California Oranges: California's climate is very arid with very low yearly rainfall. The days are hot and sunny, and the nights are dry and cool. ... Florida
California Oranges: California’s climate is very arid with very low yearly rainfall. The days are hot and sunny, and the nights are dry and cool. … Florida Oranges: The oranges that grow in Florida do so in a hotter, wetter climate. As a result, these oranges are much juicier and sweeter.
While both states grow the same varieties of oranges, this difference in climate has a distinct impact on the fruits. Oranges in Florida are comparatively sweeter and juicier than their California counterparts. On the other hand, California oranges tend to maintain freshness longer due to their thicker peels.
Florida is second only to Brazil in global orange juice production and the state remains the world’s leading producer of grapefruit. … In most seasons, more than 90 percent of America’s orange juice is made from Florida-grown oranges.
Orange production in Florida has declined 76% since 2004, the year before greening was first discovered in the state, according to the Lakeland Ledger. By 2019, 90% of the orange groves in Florida were infected with greening, the Washington Post reported. Many have been abandoned.
All fresh picked Florida oranges are sweet, but Navels, Minneola Tangelos, Murcott Honey Tangerines are perhaps sweeter (less acid) than other varieties. Each variety has its own unique characteristics in color, juice content, flavor, seediness and ease of peeling.
Florida Oranges: The oranges that grow in Florida do so in a hotter, wetter climate. As a result, these oranges are much juicier and sweeter. In fact, the majority of Florida’s oranges are used for juicing. The peels are usually thinner, and the oranges are easier to eat out of hand.
The nation’s largest fruit-producing states are California, Florida and Washington. California accounts for more than half of the harvested fruit acreage, Florida more than 10 percent, and Washington around 8%. …
Citrus: Oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit can all be grown here in Florida. There are many many varieties that love our climate but all of them are affected by freezes. A huge problem that Florida is facing with citrus is a disease called citrus greening. … Sorry north Florida, you probably can’t grow this one.
| Characteristic | Production in million metric tons |
| Brazil | 15.62 |
| China | 7.3 |
| European Union | 6.19 |
| United States | 4.66 |
There are so many dead and dying Florida groves like Cee Bee’s that some economists have administered last rites to the state’s $9 billion citrus industry. Ninety percent of the state’s groves are infected by a bacterium called Huanglongbing, which, like oranges, originated in China.
The disease is called huanglongbing or HLB — more commonly known as citrus greening. It has decimated groves in Asia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Florida, and is now spreading in California. Citrus greening can move with alarming speed. … But once a piece of fresh-market citrus is infected, it’s ruined.
Florida is a huge citrus producer, so you’d think it would be easy to get a good, tasty, cheap orange. … Florida oranges are expensive and of such poor quality (I am talking about the locally grown crop) because all the good ones are “exported” to other areas of the country like New York, Minnesota or Maine, for example.
They have a bright orange rind blushed with red, and they’re valued for their pleasingly sweet-tart flavor and consistently deep crimson flesh.
Honey Bell Oranges are premium mail-order Florida oranges that are terrifically juicy and honey-sweet. They can be eaten fresh out of hand, tossed in a salad, or juiced.
Scratch a small area on the skin of the orange.Sniff the exposed spot. You should be able to smell the sweet orange scent, letting you know the orange is sweet.