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Citrus

Botanists think that fewer than eight ancient species are the ancestors of all modern citrus varieties. The evergreen trees are native to East Asia and Australia, where various forms have been cultivated for more than 4000 years. Citrus first reached America in the 1500s, but was not grown widely in California until our state’s major water projects were constructed, bringing an ample supply of irrigation water to the Central Valley. In 2005, there were more than 270,000 acres planted in citrus fruits in California.

guide to citrus fruits

Oranges (Citrus sinensis) are thought to be a hybrid of pomelos and mandarins. Types include Valencia (often used for juice and generally available starting in April), navel (distinctive “belly button” on the blossom end) and blood (deeply red flesh with sweet juice). Cara Cara is a variety of navel orange with salmon-colored flesh. Orange trees produce three essential oils used in perfumery and aromatherapy: oil of orange from the rind, petitgrain oil from the twigs and branches, and neroli from the flowers. Orange blossom water is commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking.

Mandarins (Citrus reticulata) are small pumpkin-shaped fruits with thin skin and easily peeled segments. Satsuma mandarins have loose, leathery skin, while Clementines have thinner, tighter skin. Certain varieties of mandarins are marketed as tangerines, and some people consider the two names synonymous. Pages are often called mandarins, but are actually a cross between a tangelo (a mandarin-grapefruit hybrid) and a Clementine. Canned mandarins are usually bathed in lye after they are peeled and segmented, in order to remove their membranes—a good reason to buy them fresh at the farmers’ market.

Citrons (Citrus medica) look like huge, lumpy lemons. They have sour pulp, very little juice, and extremely fragrant skin. Citron peels are often candied, and fingered citrons, also called “Buddha’s Hands,” are sometimes used as an offering on household altars.

Limes (Citrus hystrix, Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus latifolia) have thin green (sometimes yellow) rinds and green flesh. Lime juice and zest are widely used in cooking and beverages. The common “bartender’s lime” or Bearss lime may be a hybrid of the Key lime and citron. Leaves of Kaffir lime are used in Southeast Asian cuisines.

Lemons (Citrus limon) have been widely used medicinally for thousands of years, as an antidote and as an antiseptic. Lemon juice is used to prevent oxidation of foods that brown after being peeled or sliced, such as apples, avocados, and bananas. Meyer lemons are likely a hybrid of lemon and orange. They have a thinner skin and sweet/tart flesh, and are more perishable than other lemon varieties.

Grapefruits (Citrus paradise) are large with whitish or (more commonly) pink pulp. They are the result of a natural cross between sweet orange and pomelo. In America, grapefruits were popularized in the early 20th century as a “breakfast fruit,” even inspiring their own special spoon. Besides the sour flavor in all citrus fruits (the result of citric acid), they contain a flavonoid that gives them a bitter flavor. This substance, called naringin, can also interact with certain drugs in the human body, resulting in excessively high drug levels. Though sometimes called grapefruits, Oroblancos and Cocktail “grapefruits” are crosses between a pomelo and a mandarin.

Pomelos/pummelos (Citrus maxima) have thick, soft rinds and juicy interiors. They are the largest (and perhaps the oldest) of the cultivated citrus fruits. They are not particularly sweet, but don’t have the characteristic bitterness of grapefruits. Some varieties still have green skin when they are ripe.


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