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Learn all the tips and tricks for how to freeze oranges to build a freezer stash of this versatile fruit. Freezing oranges is a great way to preserve without needing to know any special kitchen skills.

a bag of frozen oranges and a jar of frozen orange juice on a white board.
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While oranges are available year-round in every grocery store, they are the best when fresh.

Oranges shine during peak citrus season – November through April. If you find a great deal on some delicious oranges and are asking yourself “what can I do with too many oranges”, the answer is simple – freeze them!

Looking for other citrus-preserving tutorials? Check out our post on how to freeze lemonshow to dehydrate orange slices, and how to dry limes.

Can You Freeze Oranges?

Yes! Oranges can be frozen whole, halved, sliced, sectioned, zested, and juiced. In the printable recipe card below, I will walk you through all the different methods for freezing oranges.

When oranges freeze, it changes their cellular structure, making them softer, juicier, and a bit mushier. Frozen oranges will still taste great if eaten when thawed, but the appearance won’t be exactly the same as a fresh orange.

If you want to make fancy slices for freezing, this post on How to Segment an Orange will walk you through the process step by step.

How to Freeze Oranges

*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.

How to Freeze Whole Oranges

Wash the outside of the orange and dry off excess water. Place the oranges in a freezer-safe bag, seal, and remove any excess air.

Place the entire freezer bag in the freezer, and you’re good to go!

HOW TO FREEZE orange SLICES

Wash the outside of the orange and dry off excess water. Cut the ends off of the orange. Then, make additional vertical (round, not length) cuts into the orange.

My favorite knife for creating even cuts is a serrated bread knife. You can pick out all the seeds from the slices if you’d like.

Get a rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment, waxed paper, or a silpat. Place the orange slices on the parchment and freeze for 4 hours.

Remove the frozen orange slices and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Seal and remove excess air.

citrus slices on a baking sheet.

HOW TO FREEZE Orange WEDGES

Wash the outside of the orange and dry off excess water. Cut the orange in half from end to end, and then each of those halves in half. This should produce 8 total wedges.

Get a rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment, waxed paper, or a silpat. Place the wedges on the parchment and freeze for 4 hours.

Remove the frozen orange wedges and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Seal and remove excess air.

HOW TO FREEZE orange ZEST

Zest the orange first, then juice it. It’s much easier to zest a whole orange! When zesting the orange, make sure you only get the orange part of the peel, not the bitter white pith underneath.

Wash the outside of the orange and dry off excess water.

Get a rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment, waxed paper, or a silpat. Using a cheese grater or a microplane, grate the orange directly onto the baking sheet.

Collect the zest together, and freeze in freezer bags or ice cube trays. I will often add a bit of water to the zest to create a “paste” so that it is easier to freeze in a solid form.

HOW TO FREEZE Orange JUICE

For just a few oranges, a handheld citrus squeezer or a small juicer will work perfectly.

If you are processing a lot of oranges for juicing and have a stand mixer, we love using this Kitchen Aid juicer attachment. It makes quick work getting every possible drop out of the orange. 

If you’d like to strain pulp or seeds from the juice, a mesh strainer is a great tool to have.

I recommend freezing orange juice in single-serve portions. This allows you to not have to thaw a ton of juice when you only need a bit.

You can pour orange juice into half-pint or wide-mouth pint mason jars, 1-cup Souper Cubesice cube trays, or freezer bags.

Pro tip: if using mason jars, allow for 1 inch of space between the top of the orange juice and the top of the jar’s rim.

Thaw frozen jars of orange juice at room temp or in the fridge overnight. Do not heat a frozen jar in hot water or the microwave as it might crack. 

How to Use Frozen Oranges

Frozen oranges are such a versatile ingredient, and you can use them in so many recipes!

It depends on what form you freeze them in (juiced, whole, etc.,), but here are a few of my favorite ways to use up frozen oranges: Air Fryer Orange Chicken or Instant Pot Orange Chicken (juice & zest), Healthy Sweet Tea (slices/garnish), Frozen Smoothie Packs (whole, halved, slices), Orange Chocolate Madeleines (zest), or this Whole Orange Cake (whole/halved).

How to Thaw Frozen Oranges

In many cases (smoothies, using as drink garnishes, etc.,), oranges are best kept frozen. But if you need to thaw oranges for baking, you can leave them on the counter for a few hours, or microwave slices/segments on 50% power for 60 seconds. Do not microwave a whole orange.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do oranges freeze well?

