Orange of the year award

[spinner]

Oranges are one of my very favorite foods. Over the course of this past winter/spring, I 've eaten many varieties. Here's my winner:

Gold Nugget mandarins!

They are seedless, easy to peel, low acid, and really sweet and juicy, and they have a long season just now ending. I like them better than Sumos. Even my husband, who is not an orange lover, eats these. After he tried one, he said it was the best orange he'd ever eaten. Still have some navals on hand but the gold nuggets are going first. Okay all you fellow orange lovers, what's your winner for the season now (sadly) coming to a close?

[Wonderbugg]

I haven't tried those.
Yum!
I love oranges.
I can peel super fast since starting this plant based diet.
I'll keep my eye out for those.
I keep a can of 100% frozen orange juice in the freezer.
It's perfect for sweetening dressings etc.

[Vegankit]

I adore Temple oranges - the juiciest oranges with perhaps the most seed - which is why they are so rare that many people have never eaten one.

And since I haven't seen Temple oranges in a few years - I would have to give Cara Cara oranges the Orange of the Year award. They have a more complex flavor than navel oranges, they even beat out the heritage navel oranges in flavor.
Sadly the season is over for Cara Cara oranges.

[debknott]

My favorite orange lately is the Cara Cara. It is absolutely delicious!

Deborah

[surrealchereal]

My fav is a Satsuma tangerine. I just tried blood oranges this year and I love them!

[SunnyMcDGal]

There are delicious Organic Mandarin Oranges available right now at Trader Joe. Seedless, juicy, sweet and available in bags.

[spinner]

The navel oranges this winter have been outstanding, juicy, full of flavor. I read that there has been a problem with the orange crop this year (bacteria infestation causing greening) but the navels (and all the delicious other varieties) have been exceptionally yummy. My husband and I each eat one or two oranges daily. I remove the zest before peeling and use that on oatmeal, salads, sweet potatoes, whatever. Yum! And to think I used to throw it away!

[Vegankit]

The navel oranges this winter have been outstanding, juicy, full of flavor. I read that there has been a problem with the orange crop this year (bacteria infestation causing greening) but the navels (and all the delicious other varieties) have been exceptionally yummy. My husband and I each eat one or two oranges daily. I remove the zest before peeling and use that on oatmeal, salads, sweet potatoes, whatever. Yum! And to think I used to throw it away!

Spinner - do try the Cara Cara oranges - they are a navel variant with less acid and a more complex flavor. I like your idea of zesting the orange peel to use in other dishes. Do you ever store the zest for later use? If you do how to you store it? I have in the past froze some zest, but I found the process messy.

[spinner]

I like Cara Cara but they have a somewhat grapefruit flavor which my husband finds offputting. Still, they are quite good. I do freeze the zest. I put fresh zest in a small sandwich baggie, push the air out, seal, and flatten the bag so it's easier to just break off a bit of it as needed. This time of year, fresh is wonderful.

[Vegankit]

I like Cara Cara but they have a somewhat grapefruit flavor which my husband finds offputting. Still, they are quite good. I do freeze the zest. I put fresh zest in a small sandwich baggie, push the air out, seal, and flatten the bag so it's easier to just break off a bit of it as needed. This time of year, fresh is wonderful.

Yes, that's what I did - freeze zest in a small sandwich baggie. I also tried leaving it out to dry but I found it didn't seem to taste as good.

[spinner]

I have an early 2018 contender: navel oranges! Usually they are good but not as juicy or flavorful as some of the others, but for some reason, this year we have had the best navels ever. I bought a big sack at Sam's Club and they are HUGE (grapefruit size!), juicy, full of flavor, delicious! I don't know if they are from Florida or California, but wow are they yummy.

How is your orange season doing?

[Vegankit]

Sadly Cara Cara oranges, and probably navel too since they are closely related are nearing the end of their season. You were lucky to find such wonderful navel oranges.