If you are in loquat season, you likely have a few or many in your kitchen that you do not want to lose since this fruit is highly perishable, so today, we will answer you the question, How to keep loquats for longer?
If they are ripped, it is possible to preserve the loquats at room temperature for 3 to 4 days; otherwise, they can last 3 weeks. On the other hand, low temperatures are an enemy for loquats; they last 2 days in the fridge and 1 month in the freezer. Alternative long-term solutions are dehydration and jam.
Then I invite you to continue reading these excellent ways of preparing to preserve your medlars.
Table of Contents
- Store loquats at room temperature
- Store loquats in the refrigerator
- How to freeze loquats
- How to dry with the dehydrator
- Preserve loquat with preparations
- How to know if the loquats are bad?
- How long does the loquat last?
- What is the best way to store loquats?
Store loquats at room temperature
It may seem very strange, but at room temperature in a tropical environment, you can perfectly preserve the loquats mainly if harvested ahead of time.
- Step 1. Wash and dry
After having bought or harvested the loquat, you must wash it well, either using your hands, taking care you don’t damage the fruit. Using a strainer under the tap water directly also works since its pressure washes perfectly.
- Step 2. Wrap in newspaper (optional)
If you want to ripen your loquats faster, wrap them before storing them using newspaper.
- Step 3. Store in an uncovered bowl or basket.
Get a basket or bowl to store loquats comfortably and place them in a dry, dark place.
If the loquats are unripe, you can keep them at room temperature for about three weeks.
If the loquat is ripe, its shelf life is around 3 to 4 days.
Store loquats in the refrigerator
Keeping in the refrigerator for a long time is the reality for many fruits. Still, loquats are pretty different in that case since when you take them to the fridge, it chemically accelerates their decomposition process.
Eventho, it is a good strategy when you have the loquats already cut, and you want to eat them tomorrow or soon.
Anyways, to store the loquats in the fridge, do the following
- Step 1. Wash and cut
Take your loquats to the sink and wash them very well; then, you can dry them using paper towels or tea towels and cut them as you wish.
- Step 2. Put it in a ziplock bag
Put the pieces of loquat in the ziplock bag and close it well.
- Step 3. To the refrigerator
Take them to the refrigerator, knowing that you have to eat them in the next 48 hours.
How to freeze loquats
Storing the loquats in the freezer is a good solution when you want to keep them for a month, but it is also useful when you want to use them in some dessert recipes.
Here we have the step-by-step to freeze the loquats correctly.
- Step 1. Clean loquats perfectly
The easiest way to do it, mainly when the loquats are ripe, is to use a strainer for pasta and expose it to a constant jet to release any residue and clean it of any particles harmful to the organism.
Also, you can place them in a bowl full of water and clean them patiently until they are perfect.
- Step 2. Peel and cut the Loquats
Peel the ripe loquats since the unripe loquat are sour, hard, and almost impossible to eat.
To remove the skin of the loquats, you must use a sharp knife and peel it from the upper angle to the bottom. Then, you can cut them into large pieces or slice them into thinner pieces.
- Step 3. Store it in a container
In a plastic container, place the loquats, filling all the spaces; then cover it well and take it to the freezer.
This conservation method can extend the life of the loquat up to 1 month. However, if you a vacuum sealer using high density polyethylene bags may result in a better shelf life. [1]
How to dry with the dehydrator
One of the favorite methods for experts is dehydration since you won’t need a fridge to store the loquats, which is an advantage.
The flavor and texture change a little, but their nutrients preserve wells, and you will have a very creative way to incorporate this fruit into your dishes.
- Step 1. Wash them well
When ripe, loquats are a very watery fruit should be pretty careful when washing them, whether you wash them in your hands, in a bowl, on a rack under the sinking jet, or in a strainer.
- Step 2. Dry and cut them
Proceed to dry them with a tea towel or let them dry naturally outdoors, and then you will peel them and cut them in half, taking out the seeds.
- Step 3. Take them to the dehydrator
Take the pieces to the dehydrator, where you will order them patiently, leaving spaces between them so that they dehydrate evenly. The loquats must be in the dehydrator from 6h to 8h.
However, after six hours, you must check them until they obtain a chewy texture.
- Step 4. Remove them from the dehydrator and store them
Look for an airtight container, preferably from grass, and transfer all your loquats pieces there.
- Step 5. Label it
Since it is long-term storage, you should label the container with the current day to control your loquats’ quality.
- Step 6. Store the container
Finally, leave the container in the cupboard or pantry in a dark and cool place.
If you preserve the loquats in this way, you can expect a shelf life of 3 to 6 months.
Preserve loquat with preparations
There are two recipes where you can store the loquats for longer, and those are the loquat jam and loquat in honey.
How to make a Loquat jam
Ingredients
- The amount you have of loquat (you must weigh it)
- 1/4 of the weight of the loquat you weighed
- One tablespoon lemon
Procedure
- Wash the loquats very well, then peel, and remove the seeds. Then place the loquats in a pot, add water, and boil them for about 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes, check if the loquat has dried a lot or if it still retains water. In case of dryness, add 3.3 oz (100 ml) of water, but if they still retain water from their own juice, don’t add 3.3 oz of water.
- Then you add the sugar and lemon juice and boil as long as you consider necessary so that it has the texture you want, taking into account that the longer it cooks, the pastier the jam will become.
- When you remove the pan from the heat, take the jam to a glass container that has been previously sterilized in boiling water. It would be best to dry the container. Then you fill it with the hot jam, and when you have the container full, seal it with its respective lid and turn it upside down to get a homemade vacuum seal.
This preparation allows the loquat to be kept for up to 1 year if it is not opened.
Loquat in honey
Ingredients
- 1 to 1.5 lb (500g to 700g) of loquat
- 33 oz (1 lt) of honey
Preparation
- Wash the loquats well, dry them later, and cut them into slices of 0.4in (1 cm) or a little more.
- Place the loquats and honey in a sterilized container, submerging the loquats completely in the bee honey. Don’t let the loquat stay in contact with the air, so if you notice that any loquat floats, you should shake the container from time to time.
- Finally, take the container to a cool place or, if you want, to the refrigerator and leave it there for 2 to 3 months with the lid a little loose to let it release gas. After those 2 to 3 months, it will be ready to consume.
You can consume it by diluting a little of the loquat honey in hot water when it is ready.
If you do not open the lid of the jam to consume it, you can store it for more than a year. But, it is recommended to open the cover from time to time to release the gas as the pressure increases when the loquats ferments.
If you store the loquats in honey, you can preserve them for over a year, and even more if the container remains uponed.
How to know if the loquats are bad?
Here are some detailed points that you should keep in mind to identify a damaged loquat:
- The color of the loquat has become dull.
- The taste has become sour.
- The smell is sour.
- The texture has become watery and muddy.
How long does the loquat last?
Depending on how you store the loquats, you can estimate their shelf life. For that reason, I summarized the information for you in the following table:
| Product | Duration time |
| Loquats at room temperature (unripe) | 3 weeks |
| Loquats at room temperature (ripe) | 3 – 4 days |
| Loquats in the refrigerator | 2 days |
| Frozen Loquats | 1 month |
| Dehydrated loquats | 4 – 6 months |
| Loquat jam | 1 year |
| Loquats preserved in honey | Above 1 year |
What is the best way to store loquats?
The best way to preserve them should be at room temperature since loquats are not a good friend of low temperatures. However, if you have many loquats, it is a good idea to dehydrate them since it is a healthier solution than jam and honey due to the sugar content.
I have more content related to food storage, so please check the following articles since they would be helpful to you.
[1] https://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=PK2013000561