The Zest is Yet to Come: Citrus Arrives at the Market!

This time of year, it starts being all about the citrus! If you’ve been to the Chico Certified Farmers’ Market lately, you’ve probably noticed that citrus fruit is beginning to show up pretty and plentiful. With its fluorescent colors, bright aroma, and tart taste, it’s hard not to want to stock up. The good news is, there’s no reason not to!  Our local farmers are ready with all of your citrus needs!

Below is a guide with some of the common citrus you’re likely to find at the farmers’ market. These fruits are most readily available in late fall to early spring, so no rush. With the season is just starting, you’ll have to time play with them all!

Oranges

Oranges are among the most commonly consumed fruit in the United States. They have a thick orange skin and juicy pulpy inner segments. There are so many types of oranges it may be hard to choose one! The most common include Navel; with it’s distinctive “belly button”, it’s easy to peel and is popular for snacking. Or there’s the Valencia, which is the most commonly used orange for juicing.

Some fancier, more exciting options are: The Cara Cara, with its pretty pink flesh, it is less acidic than a common orange and has a slight berry flavor. The Blood Orange is a crowd favorite because of its deep red flesh. They tend to be more bitter but less acidic than a regular orange, and look beautiful on pretty much anything!

Mandarins and Tangerines

These little guys can be hard to tell apart if you don’t know what you’re looking for. All are a small orange colored citrus fruit that seem similar in taste, but with a little knowledge, you will find some lovely subtle differences. Let’s start here: All tangerines are classified as a type of mandarin, but not all mandarins are tangerines. Sounds a little confusing, right? Here are the basics:

Mandarin
A mandarin is a smaller relative of the orange. Mandarins have a thin smooth rind that’s easy to peel and separate into sections. They also have a sweeter, gentler taste, and are more tender than a tangerine.

Tangerine
A tangerine is a variety of a mandarin. While sweet, they tend to be more tart and seedy than a mandarin. They also have a thicker, and usually darker skin that can sometimes appear reddish-orange.

Lemons and Limes

Lemons
Perhaps the best known aromatic in the citrus family, lemons are a magical little fruit. They were first harvested not for eating or cooking, but as an antidote for poisons! They have many other uses including preventing oxidization, cleaning, and soothing multiple health conditions. They were also grown for a long period of time strictly for ornamental purposes.

The most common type of lemon is the Eureka. It is an oblong fruit with a golden yellow color and thick white skin. Meyer lemons are a hybrid of a lemon and an orange. They have a thinner skin and sweet but tart flesh with a strong aroma. They are usually less acidic than Eureka lemons.

Limes 
Limes are right there beside lemons when it comes to being well known and aromatic. They have tart green (sometimes yellow) flesh and thin, green rinds. The lime is a great versatile fruit because it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes!

Persian limes are the most common type of lime found in America. They are large and juicy, and very adaptable. They are tart, but less tart than the Key Lime. The Key Lime, also known as a Mexican lime, is small and round with yellowish-green skin and a distinctive aroma.

To get the most out of your lemons and limes, use the zest, the juice, and the fruit!

Grapefruits and Pomelos

Grapefruit
A grapefruit is a large citrus fruit with pulp that ranges from white to red (often pink). They are a natural cross between sweet orange and pomelo. The most recognizable trait of a grapefruit is its bitter flavor. While most citrus is tart or sour, grapefruits contain a flavonoid called naringin that gives them this unique bitterness. It is said that the redder the pulp, the sweet the grapefruit.

Pomelo
Pomelos are the largest (sometimes as big as a bowling ball!) and oldest of the cultivated citrus fruits. They are not very sweet, but also don’t contain the characteristic bitterness of grapefruits. They have green or yellow skin, a thick pith, and can be peeled and eaten by hand.