Ever bought a bag of oranges only to find half of them dry or moldy a few days later? In this post, we’ll break down how to select the best oranges at the store — and the most efficient ways to store them so they stay juicy and fresh for longer.
(This post is an excerpt from The Produce Nerd’s Grocery Guide. You can learn more about the Grocery Guide, which covers this information for 55 different produce items, with input from 26 crop-specific companies HERE.)
What to look for when picking the best quality oranges?
- Firm, smooth oranges, that have the orange color evenly distributed throughout
Common issues to avoid when selecting oranges?
- Blue/green mold (especially when buying in bulk)
- Skin pitting
Are there any new cultivars that are being grown that might have different quality indicators or common issues to look out for?
- There are a lot of exciting cultivars being grown and introduced to the market, such as pink-fleshed oranges. Based on the different characteristics of each cultivar, there are different criteria to look for, but the overall fruit firmness and smoothness should be the same (unless specifically specified otherwise).
- There have been bulk bags advertised and marketed as Heirloom Navel oranges, and are some of the best oranges I have eaten from the grocery store in years! They are actually worth buying and eating fresh, instead of using them to juice!
What is the best way to store oranges at home?
- I suggest storing them in the refrigerator. Oranges grown in California and Arizona do have the potential for chilling injury, but that would only affect your fruit if you bought them when not in season or if you plan on storing them for a long period of time. Oranges are so susceptible to blue/green mold that if you buy them in bulk and store them on the counter, you will be wasting fruit because it will go bad so quickly.
Are there any common things that consumers should look for not mentioned above?
- Oranges do not continue ripening after harvest, so they will not get sweeter if left on the counter.
- Oranges can be treated with ethylene to change the peel color from green to orange, so their skin color is not necessarily indicative of their ripeness.
What is your favorite way to eat and prepare oranges?
- Peel them and eat them! I prefer to eat oranges on their own, but if I mix them with another fruit, it is commonly kiwifruit and/or banana.
If you enjoyed this post, you might also be interested in: