Pick lychee when the skin is pink-red and the pulp tastes sweet, cut the cluster several inches behind the fruit, and cool it at once.
Pick when the skin is pink-red and the pulp tastes sweet
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Wait until the peel is pink to red and the bumps look a little flatter | Do not pick green or dull yellow fruit and hope it sweetens |
| Taste | Eat one from the cluster; ripe pulp is sweet with a little acid | Do not go by color alone on a mixed cluster |
| Cut | Cut the whole cluster several inches behind the fruit | Do not yank fruit off one by one |
| Cool | Shade the fruit, then fridge it the same day | Do not leave a warm pile in the sun |
lychee does not ripen after it leaves the tree, so the taste on the branch is the taste you keep. [1] In a warm climate the main pick runs from mid-May into early July, with the heaviest week often in June. [2] Pulling fruit off one by one tears the peel and cuts the shelf life, which is why you cut the whole cluster.
When do I pick lychee?
Pick when the peel is pink-red and a tasted fruit is sweet. Color without a taste test will fool you on a mixed cluster.
How to harvest lychee
- Taste one fruit from the cluster. If it is still sour, wait a few days and taste again.
- Look for peel that has turned pink-red and bumps that have flattened a little. [3]
- Cut the stem several inches behind the cluster with clean shears. Do not twist fruit off the stem.
- Work in the cool of the morning, and keep the picked fruit in the shade.
- Come back every few days; clusters on one tree do not all ripen together.
Cool the fruit at once — it will not sweeten off the tree
Warm fruit dulls and browns in a day. Move the clusters into the fridge, in a bag, as soon as you are done picking. They keep about five to ten days that way, and they taste best in the first few. [4] Size cuts after the crop is off live on Pruning Lychee.
Do lychees ripen after I pick them?
No. The sugar is set on the tree. A sour fruit stays sour in the bowl.
Taste before you cut, then get the fruit into the fridge the same day.
FAQ
How long do lychees keep in the fridge?
About five to ten days in a bag. Eat them sooner if you can; the peel browns even when the pulp is still good.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Gardening Know How -
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/lychee-tree/harvesting-lychee-fruit.htm - [2] UF/IFAS Extension -
https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MG051 - [3] Food and Agriculture Organization -
https://www.fao.org/4/ac681e/ac681e0a.htm - [4] UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions -
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/fruits/lychee/
This note is part of Litchi Guides.
More harvest timing notes by plant live in Harvesting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors