Are Navel Oranges Perfect Fruits?
Some consider navel oranges to be the perfect fruit. The softball-size citrus is widely available, easy to eat and store, and when ripe has an almost candy-like sweetness. These oranges are cultivated primarily in Brazil, California, Arizona, and Florida, and they are among the most common and popular of orange varieties.
History
Initially, American navel oranges were cultivated by Eliza Tibbets in Riverside, where they took remarkably well to the mild California climate. Some say the fruit originated from a mutation that occurred in the Mediterranean, while others credit a mutant plant in China. Regardless, the first documented appearance was in Brazil and in 1873, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) obtained clippings from the South American country. Most trees grown today are ancestors of the original Tibbets trees.
Appearance & Flesh
A navel orange is a special type of orange which has a little surprise inside once it is peeled: a partially formed undeveloped fruit like a conjoined twin, located at the blossom end of the fruit. From the outside, the blossom end is reminiscent of a human navel, leading to the common name of "this fruit". The flesh of the fruit is sweet and naturally very juicy. A rare varietal called the Cara Cara orange has a faint hint of strawberries, and flesh which is reddish pink, rather than more classically orange.
Benefits
Navel oranges have several advantages over other orange varieties. Most notably, they contain either no seeds or very few seeds. Because its season runs November through January in California, it makes a popular holiday gift. Most products have a low acid content and a very sweet flavor. They have an unusually thick, pitted skin that is easy to peel. The thick skin also protects the delicate interior segments from bruising. Once peeled, its segments are larger and easier to divide than other types of sweet oranges.
Planting
Because the navel orange is seedless, it can only be propagated through cuttings. Orange farmers take cuttings from their navel orange trees and graft them onto fresh stock periodically to ensure that their orchards stay healthy, and also for the purpose of expansion. Technically, every fruit comes from the same orange tree; the Brazilian orange which generated a spontaneous mutation hundreds of years ago.
Many nurseries sell navel orange trees for this purpose, along with a variety of other citrus fruits, if you want to create a small citrus garden. In addition to yielding edible fruit, many citrus trees also have very aromatic flowers, making them a pleasant addition to the garden.
History
Initially, American navel oranges were cultivated by Eliza Tibbets in Riverside, where they took remarkably well to the mild California climate. Some say the fruit originated from a mutation that occurred in the Mediterranean, while others credit a mutant plant in China. Regardless, the first documented appearance was in Brazil and in 1873, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) obtained clippings from the South American country. Most trees grown today are ancestors of the original Tibbets trees.
Appearance & Flesh
A navel orange is a special type of orange which has a little surprise inside once it is peeled: a partially formed undeveloped fruit like a conjoined twin, located at the blossom end of the fruit. From the outside, the blossom end is reminiscent of a human navel, leading to the common name of "this fruit". The flesh of the fruit is sweet and naturally very juicy. A rare varietal called the Cara Cara orange has a faint hint of strawberries, and flesh which is reddish pink, rather than more classically orange.
Benefits
Navel oranges have several advantages over other orange varieties. Most notably, they contain either no seeds or very few seeds. Because its season runs November through January in California, it makes a popular holiday gift. Most products have a low acid content and a very sweet flavor. They have an unusually thick, pitted skin that is easy to peel. The thick skin also protects the delicate interior segments from bruising. Once peeled, its segments are larger and easier to divide than other types of sweet oranges.
Planting
Because the navel orange is seedless, it can only be propagated through cuttings. Orange farmers take cuttings from their navel orange trees and graft them onto fresh stock periodically to ensure that their orchards stay healthy, and also for the purpose of expansion. Technically, every fruit comes from the same orange tree; the Brazilian orange which generated a spontaneous mutation hundreds of years ago.
Many nurseries sell navel orange trees for this purpose, along with a variety of other citrus fruits, if you want to create a small citrus garden. In addition to yielding edible fruit, many citrus trees also have very aromatic flowers, making them a pleasant addition to the garden.
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