Oranges are a refreshing and healthy fruit, but many people are unaware that there are hundreds of varieties. They can’t be beat as a quick, energy-boosting snack because they’re high in vitamin C and antioxidants. 

So, before you add oranges to your next grocery list, make sure you understand the various orange options available to you and what makes each one unique. Here’s everything you need to know about the popular citrus varieties.

13 types of Orange varieties you must know.

Navel Orange

The most common type of orange eaten by consumers is navel oranges. They are distinguished by a small hole at the top of the fruit resembling a navel.

These oranges are sweet and seedless, making them the ideal snacking orange to eat out of hand. Also, if you like fresh orange juice, you can make it with navel oranges, but because the juice is quite sweet, it can ferment and spoil if not consumed quickly.

Navel oranges are available from November to June, with the best months being January and February.

Mandarin Orange

Mandarin oranges are the tiniest oranges. Mandarins are a popular snack because they have a soft skin that is easy to peel and are almost seedless. Mandarins are also the oranges found in syrup-filled cans.

Mandarin oranges are in season from January to May, but different varieties are in season at different times. Clementines, Satsumas, tangerines, and tangelos are the most common mandarins; more on them below.

Clementines

Clementines are one of the smallest types of oranges, making them an excellent snack, especially for children. They’re round and nearly seedless, with a skin that’s tight but thin and easy to peel. They have a very sweet flavor because they are a cross between mandarin oranges and sweet oranges.

Satsumas

Satsuma mandarins are a cross between pomelo and mandarin oranges. They are distinguished by their flaccid skin, nearly seedless flesh, and distinctively sweet flavor. Satsumas are available from November to February.

Tangerines

Tangerines are small oranges with bright colors. They have slightly looser peels than most oranges, making them easy to peel and eat. Tangerines have a relatively long season, lasting from November to May, making them an easy orange to find.

Tangelo

Tangelos are a cross between tangerines and pomelos. The fruit is extremely juicy, making it ideal for a glass of freshly squeezed juice. Because tangelos’ skin is very tight and can be difficult to peel, they aren’t usually a first-choice for a snacking orange. Tangelos are in season from November to March, with the peak season occurring in January.

Blood Orange

A blood orange may appear to be just another orange from the outside, but once cut into, you can tell the difference. The flesh of the blood orange is deep crimson in color and has a complex flavor. It tastes similar to a sweet navel orange, but with a tart and floral undertone. The blood orange is in season from October to May, with the best months being February and early March.

Seville Orange

Seville oranges, also known as bitter oranges or sour oranges, are famous for their tartness and bitterness — makes sense, doesn’t it? As a result, their flesh is almost never eaten raw. Seville oranges, and particularly their peels, are more commonly used to make marmalades and marinades. If you want to find these oranges, you’ll have to act quickly because they’re only available from December to the beginning of February.

Valencia Orange

Valencia oranges are the most commonly used orange in the production of orange juice. They have an oval shape and a golden exterior, with a balanced sweet-to-tart flavor ratio and juicy flesh on the inside. Valencia oranges have little to no limonin, a natural compound found in oranges that can cause the fruit’s juice to become bitter when exposed to air. As a result, the Valencia orange is used to produce fresh-squeezed orange juice that retains its sweetness even after being exposed to air.

Valencia oranges are in season and available from March to September, but the best time to buy one is from April to June.

Jaffa Orange

Jaffa oranges were once among the most popular oranges, but they have since declined in popularity. The sweet and nearly seedless orange can still be found in the United States, but it is not as common as the navel orange or Valencia orange.

If you come across some of these oranges, keep in mind that they are best purchased between November and March, when they are in season.

Cara Cara Orange

Cara Cara oranges, also known as red-fleshed navel oranges, are exactly that: A variety of sweet navel oranges with pink or red flesh. Because of their color, Cara Cara oranges are easily confused with blood oranges, but they have a distinct flavor. These oranges have a low acidity and are very sweet with a slight tartness to them. From December to April, the Cara Cara orange is in season.

Lima Orange

Lima oranges, also known as sweet oranges or acid-less oranges, have a low acidity and an extremely sweet flavor. These oranges have almost no tartness due to their low acidity. However, because citric acid acts as a preservative, their shelf life is reduced due to the low acid levels. Fortunately, Lima oranges have a long season — from late winter to early spring — so you can keep stocking up.

Bergamot Orange

Because of its bitter and sour flavor, the flesh of the bergamot orange is almost never consumed raw. Instead, the rind of the orange is the most sought-after part of the fruit. The yellow-green peel is used to make Earl Gray tea as well as syrups, sugars, cocktails, and vinaigrettes. From November to January, the bergamot orange is in season.

Author Bio:

Hi, I’m Rana and I blog at ranasrecipe.com. My passion for food began very early in my life. And after managing a cafe, a granola business and helping other food businesses scale up, I found my true calling in creating wonderful recipes so that everyone can enjoy cooking as much as I do! Don’t forget to follow me on my social channels- instagram and pinterest.