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Orange Varieties
Sizing |
Nutrition Information |
Handling & Storage |
Buying Fresh Oranges |
Cost Matrix
Fresh oranges from California and Arizona are in season the year-round, with two major varieties: Navels and Valencias.
Sunkist Growers markets two principal grades of oranges:
Premium grade
- Bears the Sunkist brand
- Represents the finest quality available, both interior and exterior
Choice grade
- May have exterior defects
- Usually has the interior quality of premium grade oranges
- Considered a good economical purchase for schools and healthcare institutions
Orange Sizing
Sunkist Oranges are shipped in sturdy, standardized paperboard cartons which hold about 40 pounds of fruit.
The size designation, printed on every carton, states the number of oranges in the carton and also gives an indication of the size of the individual fruit within that carton. For example, a carton of "88s" contains 88 medium-size oranges. A carton of "138s" holds 138 small-size oranges, while a carton of "48s" contains 48 very large oranges.
Fresh Orange Nutrition Information
| Serving Size: | 1 medium orange,
Raw (154g) (5.5 oz.) |
| Calories: | 80 |
| Protein: | 1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: | 21 grams |
| Fat: | 0 grams |
| Cholesterol: | 0 milligrams |
| Dietary fiber: | 5 grams |
| Sodium: | 0 milligrams |
| Potassium: | 270 milligrams |
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| % of USRDA | |
| Protein: | 2% |
| Viramin A: | * |
| Vitamin C: | 120% |
| Thiamine: | 6% |
| Riboflavin: | 2% |
| Niacin: | 4% |
| Calcium: | 4% |
| Iron: | * |
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*Contains less than 2% of the USRDA of this nutrient.
** Based on research conducted by the Produce Marketing Association, Newark, Delaware, 1991. Weights are for the edible portion.
| Equivalents of Food Measures |
| 3-4 medium oranges |
= 1 cup juice |
| 2 medium oranges |
= 1 cup bite-size pieces |
| 1 medium orange |
= 10-11 sections |
| 1 medium orange |
= 4 teaspoons grated peel |
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Orange Handling & Storage
- Keep fresh oranges in a cool, well-ventilated area.
- Keep cartons on pallets off the floor for better air circulation.
- The best temperature range for citrus storage is 45° to 48° F.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that produce be washed under clean running tap water before eating.
- Washing helps remove microorganisms and dirt. Detergent should not be used because it is not labeled for food use.
Buying Fresh Oranges
Valencia Oranges
Valencias, also known as "Summer" Oranges, are in season from February through October, with peak supplies in May, June and July.
Characteristics include thinner skins. They are sweet, juicy, with some seeds and are excellent for juicing and eating. Valencia oranges are grown in California and Arizona.
They are never picked until they have fully matured on the tree and are completely ripe inside, regardless of exterior color.
An unusual phenomenon of nature occurs in the ripening process of Valencia oranges. They begin to
turn golden in the winter months, long before they are actually ripe. It takes months of continued
tree ripening before these oranges are ready to pick. As the fruit hangs on the tree during the warm
days of summer, these golden-colored oranges begin to turn green again at the stem end. Experts call
this "regreening". They attribute it to warm ground temperatures which cause the chlorophyll to
return to the surface of the skin. The longer Valencias remain ripening on the tree, the greener they
become.
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Freshly squeezed Valencia juice may be squeezed ahead and refrigerated overnight
without loss of vitamin C or flavor. For best results, cover the juice and refrigerate immediately
after squeezing.
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 Navel Oranges
Navel oranges are in season November through May.
They are considered the finest "eating oranges" in the world.
They are sweet and juicy, with only an occasional seed. Easy to peel, they are outstanding for eating.
Navels have a small navel formation at the blossom end and are known as "winter oranges."
Seedless Navel oranges, as well as all other varieties of citrus fruits, are reproduced by "budding". Seeds of other citrus varieties are planted to grow citrus rootstock known to be disease resistant. When the trees are about two to three years old, the seedlings are budded with a slip from a mature Navel orange tree which produces the very best quality fruit. The bud is grafted into the bark of the seedling by experts.
The bud eventually takes over and becomes a new tree, producing the variety of fruit that was budded into the rootstock.
Click here to see the Orange Cost Matrix
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