Can You Freeze Durian?

Durian is a tropical fruit that either you hate or like. If you do enjoy the fruit, it has a strong smell with soft flesh. This fruit can be eaten fresh, made into smoothies, or used to enhance the flavor of a meal. Once durian is ripe, you’ll either need to eat it right away or store it for later. What if you want to store durian for several months or longer, would freezing durian be an option?

Can you freeze durian? Yes, you can freeze durian, and they freeze very well. Due to their large size, the flesh should be removed from and frozen. It’s best to freeze the flesh along with the seed inside. Since the flesh is soft, the seed will help retain its structure. Properly stored, the durian fruit can last for up to 2 months in the freezer.

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Does Durian Freeze Well?

Yes, durian freeze very due to its soft texture. The fruit can either be frozen as an entire fruit or just the flesh.

The fruit has a very thick rind that can protect it from the freezing temperature. Once the fruit has ripened, immediately place it into the freezer.

However, the fruit is very large and takes up a lot of space in the freezer. For that reason, it’s a better idea to freeze just the flesh.

Whether you’re freezing the whole fruit or just the flesh, durian freezes well.

How To Prepare Durian For Freezing

Before you can freeze the fruit, you’ll need to open it and remove the flesh. While you can freeze the entire fruit, it’s best to freeze just the flesh. The fruit itself is very large and can take up a lot of space in the freezer.

Start by opening the fruit. Be careful not to injure yourself when opening it. The outer shell has a sharp spike.
Make about an inch cut along the fruit. Cutting too deep could damage the flesh.
Gently pry the skin off the fruit. Cut it a bit more if you can’t pry the skin.
Depending on how large the fruit is, there may be 4-8 pods. Remove the flesh from each pod.

How To Freeze Durian

When it comes to freezing durian, it’s straightforward and doesn’t take a lot of time.

For frozen store-bought durian, you simply place them straight into the freezer once you get home. Make sure that it doesn’t thaw or the fruit will not be able to be frozen.

Freezing Durian Flesh

To freeze durian, follow the simple steps below:

Once the fruit is removed from the pod, place each one onto a plastic wrapper.
Wrap each flesh several times around. This will help prevent air and moisture from damaging the flesh.
Place the fruit into an airtight container. Make sure to put enough that it won’t be cramped.
Look at the lid to make sure there are no leaks.
Secure the lid onto the container and label it with the date of freezing.
Place them into the freezer for storage.

Freeze Whole Durian Fruit

If you need to freeze the whole fruit, you can absolutely do so. The skin of the fruit is thick enough to keep the fruit safe from the freezing temperature.

If you’re planning to freeze the whole durian, harvest the fruit and let it sit for a couple of days. This will allow the fruit to ripen, so it will have a soft texture and sweet taste.

Freezing the fruit that has not ripened yet will cause it to have a bitter taste when it thaws. The fruit will continue to ripen while in the freezer, but it will not develop the sweet taste that the durian is known for.

Once the fruit is ripe, there’s no need to wrap them with anything. Simply place them into the freezer for storage.

How Long Can You Freeze Durian?

You can freeze durian for up to 2 months in the freezer. After that, the quality of the fruit will start to deteriorate. It will become mushy and not taste as fresh as it should be.

Once it’s past 2 months, durian is still safe to eat after that time. If you’re planning to eat it fresh, you may not enjoy the taste. On the other hand, using the durian for cooking, making desserts, or fruit smoothies, won’t be an issue.

Related Article: How Long Does Durian Last

How Do You Defrost Durian?

When defrosting durian, you should thaw them in the fridge. Doing so will ensure the fruit will thaw thoroughly.

Avoid thawing the fruit at room temperature. This will cause thawing unevenly and will cause part of the durian to be soft and other parts frozen.

However, if you’re going to make smoothies or any recipes that require blending, there’s no need to thaw the fruit. Simply remove it from the freezer and place it directly into the blender.

Can You Refreeze Durian?

It depends on how much it’s thawed. If the durian is completely thawed, you should not refreeze it. Once the fruit is thawed completely, it will become soft. By refreezing durian again, it will become even softer due to the moisture. While it will freeze fine, you won’t enjoy the taste of it when it thaws as it will become mushy.

On the other hand, if the durian hasn’t completely thawed yet, you can refreeze them. Since the fruit hasn’t defrosted, the texture will still be solid, and it won’t affect the taste and texture.