Mandarin Orange Shelf Life: How Long Do Mandarin Oranges Last?

Shelf Life of Mandarins:

Mandarins are the fruit of the mandarin tree. Mandarin oranges are organic products that are little (4 to 8 cm). Their shading is orange, orange-yellow, or orange-red. Their shape is circular or oblate (leveled at the poles). The skin is thin and peels off effectively. Their shelf life may vary because there is no expiration date or best-before date for them. However, you should store them properly. Fresh oranges can last for 2-3 weeks on the counter and 1-2 months in the refrigerator. If you have already cut them, then cut oranges should be eaten as soon as possible outside and in the refrigerator, they can last for 1-2 days maximum. This can be determined by the change in their color, their taste, smell, and pulp. Some of them canned are labeled with their date and can be used by the date mentioned on them.

Purchasing Mandarins:

If you are buying canned mandarin, their expiration or best-before date can be trusted, so you don’t have to worry about their taste. But when buying them fresh, some things should be taken into consideration:

• Heavier, smaller, and thinner skin contains more juice
• Try to pick brightly-colored oranges, although not always necessary
• Bad mandarins will have different smell, so smell and judge first
• Soft texture and not having tight skin are other traits
• Old ones have bruises on their skin
• The fresh mandarins will be soft and puffy

These signs must be checked before purchasing them.

Storing Mandarins:

Whole mandarins should be kept without washing them because otherwise, moisture will cause spoilage. They must be kept at room temperature and away from heat. They also must be in some airbag to let the air pass through them. Once you have cut your fresh mandarin, use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator if it is to be used later, to maintain its taste and color, while keeping them away from any raw meat, fish, seafood, or chicken. Also, canned mandarins can be used up to their best-before date and can be stored in a plastic container after opening.

How to Handle Mandarins:

To have the best-cleaned juice, wash mandarins before cutting. Washing them thoroughly under running water while rubbing them cleans their skin and removes bacteria and dirt. If you have to store them in the refrigerator, you can wash them and place them in the refrigerator. They must be washed with only water without using any detergent or soap. If you are storing them in a utensil, those utensils can be washed and cleansed using chlorine with a teaspoon of it in 1 quarter of water. Place them gently wherever you want and not hastily.

Cooking With Mandarins:

Mandarin oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C, and they can be used in many dishes, such as pasta, meat dishes, salads, jams, marmalades, drinks, desserts, etc. If you want to make homemade jams, mandarins can be the best ingredient in making them give your breakfast a kick start. Their zest can be added to many desserts to enhance the taste of the dish easily. They can be added in a caramel sauce while cooking to make caramelized mandarin/orange sauce which can be used in many dishes. It has its own sweet and sour taste, so it can replace salts in dishes, thereby reducing sodium content.