We answer the questions that many customers ask us about. When is the orange season or when are the first Valencia mandarins ready? Oranges ripen earlier on the inside than on the outside, i.e. they can be light green on the outside and orange on the inside.
Depending on the soil and the way the oranges are cultivated, some can be sweeter than others. In intensive agriculture they use a lot of nitrogen fertilisers to fatten the oranges faster, this makes the oranges drink a lot of water and have less flavour than other organic oranges.
As they do not use chemicals, they ripen naturally, the skin and flesh are firmer and tighter, they are more aromatic and have a more intense flavour, as they should.
Organic oranges are more compact as they do not use nitrates, they last longer after picking as they do not have so much water, they take longer to decompose and they are tastier.
The same happens with the first mandarins.
When do oranges ripen?
Department stores usually start picking Valencia oranges at the beginning of October, they are light green in colour.
Oranges at this time are growing and therefore lack juice and sweetness, they have a very high acidity, the green colour is not commercial, they are put in chambers with a special gas so that they change colour, which changes to yellow-orange after a few days.
Then they are packed and to keep them looking good for many days, they are sprayed with chemicals and wax so that the skin does not peel, this alters the flavour of the orange, this orange that is picked too soon is growing all the way and obviously lacks juice and has more pulp.
Mandarins being smaller, depending on the variety, ripen earlier than oranges, in Quieronaranjas we have a variety of mandarins that ripens at the beginning of October on the tree.
What is the ideal date to pick the first oranges?
Normally at the beginning of November you can start to pick the first oranges, depending a lot on the soil if they are more sandy or red earth and the way they are cultivated has a lot to do with the way they are grown.
Using natural fertilisers and without nitrates helps a lot so that they have less acid and more sugar levels. That is why in quieronaranjas we are committed to organic farming, we are convinced that it is the best way to grow and preserve the environment.
How many months are the oranges on the tree?
Oranges can be on the tree for many months, depending on the variety.
Orange trees bloom in spring and normally sprout with a lot of flowers, fortunately nature is wise and only the necessary ones are set.
In the summer months, the oranges are fattening, once they acquire the colour and ripen, depending on the variety of oranges, they last more or less time on the tree.
The first oranges to be harvested are of the Navelina variety, this variety depends on the foot or pattern of the tree, the oranges can remain on the tree for a longer period of time until the end of February.
When we finish picking the Navelina orange variety, we pick the Navel Lane orange variety, a variety with a harder skin, which is why it stays longer on the tree. A disadvantage of this variety is that some oranges with the heat come loose from the nipple and fall to the ground.
Luckily we have the variety of oranges of the white group, the Valencia Late, an orange that lasts very well on the tree until July, combining the ripe oranges to pick with the green oranges that have already set in March for the following season, it is a very appreciated orange especially for juice.
In quieronaranjas we have all the varieties to cover the months from October with the first mandarins, until mid-July with Valencia Late oranges.
Outside these dates the oranges are not in season straight from the tree, some shops keep the Valencia Late variety in cold storage and bring them out during the summer until the new season starts.
Now with this free trade in the summer, oranges are brought from other countries with lower incomes and are sold at a lower price and it is not profitable to keep the Valencia late oranges in cold storage as they are of medium size.
Imported oranges are usually of the navel group, fatter and more attractive to the buyer, a serious problem of imported oranges is that they use chemicals banned by the European Union, these oranges can be sold in Europe, this is an incomprehensible attitude for farmers, so it is always best to support farmers in Spain and consume oranges from Valencia. 🙂
If you are interested in tasting our oranges, do not hesitate to visit us. https://quieronaranjas.com/gb/oranges