Mandarin oranges are a unique variety of orange that has a sweet, musty smell when it is fully ripe. But wait! There’s more! When the fruit becomes fully ripe, this distinctive smell changes to a sweetness that gives you headaches within minutes. This means that for all the problems you can have with Mandarin oranges (aside from their smell), they are also perfect for cooking because they don’t get sweeter as they get older.

 On the other hand, frozen Mandarin oranges have two negative consequences: firstly, once they reach their peak sweetness, they lose most of it; and secondly, once they go into storage, they lose a lot of their original crunchiness. So how do you then freeze them? Let’s see…

 

What Are the Issues with Freezing Mandarin Oranges?

First, when you want to freeze Mandarin oranges, you have to be careful not to overdo it. If you try to freeze them in an effort to retain their sweetness, you might end up with oranges that are too sweet. Ideally, you would want them to be a little tart, but not too tart that you can’t eat them. Most cooking appliances work great at freezing citrus fruits and vegetables. The only problem is that when it comes to freezing oranges, you can easily end up with too much sweetness.

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to test how sweet your oranges are. You’d have to take a bite, let the fruit stand in its own juices for a while, then use a spoon to test how sweet it is. Unfortunately, this is not an accurate method, so you would need to test Orange twice. And that’s if you are lucky enough to have two oranges available to you at the same time. If you are only able to get one or two of these fruits at a time, then there is no way to accurately tell how sweet they are.

 

How to Freeze Mandarin Oranges

Freezing a Mandarin orange is not difficult, but it is definitely time-consuming. Most of the processing involved is for the storage and subsequent freezing. So how do you freeze them? First, cut off the top third of the orange and set it aside. Bury the orange at a steep angle in a glass pie pan with a couple of large ice cubes in the bottom half. Put the pan in the freezer. Leave the rest of the orange in the pan. DBP (dye-free binder powder) is a must for freezing fruit. It prevents the fruit from deteriorating over time and helps to retain its shape.

 

The Best way to Freeze Mandarin Oranges

When you’ve finished freezing the oranges, it’s time to put them in the fridge. The longer you leave them, the more likely it is that you will want to use them. And the less likely it is that you’ll end up with overripe oranges. Currently, the best way to store Mandarin oranges is in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for about two weeks if you don’t eat them right away. Once you’ve eaten them, they will remain fresh for about six to eight days.

 

Frozen Mandarin Oranges vs. room temperature Mandarin Oranges

When it comes to evenly freezing your Mandarin oranges, there are a few factors you need to take into consideration. First, the room temperature is more important for you to contend with while you are freezing your oranges. As you can see from the table above, if you want to just freeze them, you will have no issues with room temperature oranges.

But if you want to use them right away, you will have to put them in the refrigerator. Frozen Mandarin Oranges are more uniform in their sweetness, so they are easier to use for cooking. While you can’t use room temperature frozen oranges, you can use frozen ones that were just put in the fridge. Thaw them for about an hour and 15 minutes before use.

 

Conclusion

In order to make the most of your Mandarin oranges, you will have to be careful not to overdo it when you are freezing them. At the same time, you can use them for cooking, making iced drinks, or for refreshing desserts like chilled mandarin orange sherbet. As with most citrus fruits, you can either go for the cheap, or you can get the best deal.

With the best deal, you get what you pay for, and with the cheap, you get what you get. While you can’t use the cheapest oranges, you can still get yourself in trouble if you go overboard when freezing them. So, as with anything, you have to be careful, but with a little determination, you can make your own fortune with Mandarin oranges!