Oranges are sold in bulk and sometimes, you’ve just bought too many for your own good on the last promotion. Do oranges go bad? Yes, of course, but how long do they stay good before they’ll go bad?
Oranges are a great fruit and can be used for squeezing fresh orange juice or when cooking. You’re unsure if you can still use them because they’re already been for a few weeks in your fridge. How can you tell if they’ve gone bad?
In this article, we will inform you and write about oranges, their shelf-life, storage, and spoilage so you’re equipped with the right knowledge.
Enjoy the read!
How Long Can Oranges Last
As always, we will start with a quick table for your convenience.
Oranges | Pantry | Refrigerator |
---|---|---|
Uncut (Whole) | Up to 2 weeks (14 days) | Up to 3 weeks (21 days) |
Cut | / | Up to 5 days |
As you can see, we’re talking about 2 types of oranges here: those that are whole and thus uncut and cut oranges.
Oranges can be bought at different places like stores, markets…
Oranges can dry out fairly quickly and don’t improve in quality by doing so.
The best is always to try and use the oranges within the week after you’ve bought them since you don’t know how long they’re already in the store. We will give some tips about buying the best oranges so the quality will be very high, as it should be.
Uncut Whole Oranges
The whole oranges can last up to 2 weeks (14 days) when stored at room temperature. This means storing them in the pantry, in a dark and cool place, safely away from heat sources and direct sunlight.
These whole oranges can last up to 3 weeks when they’ve been stored in the refrigerator. You can place them in a separate container, built-in in most fridges.
Cut Oranges
From the moment you cut the oranges, their shelf-life decreases heavily because they’ve become more vulnerable to external threats.
Cutting oranges is the same as opening other products, from this moment you’ll have to store them in the fridge, sealed. Try to consume them as soon as you can.
Always, when eating food, trust in your senses and use your eyes and nose. Oranges are delicate and best used within the first week and can last up to 3 weeks in the fridge if stored properly.
When the oranges are cut, they won’t last that long, just up to 5 days. They’re best consumed within the first 2 days.
How To Store Oranges
Storing oranges really isn’t that hard or rocket science. We will talk about whole oranges (uncut) and cut oranges.
Whole Oranges
Whole oranges can be stored in the pantry or in the fridge. They’re often bought in bulk and in bags. Storing them in the pantry means storing them in a dark and cool place, away from heat sources.
Placing them in the fruit basket in your kitchen isn’t great advice if you won’t eat them within the first week. If you don’t have any plans for them, just store them directly in the fridge, our second option.
The downside to storing your oranges in the fridge is that the longer they’re in the fridge, the less juicy they will be. When stored in the pantry, they will be juicier in the first days. This is vital in your decision of eating them or squeezing them for fresh and great orange juice.
Cut Oranges
Cutting the oranges means making them vulnerable to external threats like heat, odors, air, sunlight, bacteria, and so on…
From the moment you cut them, store the directly in your fridge in a plastic bag (or 2 bags, double-bagging them) or in an airtight container and seal them very tight. Make sure the air is squeezed out of the bag.
If you’re already sure that you’ve stocked up on too much oranges and won’t be able to consume all of it, you can also go and freeze them in your freezer.
Can You Freeze Oranges
Yes, just like you can freeze any food, you can freeze oranges.
We always say to be thoughtful about what you’re going to freeze and how much. Freeze with a plan!
Know that you won’t be able to do as much as you could before freezing them.
A great way of freezing your oranges is to squeeze all of them into fresh orange juice and freeze the orange juice in ice cubes and put those in an airtight container. This might be some work, but you’ll be sure to have a refreshing drink in the summer when you take some frozen orange juice cubes and place them in your glass of water.
Freezing is all about inventory management. If you don’t know what to do, why do you freeze it? Try to freeze single-serving portions and make sure everything is okay with them and label with a period of freezing.
For more info about freezing oranges, check this article on GoodOrGoneBad.
How Can You Tell If Oranges Have Gone Bad
If you want to check if your oranges still are good for consumption, there are some general guidelines we can apply, just as for all types of food.
But first, we would say that you can increase the usefulness of your oranges by selecting the right ones when you buy them at the store or market.
What Oranges Should I Buy At The Store
When buying oranges, you can make yourself easier and enjoy this great fruit, full of vitamin C, a bit longer by using the following tips:
- buy whole oranges
- should be orange and no other colors on it
- no softer spots
- no holes or cuts or a lot of them
That’s about it. The color should be great, from the moment your oranges have some scars or darker spots, look for another bag. Of course, you could try negotiate and buy them at a lower price and finish them the same day, but that’s another discussion we won’t do here.
How To Tell If Oranges Have Gone Bad
These guidelines are general guidelines and can be used for most foods. We always say on GoodOrGoneBad that we also eat with our eyes and senses, uses those before you do the final test by determining whether the oranges are still great to eat or should be discarded.
Guidelines:
- Do the oranges have darker colored spots? This is a sign it has suffered some things and could already be bad. However small colored spots can also be caused from falling down. Are there a lot of them? Simply discard them.
- Are there any black spots on the whole orange? This can be a sign of mold.
- Look and touch the orange. Does it feel soft? Is it dried out? Then the best is gone and the rest should be discarded.
- Do the oranges have a weird smell? If you smell something funny or unpleasant, discard it away. A nice smell is indicative of freshness and quality, as it should be.
- How is the taste? The last step is the taste, after peeling you’ll see the inner side of the orange. Go and apply the previous steps. Just be honest with yourself, when the orange doesn’t taste like orange, I’d discard it.
It is always up to you to decide if you’ll eat an orange that isn’t at his prime anymore. The taste won’t be bad but that doesn’t mean you should’ve eaten it. We on GoodOrGoneBad always say to not take any risks. Oranges come pretty cheap and for that low price, you shouldn’t take risks that can affect your health and well-being.
Enjoy your oranges!