Winter brings a wide range of citrus fruits, each with their own unique personality. Some bring the sweetness while others turn up the acidity, with a range of varieties in between. If all you know are your basic oranges, it’s time to get familiar with the bigger family, and to maybe even find a new favorite!
Top Citrus Fruits Available on FreshDirect
Oranges
Season: Fall through early spring
Extra-big, beautiful, seedless, very low in acid and filled with mild, sweet flesh.
Cara Cara
Season: Early winter through mid-spring They might look like regular oranges from the outside, but Cara Cara’s pulp is the color of pink grapefruit, with a flavor sweeter and lower in acid than navels.
Blood Orange
Season: Mid-winter through mid-spring
Its ruby-red flesh has spicy citrus flavors and an intense raspberry pucker. It is not as sweet as a traditional orange, so it goes well with arugula or other strong greens in a salad.
Mandarins
Gold Nugget
Season: Mid-winter through mid-spring A bright-orange beauty with rich, sweet-and-tart flesh. Easy to peel and naturally seedless, they’re perfect as kids’ snacks or lunch bag additions.
Clementine
Season: Mid-fall through mid-spring
A bright little jewel with deep orange flesh and lots of satiny, sweet-tart flavor. The citrus family’s champion for easy peeling, they’re quite often seedless.
Satsuma
Season: Mid-fall through early winter
The satsuma has a mild, sweet flavor that is subtler than other citrus fruits. Petite and elegant, this Japanese beauty is the trophy of the fruit bowl.
Kishu
Season: Early to mid-winter
The size of a walnut, Kishus are seedless, easy to peel, with a very high natural sugar content.
Tangerines
Minneola Tangelo
Season: Early to mid-winter
A cross between the sugared spiciness of a tangerine and the zippy tartness of a pomelo. The juice is sweet and sour, and the uniquely bell-shaped stem end makes it a dream to peel.
Pixie
Season: Early to mid-spring
Pixies have gained a loyal following thanks to their low acid and late peak season. Great for kids, they’re both easy to peel and seedless, making these jewel-toned gems great for lunches and snacks.
Supernova
Season: Late fall through mid-winter
Easy to peel, seedless, and beautifully aromatic while peeling. The supernova is exquisitely sweet with a very slight tangy tangerine taste.
Grapefruits
Red
Season: Year-round
This brilliant ruby-colored fruit has a cherry sweetness, a touch of tartness, and almost no bitterness.
White
Season: Mid-fall through mid-winter
White grapefruit is bursting with juice that has hints of flowers and lemon. The flavor is sweet and bitter and the flesh has a firm, citrusy texture.
Pommelo
Season: Late fall through mid-winter
The brilliant ruby-colored pomelo has a big, bold citrus taste with echoes of a very young red wine. It is sweet and tart but not bitter, with large segments that separate easily. The fragrant skin peels off effortlessly.