Oranges have plenty of nutrients and vitamins; this type of fruit is not only delicious, but also versatile in cooking, eating, and even decoration.
However, are you sure that you know how long do oranges last? If you mainly grow them in large bulks, you would like to store them in the best condition. By that way, your surplus does not go rotten too soon, and you wouldn’t waste any of them.
That is why you should read this article; then you will be able to make good use of these citrus fruits from your garden for sure.
How to realize when oranges go bad?
Your senses can tell whether your oranges have been rotten upon the shelf life.
Some common traits of rotten oranges which you can see by your eyes are a very soft texture and the discoloration. These soft spots become much moister and there are molds around it, usually white at first. Rotten oranges will have a distinct sour taste and smell, and I am sure it would never be hard to realize.
Of course, there are certain health conditions associated with ruined fruits, so always remember to store them safely and enjoy your fruits before their storage life has expired!
But to preserve them in the best way, you need to know how long do oranges last. In different conditions, oranges can be stored and used differently.
How long do oranges last?
Harvesting
If you harvest your oranges, you will taste their last flavor because they can not ripen after picking up. Ripe oranges are always sweeter, so the way to check is to eat them.
You have to take care of every orange which has torn or contused skin during harvesting. You must immediately maintain these oranges to stop them from being rotten.
To protect from breaking their skins, you should split the oranges from the tree and avoid pulling them off.
Room Temperatures
After collecting, fresh oranges may last up to a few days at room temperature before they start to ruin.
Moisture can cause mold on the fruit skin, which then may penetrate inside the fruit and ruin it. If it’s humid, consider putting your oranges in the refrigerator to have extended storage or otherwise, wrapping your oranges by the wax paper to keep them from the mold.
If you cut an orange in half, keep it at room temperature for around two hours, or less than one if it’s hot outside.
Refrigerated
If you use fridges to store oranges, they will last longer than when you keep outside because lower temperatures can slow the increase of molds.
It takes you two to three weeks to notice any changes in quality of fruits and mold formation in the fridge so if you have just stored some oranges, and you can enjoy eating them within a period.
Pre-sliced oranges can be ideal for keeping up to approximately two days with frozen temperatures with a storage container.
Frozen Fruits
Orange slices can be frozen if you plan to use them for a long time. But if you want to have the best quality, you had better pack your oranges in sugar beforehand, then taking them into the frozen fridge.
You should not freeze the navel oranges because the too-low temperature can render them bitter. Surprisingly, frozen oranges can last up to a year.
On The Tree
You have an orange orchard or some orange trees, but you can’t pick up all of them when it’s time to harvest, so you should leave your oranges on trees during several weeks to keep them from being spoiled.
You can harvest some, and leave the rest of them on trees. Those which are still on trees will sweeten later, so you still have a lot of ripe oranges in a few weeks.
The Valencia-type orange is one of last longest citrus fruits which can be kept until roughly June or July, while Navel oranges can remain until the second month of a year. Oranges that you typically harvest in midseason may continue through March.
When you see oranges remained on the tree falling off on your garden, they are overripe, meaning they are very soft and easy to be crushed.
When you notice this starts to happen, take those remaining out of the tree and land. By doing that, pests can’t invade your oranges in the orchard.
The takeaway
Depending on whether your oranges are fresh or not, the shelf life will vary. On average, you can keep fresh oranges at room temperature during around a week, whereas you put them in the refrigerator, they can last 3 to 4 weeks.
However, if you have already cut fresh oranges into smaller slices, it is necessary to finish them within the same day or otherwise store them in the refrigerator for no more than two days.
Now you know how long do oranges last. Hope you will have all the delicious and nutritious oranges.
