Longan is a subtropical fruit that’s sweet and juicy. This fruit is great for using to make desserts, smoothies, sauces, or any food that require more sweetness. Longan is a seasonal fruit which means they grow only during the warmer months. This means they are only available fresh once per year. Those that love to eat longan will try to buy or harvest as much as possible to keep for later when the fruit becomes available. Therefore, most will wonder how long longan can last before it goes bad.
So how long does longan last? Longan at room temperature will last for about 5 to 7 days. In the fridge, longan will last 2 to 3 weeks. If stored in the freezer, longan will retain their freshness up to 6 months. Dried longan will last for a year, while canned longan will last for a year after the expiry date on the can.
Longan Shelf Life
| Room Temperature | Refrigerator | Freezer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh Whole Longan last | 5-7 Days | 2-3 Weeks | 6 Months |
| Opened Longan last | 1-2 Hours | 2-3 Weeks | 6 Months |
| Dried Logan last | 1 Year | 1 Year | Not Recommended |
How Long Does Longan Last?
At room temperature, longan will last up to 7 days. However, if it’s really hot, the days could be reduced. Leaving them out when it’s hot, the heat could cause the skin of the longan to crack. Once it’s cracked, it will start going bad. Therefore, the best place to keep them when it’s hot is where it’s cool like in the pantry.
As for longan that has been opened, they will no last longer than an hour at room temperature. The quality of the fruit will start to decrease rapidly and it will no longer taste fresh.
In the fridge, the longan will last 2 to 3 weeks if it’s stored properly. Longan that is kept in the fridge should either be put into a sealed plastic bag or kept in the crisp section of the fridge. Putting them in the fridge with the other food will cause them to lose moisture quickly. This will lead to them losing their freshness.
In the freezer, logan will last for 6 months. The fruit will be able to last much longer than that, but the quality of the longan will be decreased. The fruit is safe to eat, but it won’t taste as fresh as it should.
Canned longan will last a year after the expiration date printed on the can. To keep them fresh, always store them in a cool and dry place like the pantry. They can also be stored in the fridge, but there’s no point since the taste quality won’t be affected whether it’s stored in the fridge or the pantry.
Dried longan will last for up to a year. Since all of the liquid has been extracted from the fruit, mold and other bacteria won’t be able to grow on it. Again, dried longan should be stored in an airtight container and in the pantry or somewhere that’s cool and dry.
How To Store Longan
At room temperature, longan should be stored away from direct sunlight or any other heat source. Due to the hard outer skin, they won’t need to be covered to retain their freshness. They can be stored in an open container or a basket on the kitchen counter. If it’s really hot, you may want to move them to the pantry to keep them fresh longer.
When storing them in the fridge, always store them in a plastic bag or an airtight container. The reason they should be stored this way is to help the fruit retain its moisture. If they are left in the fridge without any covering, they will begin to lose their moisture slowly each day.
Longan can be stored as a whole fruit or they can be peeled and stored just the flesh in the fridge. If you storing the whole fruit, you can pick the stem and leaves off each fruit before storing it. Make sure to not rip the stem out from the fruit as it could cause a tear in the skin. Instead, gently pull back the stem on each fruit.
If storing just the flesh, peel the skin off the fruit and put them into an airtight container. You can either store the fruit with the seed or with the seed removed. Leaving the seed intact will help maintain their texture and prevent the fruit from breaking apart.
For canned longan, it’s the same as for any other canned food. It should be stored in a cool, dry place, and away from direct sunlight. A good location for storing canned longan will be the pantry, cupboard, or even the fridge. Just make sure to keep them where they won’t get damaged easily by other food products.
Can You Freeze Longan?
Longan can be stored in the freezer for a very long time. Longan can be frozen as a whole fruit or peeled. Both freeze well in the freezer and will stay fresh for up to 6 months. After that period, they are still safe to eat, but it won’t taste as fresh as it should.
Freezing whole longan fruit will require them to be stored in a plastic bag or an airtight container that’s suitable for freezer usage. They should never be frozen without a bag or container. Doing so, due to the freezer’s environment, they may get freezer burn. This will shorten this shelf life by a couple of months.
However, the longan fruit will still be safe to eat, but you’ll end up eating the fruit that is bland due to freezer burn.
Freezing just the flesh of the longan fruit will require some preparation to keep the overall texture of the fruit. Storing just the flesh will cause it to become mushy and watery when it thaw.
However, if you’re planning to use the longan fruit to make fruit smoothies or use to make desserts, storing just the flesh should be fine.
