How long can lychees be stored at room temperature? What causes lychee skin to turn black?

People have loved eating lychees since ancient times. Not only because lychees symbolize health and longevity, but also because lychees grow fast, have strong growth potential, and have a long life cycle, making them suitable for gifting to elders. Moreover, lychees are rich in nutrition and have a sweet and sour chewy taste. Although lychees are delicious, they are a tropical fruit that cannot be stored. In ancient times, people had already realized that once lychees were removed from the branches and leaves, they would "change color in one day, change fragrance in two days, and change taste in three days." Therefore, it is recommended to buy as many lychees as you can eat and not store them for too long.

Contents of this article

1. What does litchi represent?

2. How long can lychees be stored at room temperature?

3. What is the reason why litchi skin turns black?

What does litchi represent?

Lychees represent health and longevity. Because lychees grow fast, have strong growth potential, and have a long life cycle, they are suitable for giving to elders. They look vibrant when they bear fruit, so they also represent good luck and can be given to friends. The bright red skin of lychees and the abundance of fruit during the fruiting period also represent wealth.

Because of the homophony and shape of the Chinese character “荔” (litchi), people often regard the cracked lychee as a symbol of “great benefits”, which is one of the reasons why painters often include lychees in their paintings.

The earliest document about litchi is "Shanglinfu" written by Sima Xiangru in the Western Han Dynasty. In the text, it is written as "lizhi", which means cutting off the branches. It turns out that the ancients have realized that this fruit cannot be separated from the branches and leaves. If the branches are cut off, the shelf life will be extended.

Litchi is distributed in southwest, south and southeast China, with Guangdong and southern Fujian being the most cultivated areas. It is also cultivated in southeast Asia, and there are records of its introduction to Africa, America and Oceania.

How long can lychees be kept at room temperature?

Lychees can be stored at room temperature for about 2-3 days. Although lychees taste delicious, they are a tropical fruit that cannot be stored well. In ancient times, people had already realized that once lychees were removed from the branches and leaves, their color would change in one day, their fragrance would change in two days, and their taste would change in three days. Therefore, it is recommended to buy only as many lychees as you want to eat and not store them for too long.

Under normal temperature conditions, fresh lychees can be preserved by soaking them in clean water, which is a common preservation method in fruit stores. In addition, you can also add some ice cubes to the soaking water to lower the temperature to delay the spoilage of lychees.

If you have a refrigerator at home, it is best to store the lychees in the refrigerator's freezer. Just wrap the lychees in some dry newspaper, put them in a plastic bag, seal them and refrigerate them.

Why does the lychee skin turn black?

The blackening of lychee skin may be due to the following reasons: first, the lychee is frostbitten. Lychee is a tropical fruit. If stored in an environment below 0 degrees for about a day, the skin will easily turn black or even deteriorate. Second, if small black spots appear on the lychee skin, it may be caused by insect infestation.

If the outer shell of the lychee turns black but the inner flesh has not deteriorated, it is generally safe to eat, but the taste and flavor may not be as good as fresh lychees with red outer shells. If both the outer shell and the inner part of the lychee turn black, or the flesh has an odor, then the lychee has probably deteriorated and is not recommended for consumption.

In most cases, the shelf life of lychees is generally around 2 to 3 days. If they can be eaten within this time, lychees can be stored at room temperature in a cool and dry place. If they cannot be eaten and need to be stored for a few more days, you can seal the lychees in a plastic bag and then immerse them in water.