Yes! Oranges are a perfect candidate for the freezer. They’re a frequently used ingredient that is great to have in your freezer stash.

How long do oranges last in the freezer?

You can store whole or sliced oranges for up to 12 months in the freezer. Orange juice and orange zest are best used within 6-9 months.

Is it better to freeze oranges whole or sliced?

Both work great. It really comes down to how do you intend to use the oranges once they have been frozen.

Whole oranges will take up more room in the freezer, so if space is an issue, orange slices may be a better option for you.

Should you wash oranges before freezing?

Yes, I recommend washing them with a mild dish soap or a produce wash prior to freezing oranges.

Is frozen orange juice as good as fresh?

Yes. Once defrosted, you won’t be able to notice a difference in the flavor of fresh vs previously frozen orange juice.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

  • If freezing orange juice in glass jars, you’ll want to choose wide-mouth jars and leave 1 inch of headspace at the top of each jar. This allows the juice to expand while it freezes and prevents the jars from cracking. Thaw at room temp or in the fridge overnight. Do not heat a frozen jar in hot water or the microwave as it might crack. 
Frozen orange slices on a baking sheet
5 from 1 rating

How to Freeze Oranges

Prep: 10 minutes
Freezing Time: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 10 minutes
Frozen orange slices on a baking sheet
Learn all the tips and tricks for how to freeze oranges to build a freezer stash of this versatile fruit. Freezing oranges is a great way to preserve without needing to know any special kitchen skills.

Ingredients 

  • oranges

Instructions 

How to Freeze Whole Oranges

  • Wash the outside of the orange and dry off excess water.
  • Places oranges in a freezer-safe bag, seal, and remove excess air.

How to Freeze Orange Halves

  • Wash the outside of the orange and dry off excess water.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
  • Cut the orange in half down the middle (not end to end).
  • Place oranges cut side down on the parchment. Freeze for 4 hours.
  • Remove frozen orange halves and place in a freezer-safe bag, seal and remove excess air.

How to Freeze Orange Slices {With Rind}

  • Wash the outside of the orange and dry off excess water.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
  • Cut the orange in half from end to end. Slice each half in half, and then each of those halves in half. This will produce 8 total slices.
  • Place oranges cut side down on the parchment. Freeze for 4 hours.
  • Remove frozen orange slices and place in a freezer-safe bag. Seal, and remove excess air.

How to Freeze Orange Segments {No Rind}

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
  • Slice the top and bottom off of the orange.
  • Position the knife next to the pith (the white part inside the peel) and make a slice to the bottom following the shape of the rind. Trim the whole fruit.
  • Hold the fruit in your hand, and position the knife on one side of the section. Carefully make a slice downward toward the center, making sure to not cut through the entire orange.
  • Repeat on the other side of the section, popping the section out. Continue with the rest of the fruit.
  • Place segments on the parchment. Freeze for 4 hours.
  • Remove frozen orange segments and place in a freezer-safe bag. Seal, and remove excess air.

How to Freeze Orange Juice

  • Transfer orange juice to wide-mouth glass jars (leaving 1-inch of headspace) fitted with a lid, or carefully pour into freezer bags.
  • (If using bags), carefully remove excess air, and seal completely. Place flat on a baking sheet and freeze for 4 hours.
  • To save space, stack frozen bags of juice on top of each other in the freezer or stacked vertically in a small container.

How to Freeze Orange Zest

  • Wash the outside of the orange and dry off excess water.
  • Zest orange, making sure you only zest the peel and not the pith (white part).
  • Mix zest with a tiny bit of water, to create a "paste".
  • Press the paste into ice cube trays and freeze for 3 hours.
  • Remove zest cubes and place in a freezer-safe bag. Seal, and remove excess air.

Notes

Frozen oranges will last for 6-12 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1orangeCalories: 45kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: How To
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @sustainablecooks or tag #sustainablecooks!

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Helping you serve up budget-friendly sustainable recipes with a side of balanced living.
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2 Comments

  1. Yes I just read your comments on how to freeze oranges. I do have a question though if you could email me a answer to help me out a bit. I just bought a small bag of oranges and I am only one person and don’t want them to go bad but dont have any parchment or wax paper I just want to slice them into 4 pieces can I just go ahead and put them in freezer bags and freeze them like that until I am ready to use them in blender for smoothies.

    1. Hi Fred, yes you can do that. They may stick together in the bags, but a quick bash against the counter should work to separate them again.