Sour oranges

[sanzfrancisco]

My cousin has a few citrus trees; orange, grapefruit, and mandarin. The grapefruit and mandarins are quite good, but the oranges are too tart to be enjoyed. They look very good. The skins are on the thin, shiny side. and don't have a lot of pith, and when they are cut open they look vibrantly orange. I expected them to be delicious, but boy was I wrong.
Is there something in the way of nutrients that could help the flavor of these oranges? My cousin lives in a warm sunny climate, so the citrus grows well. Any thoughts?

janice

 

[treeguy]

I don't know anything about anything but Kumquat. They are also more sour than most people like. They have lots of seeds, too. I make a marmalade out of them and get just enough for about a year of toast & marmalade a couple times a week. Ask yourself this, "Self, if this was cooked with equal parts sugar would it be palatable?"

 

[sanzfrancisco]

I don't know anything about anything but Kumquat. They are also more sour than most people like. They have lots of seeds, too. I make a marmalade out of them and get just enough for about a year of toast & marmalade a couple times a week. Ask yourself this, "Self, if this was cooked with equal parts sugar would it be palatable?"

Thanks for the "sweet" reply.

 

[Becky]

I wish I lived in a warm enough climate to be able to help here! There are some varieties of orange that are less sweet than others. Seville oranges, for example, are quite bitter and tend to be used for marmalade rather than eaten fresh.

 

[Chuck]

What is the size of the fruit and is the tree thorny? Also citrus only ripens while still on the tree. It grows from immature to mature to over mature slowly over a period of months. Picking by the color of the fruit is not a way to measure ripeness, only taste is. Also the color of mandarin types varies. Just because it is orange doesn't necessarily mean it is ripe. If I were to guess I would say that you are picking the fruit too soon. Some mandarin types also have different ripening dates than other citrus, sometimes by months.

 

[sanzfrancisco]

I wish I lived in a warm enough climate to be able to help here! There are some varieties of orange that are less sweet than others. Seville oranges, for example, are quite bitter and tend to be used for marmalade rather than eaten fresh.

Well, thanks for the reply anyway. I don't live in a warn climate either, so I guess I will be making marmalade soon.

 

[sanzfrancisco]

What is the size of the fruit and is the tree thorny? Also citrus only ripens while still on the tree. It grows from immature to mature to over mature slowly over a period of months. Picking by the color of the fruit is not a way to measure ripeness, only taste is. Also the color of mandarin types varies. Just because it is orange doesn't necessarily mean it is ripe. If I were to guess I would say that you are picking the fruit too soon. Some mandarin types also have different ripening dates than other citrus, sometimes by months.

Hey Chuck! I guess the oranges are about 3.5 inches in diameter, and I don't know if the tree is thorny, because I don't live near my cousin. When I next get the chance to visit her, I will check the details of the trees. Thanks for your reply. (Are you the Chuck that helped me with my lemon tree?)

 

[Chuck]

Hey Chuck! I guess the oranges are about 3.5 inches in diameter, and I don't know if the tree is thorny, because I don't live near my cousin. When I next get the chance to visit her, I will check the details of the trees. Thanks for your reply. (Are you the Chuck that helped me with my lemon tree?)

I probably am. How is it doing.

 

[sanzfrancisco]

It's doing very well, thanks. I really should have thanked you some time ago, but I'm known to be a little remiss in that area. I will send you a new photo when it stop raining.
Thanks for the reply.
janice