Being where I’m from, the only ‘fresh orange’ i’ve ever had is when the stores say they are fresh. Would anyone be willing to sell some you grow to a northerner or have some great ideas where to get some from the fields when they are ripe in the right climates?
If they aren’t coming from you, might I add a trusted source. I’d rather not buy them from some place online that isn’t even the real source of where they come from.
The store bought are fresh. They can also be just as good as any I’ve grown myself either in CA or in my greenhouse in Texas. I’ve picked them from commercial groves in CA. They’re all about the same. Some are much better than others. Learning how to pick out the good ones in the store can help. I like ones that feel soft when squeezed and heavy. If they are hard I move on.
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I agree with Fruitnut and may add that growing conditions (including how long you leave the fruits on the tree and how much you starve them in water) will make a big difference. I have bought oranges from some Florida farm stands that were the sweetest that I have ever tasted in my life… My advice for picking oranges at supermarket/farmers market is to go for smooth skinned ones, and some times smooth and yellowish colored rather than dark orange are the best. Also, small oranges usually are sweeter than big ones, provided they have smooth skin.
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The quality really can vary quite widely. I never found oranges all that compelling until I moved to a little town in the Bay Area. There’s a feed store here that brings in containers of big navel oranges from a grower in Winters every year, and the whole area goes crazy for them. They’re amazing, year after year.
Don’t give up on finding better oranges. They’re out there. I agree with @fruitnut’s hints for selecting them, but be aware that a perfectly ripe orange may not last too long before it’s over-ripe. Eat them up quick.
mineolas are one of my favorite. they are pricey up here . i went to yuma, AZ 2 springs ago to visit my son and stopped a a farmers stand on the side of the road there. i got a box of 20 mineolas for $7! the taste wasn’t even comparable to the ones that we get here! the sweetness and taste complexity was phenomenal! doesn’t surprise me as all the fruits and veg. brought up here are always poor quality. the reason I’m so motivated to grow my own. was thinking of having him buy and send me some but the shipping is crazy expensive and they would be orange juice by time they got here.
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Thanks everyone, appreciate the insight, didn’t know they weren’t much better from real sources.
Try the cara cara oranges!!
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