, I probably wouldn't zest the ones that touched that weird green dust thingie (for some reason, I think of little green men now), but that's just me. I do agree with embolini9 that "most produce has been touched by stuff worse than green dust before it even reaches the grocery store", but the thing is, I don't see it happen:-). So as you can tell, it wouldn't be a rational decision on my part, but still.
I've stored lemons in the fridge, with no ill effects. The only thing you'll need to remember is to "zap" them for about 15-20 seconds in the micro when you want to use them, to "release" the juice, but that's it.
It's very odd though, isn't it? I've never seen lemons turn into dust, no matter what colour, so I wonder what the reason might have been.
brooke29 at 11:38AM on 04/17/08
The "dust" is mold. Washing the unaffected lemons will remove it.
LoCo at 11:57AM on 04/17/08
ZOMG alien lemons from SPACE!! :)
I think the green dust is some kind of dry mold. I've had a few citrus fruits do that in the past. It is really weird, because they don't rot like you'd expect- they dry up and crumble. I've also never seen any fruit other than citrus do that.
I'd think that a firm, dry-surfaced fruit like a lemon (especially because it's waxed) would be okay to use as long as it was not moldy or squishy itself and you washed it thoroughly.
pieninja at 12:12PM on 04/17/08
Thanks Loco! My imagination runs wild sometimes, alien lemons and all:-)
brooke29 at 12:24PM on 04/17/08
DEFINITELY NOT! Any exposure to mold and that caliber of decay is not worth even trying! Just buy a new bag!
Hillary
Chew on that
Chew on That at 10:08AM on 04/18/08