Can You Freeze Mandarins? – Ways to Store Mandarins – Can you Refreeze Mandarins?

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Can You Freeze Mandarins? If you are a juice fanatic, then there is no way that mandarins aren’t included in your favorite fruit list. These circular, orange, and aromatic fruits are known for their yummy taste, fiber-rich core, and high amount of Vitamin C. They are found in almost all the recipes of the most popular summer smoothies. Therefore, in this article, we will be telling you everything you must know about the shelf life of mandarins and freezing them properly for a long time. Let’s dive in!

Can You Freeze Mandarins

Can You Freeze Mandarins?

Yes! You may easily freeze them if you wish to use frozen mandarins in your recipes and in dishes wherein their texture doesn’t matter. However, if you are planning to incorporate them in your salads or as fruit bowl dressings, then freezing them might not be a good option. This is because when frozen for a long time, mandarins tend to lose their texture a lot, thereby defeating the purpose of freezing them.

How Long Do Mandarins Last In The Freezer?

Mandarins are extremely sensitive to their surroundings, involving the kind of fruits that are placed around them. This happens because the ethylene gas or moisture from other fruits and vegetables tends to exacerbate the deterioration in mandarins. Moreover, their exact shelf life is affected by their storage conditions, thereby making frozen mandarins last longer.

The estimated shelf lives of some types of mandarins are given below.

Type of Mandarins At Room Temperature In the refrigerator In the freezer
Peeled mandarins – 4-5 days Up to a month
Unpeeled mandarins 3-4 days At least a week Up to 4 months
Canned mandarins 2-3 days 7-8 days At least 2 months
Mandarins in Syrup – Up to 5 days 10-15 days

‘-’ means that mandarins are not meant to be stored there.

Can You Refreeze Mandarins?

Absolutely, NOT! The texture profile of mandarins gets altered drastically when they are frozen for a long time. They might also rot from the inside and get mushy over time. So, thawing them and refreezing the leftovers is definitely not a good idea. Henceforth, avoid refreezing mandarins, be they peeled, unpeeled, or canned, in the freezer as they will be practically inedible after that.

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Do Mandarins Freeze Well?

No, they don’t. Technically speaking, you can leave your stack of mandarins in the freezer, be it peeled or unpeeled for up to a month. Although they won’t go bad, they will definitely develop a hard outer covering whereas the core will probably get spoiled. Hence, it can be concluded that raw mandarins aren’t the same as frozen ones. Their texture will vary a lot. Unless you are comfortable using frozen mandarins, avoid freezing and thawing them.

How To Freeze Mandarins?

If you have bought a lot of fresh mandarins from the weekly farmer’s market, then your immediate concern must be to store them for future use. No worries, we got you covered! In this section, we will be telling you A to Z of freezing mandarins like a pro. So, grab that glass of yummy and healthy mandarin juice and give this portion a read.

  1. If you are 100% sure about using up the majority of your mandarins pretty soon, then you can easily leave them in the freezer, without doing anything. Rest assured, they will stay fresh for a long time.
  2. However, if you plan to keep a month’s worth of stock, then you might have to flash freeze your mandarins.
  3. During a flash freeze, you are supposed to spread out wax paper on a baking tray and lay down all the peeled pieces of mandarins. Then, put all these trays inside your freezer for some time.
  4. After they have frozen up, you can empty the trays out in airtight freezer bags, which thereon must be stored in the freezer only.
  5. Lastly, if you plan to store these pieces in cans, then go for airtight cans only. You may also put them in syrup, made from sugar and water. Simply leave these cans or jars in the freezer.

Important Points For Freezing Mandarins

Apart from following the set of rules mentioned in the previous section, it is advised that you keep some of these points in your mind too. After all, a few intricate pointers can make all the difference in the shelf life of your much-cherished mandarins.

  • Instead of freezing your mandarins in an unpeeled manner, try to peel them as unpeeled fruits freeze up unevenly. This leads to a mushy core. However, if you are freezing them only for a short period of time, then it is okay to leave them unpeeled in the freezer.
  • Make sure that you cover the baking tray with fresh wax paper or parchment paper as it prevents those mandarin pieces from sticking to the tray.
  • Flash freezing helps in keeping them apart when you are about to put them in an airtight freezer bag.
  • If you are going to store them in cans, make sure that they are not made of materials that react with the natural acid present in mandarins. Also, remove as much air as possible from cans or freezer bags.
  • Lastly, you should label these containers with the date on which they were freezed. This will allow you to use them accordingly without any wastage.

Look out for more freezing methods for fruits like pears do visit our article on Can You Freeze Pears and know how to freeze pears as well as tips to do it effectively.

How To Thaw Mandarins?

Since freezing mandarins is a little difficult task, thawing them is inevitably a trickier one. First and foremost, it is always better if you use frozen mandarins only as they still taste awesome and improve the consistency of all your soups, broths, juices, smoothies, etc. However, if the situation demands that you to unfreeze these fruits, then you may follow these steps-

  1. Leave the freezer bag, full of mandarin pieces, on the kitchen counter for a few hours.
  2. If you are in no hurry to use them, then you should preferably place them in the refrigerator overnight.
  3. Lastly, honestly speaking, there is no way to viably thaw mandarins that have been stored in syrup.

FAQs On Freezing Mandarins

1. What is the best way to freeze mandarins?

If you wish to freeze them evenly and that too for a long time, then peel them properly and flash freeze them on baking trays. After that, you may place them in airtight freezer bags and leave these bags in your freezer for up to 6 months.

2. Do you peel mandarins before freezing?

It is up to you, whether you wish to freeze them peeled or unpeeled. Unless you are planning to use your mandarins soon, you should peel them followed by flash freezing. Peeling mandarins in advance allows them to freeze evenly.

3. Can you freeze mandarin juice?

YES! It is surprisingly quite easy to freeze fresh mandarin juice. Just pour it in an airtight jar while ensuring that it doesn’t overflow. Filling it to the brim will help as it will push all the air out. Now, you may place this jar in your freezer.

Final Thoughts

Mandarins are undoubtedly the most sought-after fruits in the health and wellness industry, and more so by everyone during summer. After all, nothing beats the feel of drinking chilled mandarin juice that has been freshly extracted. So, don’t hesitate to buy a whole crate of these yummy and juicy fruits during summer.

If you find yourself worried about freezing mandarins, you can always come back to this article. Lastly, for more such interesting articles about your most treasured food items and beverages, articles like Can you Freeze Rhubarb check out the website.

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