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. Not surprisingly, Florida is the nation’s number one orange producer with around seventy percent of the market. 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
Also known as the “King of Juice Oranges,” the Valencia is the most widely grown of the Florida oranges. It accounts for about half of the total Florida citrus crop. The fruit itself has a thin, pebbly rind, sweet juicy flesh and it is nearly seedless. As you may have guessed from its catchy sobriquet, the Valencia is a juicing orange. Over ninety-five percent of the Valencia crop is used for processing.
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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.
