When Do Oranges Ripen? And the Seven Major Differences from Tangerines!

Orange, also known as sweet orange and liu ding, is a common citrus fruit in our country. It is deeply loved by people for its good taste and high nutritional value, and it is currently planted in many regions. So when do oranges ripen? What is the difference from tangerines?

1. Introduction to oranges:

1. Is the orange a hot-natured or cool-natured fruit?

The orange is a cool-natured fruit. Because the orange is cool in nature and flavor, it has the effects of promoting body fluids, quenching thirst, stimulating appetite, and sobering up, and is suitable for people with a hot constitution to eat.

2. What types of oranges are there?

Sweet orange, blood orange, red orange, navel orange, rock sugar orange.

2. When do oranges ripen?

Because there are many types of oranges, they can be divided into early-, mid-, and late-maturing varieties according to maturity period, and each variety ripens at a different time. However, most ripen and are harvested around October. The ripening times of various oranges are as follows:

1. Ripening time of summer orange: generally it can ripen in June of the following year after planting, and the ripening time will gradually move earlier afterward, generally ripening from March to May.

2. Ripening time of navel orange: generally it will bear fruit only after three years of planting, and it ripens in late November each year.

3. Ripening time of seedless honey orange: generally ripens in late November.

4. Ripening time of blood orange: generally it will bear fruit only after 3 to 5 years of planting, and it ripens from December each year to February of the following year.

5. Ripening time of late honey orange: generally ripens from February to March. If the tree has been growing for many years, it ripens from December to January of the following year.

3. What is the difference between oranges and tangerines?

Because oranges and tangerines generally both ripen and go on the market in October, and if you do not look carefully, the two are easily confused, so when buying, you can distinguish them by the following methods:

Difference 1, different families and genera: the orange is the fruit of the orange tree, a plant of the species sweet orange in the genus Citrus of the family Rutaceae, and has several varieties such as sweet orange, blood orange, red orange, sour orange, and navel orange; the tangerine is the fruit of plants in the genus Citrus of the family Rutaceae, and has varieties such as sweet tangerine, kumquat, sour tangerine, and Xinjin tangerine.

Difference 2, different appearance: the orange is oblong or round in shape, relatively large, with a single fruit weighing about 250g. Its skin is smooth but hard when squeezed, and the skin color is light yellow or orange-yellow. The skin is thick and difficult to peel, and generally it can only be cut open with a knife; the tangerine is oblate or round in shape, small, with a single fruit weighing about 200g. Its skin is smooth and soft when squeezed, and the color is pale yellow, dark red, or vermilion, and it is very easy to open.

Difference 3, different taste: the orange fruit is plump and full of juice, and tastes moderately sweet and sour; the tangerine fruit is smaller and can be eaten in small segments, and tastes a little sour.

Difference 4, different warm and cool nature: the orange is a cool-natured fruit and has the effect of clearing internal heat; the tangerine is a hot-natured fruit, and eating too much can easily cause internal heat.

Difference 5, different effects: the orange is sweet in taste and cool in nature, and has the effects of aiding digestion, stopping vomiting, relieving cough, resolving phlegm, and regulating qi, and can treat conditions such as vomiting, abdominal bloating, constipation, and chest tightness; the tangerine is warm in nature and has the effects of stimulating appetite and relieving cough and moistening the lungs, and mainly treats symptoms such as dry mouth and thirst, loss of appetite, and lung-heat cough.

Difference 6, different nutritional value: the orange contains rich organic acids, vitamins, fruit acids, and various mineral elements, can supplement the nutritional elements needed by the human body, quickly help the human body digest, and achieve the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying; the tangerine contains rich vitamin C and citric acid and has the effect of beautifying and nourishing the skin.

Difference 7, different price: orange varieties are diverse, at about 10 to 15 yuan per jin; tangerine varieties are also relatively many, with a price of about 4 to 10 yuan per jin.

In general, oranges mostly ripen and go on the market around October, but because varieties differ, the ripening times also differ slightly. In addition, although oranges and tangerines look similar, the two also have certain differences in family and genus, appearance, taste, and other aspects, so if you do not know how to distinguish them when purchasing, you can identify them by the methods above.