The Distinctive Tropical Fruit You Need To Stock Up On At Costco

Costco has great deals on a lot of groceries — and fruits and vegetables are no exception. Sold in bulk, or at least in bigger quantities than at standard supermarkets, some of the best fruits and vegetables to get at Costco include oranges, potatoes, and blueberries. You can wander through the pallets of produce and stock up on kiwis, pineapples, papayas, and mangos. But one of the best deals on tropical fruits will introduce you to one of the quirkier fruits of the tropics: the rambutan.

Rambutan is a whimsical-looking fruit with a thick red peel and long, flexible spikes that actually aren't sharp at all. This protective outer layer is close to the consistency of an orange peel, and inside of it, you'll find a perfectly round, sweet fruit with a taste and texture like a lychee. In fact, one of rambutan's nicknames is hairy lychee. They're juicy and just slightly sour, but a little lighter in flavor and blander than a mango or a pineapple. Native to Southeast Asia, specifically Indonesia and Malaysia, the rambutan is grown in tropical regions all over the world and is a popular snack in places where it is abundant. Rambutan isn't easy to find in grocery stores, and when you do come across it, the fruit can be a bit expensive. For instance, at Trader Joe's, rambutans are $4.99 for an 8-ounce container. While it's sometimes available at specialty stores, you can snag a 1.5-pound package of these fruits at Costco for only $9.35, which comes out to just over $3 for 8 ounces.

You can get a great deal on rambutans at Costco, but you're also going to end up with a lot of fruit. Just like anything else you buy at the wholesale club, with the good price comes a bulk-sized product. This isn't as big of a deal if you're getting granola or some other non-perishable item at the store. But, if you're going to buy over a pound of rambutan, it'll help to have a plan for what to do with all of it. Lucky for you, there are dozens of ways to use the fruit, besides just eating them fresh from a bowl on the counter.

Add rambutan to other recipes that involve fruit, like custards, cheesecakes, and pies. Make rambutan jelly and jam, pair it with other fruit as a pastry filling, freeze it and turn it into sorbet, and slice it up for a fresh green salad. You can even use rambutan in savory dishes like curries and stir-fries. For something sweet to sip on, muddle rambutans into your afternoon basil-leaf mojito to make a delightful and refreshing cocktail. If you find you aren't using your bulk package of rambutan fast enough, you can peel and freeze them for several months for later use. Whether you eat them immediately or store them, be sure to first remove the seed at the center of the fruit.

Not all of us love all kinds of fruits, and rambutan is no exception. If you're trying rambutan for the first time and find the fruit doesn't satisfy your palate, you don't have to eat the rest of the bulk package you bought at Costco — but you don't have to let them go to waste either. In this case, the light flavor of rambutans will work in your favor. 

Consider using the fruits in smoothies to still benefit from all their nutrients. You can use frozen or fresh rambutans, and combine them with your go-to smoothie ingredients. Rambutan will add a little more bulk and a very light flavor to your drink that will be easily masked by other fruits. Pair them with other tropical fruits like pineapple and coconut, or with strawberries and kiwi for a delicious and refreshing smoothie.

Another way to use up some rambutan is to take your smoothie a step further, adding a little liquor for a delicious, frozen cocktail. You can also still put on your apron and get to baking with rambutans by pairing them with passionfruit for tropical-flavored cupcakes, cakes, frosting, and more. The duo is a match made in heaven and, if you're not a big fan, the combo could change your opinion on rambutan altogether.