There are two main types of oranges – sweet and sour. Only sweet oranges are grown commercially in the United States.
Here are a couple types of oranges you might find in the grocery store:
Navel: These oranges are large and have thick skins. You can tell an orange is a Navel by the “belly-button” found at their blossom end. This is how the Navel orange got its name. Fruit specialists believe that the navel is a smaller fruit attached to the main orange. You can see this smaller fruit when you peel and separate a navel orange. As this smaller fruit grows, the navel on the orange becomes bigger. Neat!
We love to eat this type of orange because they are seedless, sweet, and easy to peel! California Navel oranges are sweeter than the ones grown in Florida. Yum!
Valencia: These oranges are the most widely grown oranges. Almost half of all oranges grown every year are Valencia! This orange has a smooth, this skin and an oval or round shape. Florida Valencias are considered the best.
Some Valencia oranges go through a natural process called “regreening” in the late spring and summer. This regreening happens when the fruit is left on the tree during the summer months. The warm temperatures cause a pigment, called chlorophyll, in the orange to return to the skin – creating a greenish color. The color of the skin has no effect on the sweetness of the fruit. These oranges are fully ripe, sweet, and juicy!
Image courtesy of www.melissas.com
Blood Orange: What? There’s a Blood Orange? Yup! But don’t worry, it doesn’t have any blood in it – its name comes from the red color of its flesh and juice! These oranges are grown in California and are small to medium sized. They can usually be found in the grocery store between March and May – so check them out!
