Freeze Mandarin Oranges For A Simple, Refreshing Dessert

It's not 2020 anymore, and no one has time to bake bread or build elaborate charcuterie chalets. Especially when it's hot out, people deserve a snack that is refreshing, delicious, and requires zero effort to prepare. Enter: The frozen fruit era.

Frozen fruit used to be a one-trick pony, a nutrient-packed filler for smoothies or green juices, maybe a pie if you were really in a bind. But TikTok has discovered that frozen fruit is one of the easiest ways to make a sorbet dupe that's both sweet and nutritious.

Sorbet (not to be confused with sherbet, which contains dairy) is one of the many close, but not identical, frozen desserts that make up the summer after-dinner (or, heck, afternoon) treats designed to keep you cool. While sorbet is typically made from a flavored syrup churned with ice, freezing certain fruits, like mandarins, can create a very similar effect.

There are a few different ways to make frozen mandarin oranges. The easiest is to simply stick a few in the freezer overnight until they are frozen solid, let them thaw for about two hours, then simply peel and eat. Freezing mandarins causes the structure of their cells to collapse, turning fibrous pulp into finely textured mandarin ice. The texture will be similar to that of a sorbet, but you won't have to worry about any added sugar or preservatives.

You can also make a version of the viral prosecco grapes using mandarins instead of grapes for an ingenious snack. Peel your mandarins and soak them in bubbly for a few hours in the fridge. Then roll your individual mandarins in sugar, peel them into sections, and freeze the pre-peeled prosecco mandarins. This will leave you with a boozy, refreshing snack, as well as mildly citrus-infused prosecco or other sparkling wine.

Because frozen mandarins need to thaw a bit before being eaten (otherwise you might chip a tooth), they are an ideal snack to take with you to the beach or park on a hot day, and the fruit membranes provide some leakage protection while eating.

But a less travel-friendly tactic is to freeze your mandarins and then grate them with a microplane to create something like a granita. Top this with chopped pistachios and condensed milk, like food writer Frankie Gaw does, for a creamiscle-like treat, or add a bit of shredded basil or some ground fennel seeds.

If shredded, this dessert would technically be closer to a granita than a sorbet, with thick, chunky flakes instead of a smooth and even consistency.

You can freeze the mandarins with or without their skin on. Tangerines, clementines, and satsumas, which are all types of mandarins, can be used interchangeably in these recipes. (Though a citrus fruit with a thicker peel, like a navel orange, would be harder to peel once frozen.)