As Summer sets in across Australia, delicate, jewel-like lychees come into their own - their rough pink-red shells hiding a juicy, translucent treasure within. Sweet, floral and refreshingly fragrant, lychees capture the essence of the season, offering a burst of tropical flavour that’s both indulgent and light.
Learning how to select, store and serve lychees ensures you enjoy every morsel of this luscious summer fruit at its absolute best.
Choosing the Best Lychees
When selecting lychees, look for firm, plump fruit with a vibrant pink or red skin that gives slightly when pressed. The shell should be dry and slightly textured, not brittle or brown - signs that the fruit is past its prime. Fresh lychees have a sweet perfume; if they smell fermented, they’re overripe.
Smaller lychees tend to have a more concentrated sweetness, while larger ones are prized for their juiciness. A bright stem cluster indicates recent picking and freshness.
Storing for Freshness
Lychees are highly perishable once harvested. Keep them refrigerated in a breathable container or loosely wrapped in paper towel to prevent excess moisture. Stored properly, they’ll stay fresh for up to a week.
Avoid sealed plastic bags - trapped humidity can cause the skin to darken and the fruit to ferment. For longer storage, peel and seed the lychees, then freeze the flesh in an airtight container. They’ll keep for several months and are perfect for blending into drinks or desserts.
Preparing and Preserving
Peeling a lychee is easy: gently squeeze or break open the outer shell to reveal the translucent flesh inside, then remove the single shiny seed. The fruit can be enjoyed fresh, chilled, or used in everything from cocktails to fruit salads and Asian-style desserts.
Lychee syrup, made by simmering peeled fruit with sugar and water, is a simple way to capture their delicate fragrance for use in drinks, sauces or glazes. You can also dry or dehydrate lychees for a chewy, naturally sweet snack reminiscent of raisins.
Health Benefits Worth Noting
Beyond their irresistible taste, lychees offer a healthy dose of vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants that support immune health and help combat oxidative stress. Their natural sweetness makes them a great substitute for refined sugar in smoothies or desserts.
Hydrating, low in calories and high in flavour, lychees are the perfect Summer indulgence - a taste of the tropics that elevates both sweet and savoury dishes with their aromatic charm.
Here are three recipes to put fresh and in-season lychees on the table this week:
Silky coconut tapioca cradles a medley of tropical sweetness, its creamy pearls glistening beneath tender chunks of lychee and juicy pineapple. Each spoonful is a cool escape - fragrant, luscious and lightly floral - where the gentle richness of coconut meets the bright, sunlit tang of Summer fruit in perfect harmony.
Briny and elegant, oysters meet cool cucumber and sweet lychee granita in a dance of ocean and orchard. Each icy spoonful refreshes the palate, amplifying the oyster’s minerality with fragrant, floral notes. The combination is pure coastal luxury — crisp, delicate and shimmering with Summer sophistication.
A frozen coconut and lychee mocktail is a tropical delight that sparkles with freshness. Creamy coconut milk blends with the delicate sweetness of lychee and a hint of lime, whirled into an icy, velvety texture. Each sip is cool, fragrant and refreshingly exotic — paradise in a frosted glass.
