With over 74 million citrus trees on 550 thousand acres, the Florida citrus industry is enormous. The most popular fruit is the orange, which grows on about eighty percent of the trees. Due to the state’s ideal citrus-growing weather, soil conditions and knowledge gleaned from more than 150 years of producing the perfect Florida orange, consumers across the nation enjoy the very best of America’s favorite citrus fruit. In this article we will discuss some of the most popular orange varieties in the Sunshine State.
Dream Navel
A sweet, juicy, less acidic orange variety, the Dream Navel was discovered in Orlando Florida in 1944. It is of medium size with a loose skin . Although this type of Florida orange has an oval shape, it gets its name from the distinct bellybutton dimple on the bottom of every orange . The Dream is one of the state’s most popular eating oranges.
Hamlin
Discovered in an orchard near Glenwood, Florida in the late 19th century, the Hamlin is one of Florida’s first orange varieties. It is also the second most widely grown orange in the state after the Valencia. The Hamlin is of small to medium size with a bright orange rind and a fleshy pulp. It is the second most popular juicing fruit, again, after the Valencia .
Jaffa
The Jaffa is another older variety of Florida oranges. Introduced in the 1880s, it became a favorite with growers because it had a thicker skin, which helped it survive the frost. Its pleasant aroma and distinctive flavor also made it a popular fruit for local cooks. The Jaffa is also used as a juicing orange.
Navel
Originally discovered in Brazil in 1821, the Navel is one of the most popular varieties of non-local oranges in Florida. With its sweet and juicy flesh and loose rind, the Navel has become the top orange for eating in the United States. The sweet rinds are also used in cooking and for making preserves. Though Florida’s navel orange crop is small, it is still one of the most popular oranges sold as fresh fruit.
Parson Brown
There have been Parson Brown orange trees growing in Florida since 1856. Named after the reverend that discovered them, the Parson Brown is a seedy variety that is used almost exclusively for juicing. The fruit is comparably small, but the pulp holds a amazing amount of juice with low acidity and sugar levels.
Rhode Red
Discovered in 1955 in Sebring, Florida, the Rhode Red is a variety of Valencia orange. While not nearly as popular as its predecessor, it does hold more juice and has less acidity than the Valencia. However, the tree was not widely planted until 1974 when it was accepted into the Citrus Registration Program. It is one of the fastest growing of the Florida orange varieties today.
Valencia
Valencias oranges actually got their start on the west coast but when it became more profitable to build houses then plant orange groves, the Valencia orange business picked up and move to Florida and they’ve been happy ever since! Valencias are often used for juicing because of their amazing nectar but they’re just as great as a treat. The best time to grab a Valencia is in March to May. The real question isn’t which is your favorite type of Florida orange but how can you just pick one?
———————————————-
Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.
0 Comments.