Since oranges tend to be the most popular fruits alongside apples and bananas, it follows that a lot of people buy them. when you are at a loss with what to do with the excess oranges in your house and they are on the turn of about to start going off, this guide is the one for you.
You can absolutely freeze oranges. Since oranges can be used for a lot of things, from simply being eaten as a snack to being used as a cooking ingredient, there are a lot of different methods for freezing them and it is not just as simple as the answer ‘yes they can be frozen’.
In this guide, you will find a couple of step by step guides. Some of them will go into the different methods of freezing oranges for different purposes. One step by step guide will detail how to defrost oranges in a safe and efficient way to suit your everyday life.
Then, at the very end, you will find some points that you should consider when you are freezing oranges that you may not have thought of before this guide.
How to freeze oranges
As mentioned above, there are a few different methods to freezing oranges. The one that you choose will be determined by the purpose of the orange after you defrost it. below are some quick guides on how to freeze oranges in different states.
Freezing oranges whole for juicing purposes:
- This process will cause the texture of the orange fruit inside to change in texture, therefore this method is best suited to juicing using an orange once it is defrosted.
- Ripe and fresher oranges will tend to be better for this method since you want to lock in that fresh orange taste for juicing.
- Put the whole oranges into a freezer safe bag that you are able to seal and get rid of any excess air before sealing.
- Then place this bag or whole oranges in the freezer and leave until you want to create some orange juice. You can come back to them any time within about five months for the best results.
Freezing orange slices that have no peel on them:
- This method is great for a quick snack in the future.
- Peel your oranges and remove as much of the excess white parts as you can.
- Cut up the oranges into pieces that are suitable as a bite sized snack. You can also just tear the orange into its segments.
- Place these segments or pieces into a freezer safe bag and remove any excess air before sealing.
- Place this bag full of orange pieces into the freezer and leave it in there until you want to defrost them for a quick, easy and healthy snack.
Freezing orange slices with the peel intact:
- This method is great for using your orange slices as a garnish for salads or even cocktails. But be prepared, this method takes a little more time than the others.
- Slice your oranges with the peel still on into discs or semi circles.
- Place the slices onto a form of baking tray that can fit into your freezer easily. Do not let any of the slices touch when they are placed on the tray.
- Place this baking tray into the freezer uncovered for four hours.
- Take the tray out after four hours has passed and remove the orange slices, they should be frozen by now.
- Place them all into a freezer safe bag that can be sealed and remove excess air before you seal it.
For all of these methods, it will be useful for the future if you label the bags with a marker to state what the orange slices should be used for since all of these methods will yield different types of orange products.
How to defrost oranges
The defrosting process will, similar to the freezing process, depend on the method that you chose to go with. Here is a quick list for each method.
Defrosting whole oranges:
- Remove the freezer bag full of oranges and take the oranges out.
- Place them all into a bowl and put them into the refrigerator uncovered to thaw.
- Leave them like this to thaw overnight and then you will feel that they have become pappy. This is perfect for juicing them.
- As an extra step: use a juicer to juice your oranges.
Defrosting oranges slices that have no peel on them:
- Similarly, take your slices out of the freezer bag and place them into the fridge to thaw out.
- The thawing process will not take as long as with whole oranges.
- Keep checking on your peel-free orange slices in the fridge over the span of a few hours and feel free to eat them as a snack when they are to your desired thawing state.
Defrosting orange slices with the peel intact:
- This can be a little different of a process to the other two methods.
- Take the freezer bag full of frozen disc slices of orange and remove your desired amount.
- You can use these slices frozen as a drink garnish or in a cocktail.
- If you want to thaw them out, you can place them flat on a plate and place it in the fridge for a few hours.
Factors to consider when freezing oranges
The main thing to consider when you are freezing oranges is the method you choose to do I by. Since you need to remember that freezing a whole orange will not allow you to defrost it and slice into it, you should consider your options carefully.
If you are wanting to make juice, freezing a handful of whole oranges is the method for you. A better method for eating oranges as a snack is to chop up or segment your oranges without the peel and freeze these pieces in a freezer safe bag.
If you want a garnish for a drink, slice the oranges with the skin intact and freeze them uncovered before putting them all into a bag.