To prevent the flesh from becoming mushy when it defrosts, you should flash freeze them first. Flash freezing is a simple process in which you place the flesh of each longan onto a tray and leave it in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until it’s frozen.
Once you take them out from the freezer, immediately transfer the fruit into an airtight container or a freezer bag and put it back into the freezer.
How To Freeze Longan
Freezing Whole Longan Fruit
- Start by gently removing the stems and leaves from the fruit.
- Put the longan fruit into a strainer basket. Put about 30 to 40 pieces in the basket.
- Wash the fruits under running water for about 20 seconds to remove any contamination and debris.
- Leave it for about 20 minutes to let the water drain from the fruit. Alternatively, you can use a paper towel and gently pat the fruits until they are dry.
- In a freezer bag or an airtight container, gently put the fruit in there. For the freezer bag, leave about an inch of space so you can zip the bag. Also, squeeze the bag to remove any excess air before sealing it.
- Seal the airtight container or the freezer bag tightly. Make sure no air can get in to prevent freezer burn.
- Label the container or freezer bag with the date and place them in the freezer. For freezer bags, you can let them completely freeze first before stacking them on top of each other.
Freezing Only The Flesh Of The Longan
- Peel the skin of the longan and put them into a bowl or a container. You have the option to freeze just the flesh or the flesh with the seed still inside.
- Place the flesh into an airtight container or the freezer bag. For flesh without the seed, it’s best to flash freeze them first so they will retain their round texture when it’s frozen.
- Leave about an inch of space at the top of the container and in the freezer bag.
- Seal the lid of the container tightly. For the freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing it.
- Label the container or bag with a date and place them into the freezer.
How To Keep Longan Fresh Longer
Longan is a fruit that doesn’t continue to ripen once it’s harvested. Therefore, it’s best to pick the right one so they’ll last as long as possible. In addition, longan is also delicate and needs to be handled with care or it will get damaged.
Selecting Longan
When buying them at the grocery stores, make sure to examine the longan fruit carefully first. Look at the appearance and color of the fruit.
The color of the fruit should be the tan color or close to it. As the longan ages and start going bad, they will start getting darker. Therefore, it’s best to choose longans that is a tan color.
As for the texture, make sure there are no cracks or blemishes on the fruit. Once the fruit is cracked or has a tear, it will start going bad quickly.
With longan fruit, most grocery stores will sell them in a bunch. This means the fruits, stems, and leaves will all be bundled together. If that’s the case, examine all each fruit carefully and choose the bunch that has fewer damages to them.
Handling Longan
Whether you’re picking longan at the grocery stores or preparing them for storage at home, always handle them gently. Even though the outer skin is hard, it can easily crack if handled improperly. Once it’s cracked, the quality of the fruit will start decreasing.
If you’re planning on storing them in a basket, try not to pile too much longan on top of each other. The pressure from weight could crack the fruits that are on the bottom. About 30 to 40 longan fruits in a basket should be enough to prevent damaging the fruit.
How To Tell When Longan Is Bad
When the longan fruit goes bad, there will be signs that indicate that they are already bad or about to go bad. Below are a couple of ways to tell when longan is bad:
Appearance – The outer skin of the longan fruit will become soft. You can test it by gently pressing or squeezing the fruit. If it feels soft and mushy, it’s probably bad or about to go bad.
Another sign to look for is blemishes and cracks and tears on the outer skin. As longan starts going bad, the skin will start turning soft and blemishes will begin to appear. Sometimes, the skin will crack or tear on its own. If you see this, further inspection is needed as the fruit may still be consumable.
Color – The flesh of the longan should be a translucent white or an off white color. When it goes bad, it will begin to darken and turn to a tan color. Once you peel the skin off, you should be able to see the seed in the middle. If you don’t, the longan is probably bad.
Smell – Longan will that are bad will be fermented, which will have that sour smell. Longan doesn’t give off any smell and if the smell is off, it’s probably bad.
Taste – If all the above signs seem good, you can try to taste it. Fresh longan will have a sweet taste to it. If it tastes sour or acidity, the fruit has reached past it’s prime and should be thrown away.
Related Questions
Can you eat the outer skin of the longan?
The outer skin of the longan can be eaten, but it won’t very good. The skin of fresh longan will be taste bitter.
Can you eat longan seeds?
Longan seeds taste very bitter and shouldn’t be eaten. The seeds of a longan fruit are usually processed to obtain essential oils and extracts.