Can You Freeze Oranges?

Fruit is an important part of a healthy diet, with 5 pieces a day recommended (although not many of us adhere to that number, oops!) and if you’re going to eat fruit, it might as well be nice-tasting fruit, right?

Oranges seem to be a favorite for many people, and it is no wonder! They’re deliciously refreshing! However, oranges come with the problem that all fresh fruit comes with: it goes rotten after some time.

At room temperature, oranges last around 10 days. In the fridge, they last a little longer, up to 21 days! But if the oranges are cut, then they’ll only last around 2 to 3 days before you have to bin them!

It’s a struggle to remember to eat the oranges in time, and by the time you have a craving for orange, there’s nothing more disappointing than being met with a smelly and disgusting rotten piece of fruit.

It seems rather unfair that you should time your orange intake with the orange’s lifespan, instead of being able to just eat orange when you want to.

This is why you might have wondered whether you can freeze oranges to eat at a later date, like you can do with so many other foods. Well…the answer is yes!

We’re going to walk you through the details and give you the step by step process so you can do it right!

How to freeze oranges

The first thing that you should know before you choose to freeze your oranges, is that in doing so you might ruin the texture of the orange.

This means that they will still be great for making juice or for using slices to decorate cocktails or cakes, but they might not be ideal for eating whole as you would an unfreezed orange.

So if you still feel like freezing some oranges, it could be a good idea to eat a few of them as normal, and freeze the rest for other uses at a later time!

There are different ways to freeze an orange, as you can do so whole or in slices, and of course you can also freeze the orange in its juice form. We’ve included step by step guides for the different types so that you have options!

Freezing Oranges Whole:

Step 1:

First of all, you need to pick which oranges you’re going to freeze.

We recommend you choose the freshest and best quality oranges possible. That way you’re ensured a worthy good taste and level of orange deliciousness by the end of the freezing process!

Step 2:

Use a resealable ziplock bag, there are different types and they’re very common so you’ll probably have one lying around the kitchen.

Place the oranges in the bag so that they’re packed tightly, (but be careful not to rip or break the bag in the process, or you’ll need to get another one!)

When sealing the bag shut, make sure you’re squeezing out the air, the more the better, then quickly seal it closed.

Step 3:

Place the bag in the freezer and let the cold temperature do the rest!

There’s no particular placement within the freezer that you need to bother with, just place them in and leave them be until you’re ready to defrost and enjoy them!

Freezing Orange Slices:

Step 1:

The first step is picking and preparing your oranges. Once again, we recommend you choose the freshest and bestest oranges possible, to ensure the best possible result!

To prepare your orange slices you can slice them into full rings or semi-circles. It’s completely down to preference, as the slice shape or size won’t affect the freezing process whatsoever.

Step 2:

Place your orange slices on a baking tray in a neat arrangement. Make sure none of the pieces are touching each other, or they’ll accidentally freeze to each other!

Then you need to cover the baking tray with the orange slices with some cling film.

Step 3:

Place the covered baking tray in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours.

If you have a busy schedule or you don’t want to keep track of time, you can simply leave them overnight. There is no problem with leaving them in for too long.

Step 4:

Remove the baking tray from the freezer, as it would be very inconvenient to just leave it in there. Place all the frozen pieces of orange slices into a resealable bag, and place them back into the freezer.

This way you save a lot more space inside your freezer, and the orange slices are neatly organized and easy to retrieve in the amount you desire to defrost and enjoy!

Freezing Orange Juice:

Step 1:

Take a suitable container and fill it up with orange juice. The size and type of container depends on the type of use you want to give your frozen juice. If you want to make a homemade orange ice-lolly, you could use one of those ice-lolly shaped containers!

If you want little orange cubes, you can fill up an ice-cube tray. Any container is valid, it just comes down to your personal preference and needs.

Step 2:

If the container has a lid, place it on so it’s tightly shut. If the container can’t be sealed with a lid, then you can cover it with cling film so that it’s covered and sealed off.

Step 3:

Place the container in the freezer. Because it’s a liquid, you should try and make sure you’re placing it flat.

Otherwise, the liquid will fall to one side of the container and will freeze in that uneven shape, and might even leak out into the freezer while it’s in the process of freezing.

Step 4:

Let it freeze! If the container is an awkward size, or it’s a cube-tray, you could take it out and place the frozen juice in a resealable bag instead.

But that’s a completely optional step!

How long can oranges be frozen for?

Like most frozen food, oranges can remain frozen for as long as you want and will be completely safe to consume when you choose to defrost them.

However, the longer they remain frozen, the less strong their flavor will be.

Oranges can remain frozen in the freezer for around 3 to 4 months before they start to lose their flavor, so that’s how long you have if you want to make sure they’re still as delicious by the time you consume them.