(stock photo) This season in particular, California navel oranges will be tastier than ever, as a beneficial delay in the Central Valley harvest has boosted the fruit's sweetness.
New year promises to be sweet for orange lovers
Delicious Reddit

JANUARY 17, 2006
By Happynews Staff

The signature warmth of the year-round California sun often makes it hard to decipher one season from another. However, there is one time of year in the Golden State that is unmistakable, the start of the navel orange season. California's ideal growing conditions -- warm days, cool nights and rich soil that is unique to the West Coast-provide sensational bushels of juicy navel oranges every winter, sparking a distinctive time of celebration.
This season in particular, California navel oranges will be tastier than ever, as a beneficial delay in the Central Valley harvest has boosted the fruit's sweetness. "The oranges were slower to acquire the rich color associated with our fruits this year, so we picked them a few weeks later than normal," noted grower and CEO of the California Citrus Growers Association, Mike George. "By allowing the oranges extra time to mature on the trees, the fruit took on a sweeter taste that families are already enjoying."
California's pleasant climate is only half of the equation for this year's sweet crop. Growers, some with generations of experience, carefully tend to the crops to ensure vibrant colors and a juicy, robust flavor. Growing is a family tradition, steeped in a heritage as rich as the California soil for some growers. The sweetness and premium quality of the navel orange crop this year is evidence of the hard work and care put forth by the California growers during the off-season.
Chef Jill Davie, of Josie in Santa Monica, CA notes, "Oranges have such a unique versatility, this is a great time of the year for experimentation with sweet and savory pairings, creating fresh citrus marinades and brightening up a plate with the intense flavors and rousing colors of navel oranges." Visit your favorite cooking website for exciting recipes featuring fresh California citrus. Readers can find some of Jill Davie's favorite citrus recipes at sunkist.com.
Always a family favorite because of their invigorating taste and natural portability, navel oranges are a tantalizing and nutritious snack or the ideal, refreshing accompaniment to any meal. Perfect in salads, sauces and beverages, oranges also offer numerous health benefits. Another good reason to devour oranges this season, one medium size navel orange contains as much fiber as seven cups of corn flakes, 130 percent of the recommended daily value (RDV) of Vitamin C and is a good source of other vitamins and minerals that bolster the immune system and contribute to overall better health.