Groups and varieties of oranges

At Campos del Abuelo we dedicate ourselves, among other fruits and vegetables, to the cultivation of oranges. The Valencian orange has always been a tradition in the family , which is why we like to talk about them so much.

On this occasion we asked Eduardo, founder of Campos del Abuelo, to tell us about groups and varieties. So let's see what our experienced citrus grower has to tell us.

Before continuing, a recommendation: if you want to know more about orange cultivation in Valencia, you can read this article about Valencian oranges . And one more fact: for orange trees to bear fruit of any of the varieties we will learn about today, they must be grafted. In this article, also together with Eduardo, we tell you what grafting trees is for .

Now, let’s get to what we’re here for…

Orange families

In the heat of July, nothing makes us want to rest more than in the shade of a tree. So here we are, in the middle of an orange grove, in the shade of the leaves and waiting for a breeze to cool off the summer sun…

Taking advantage of the break, we asked Eduardo to tell us about the groups of oranges:

Let's see, in oranges, there is the Navel family and the Blanca family. Then there are more families, but the ones that are mainly marketed are these two…

This distinction between the Navel and White groups also helps us to differentiate juice oranges from table oranges. And although at Campos del Abuelo we always say that any orange can be made into juice and any orange can be eaten, in this article we will tell you how to differentiate a juice orange from a table orange . Well, let's continue, because within the groups we also have varieties.

Varieties of oranges within the Navel family

At Campos del Abuelo, we grow varieties from the Navel family. The Navel orange became popular in Washington , but is of Brazilian origin . It was first found in Salvador de Bahia around 1820.

As they became popular in the United States, Navel oranges are called that because in English the word navel means navel . Eduardo tells us about the varieties of these navel oranges:

We have the Navelina variety , which is the first to arrive. Approximately at the end of November , but we like to start picking them at the beginning of December, so that they are a little more ripe. And it is an orange that lasts perfectly until March.

This is the variety we grow the most at Campos del Abuelo. It is truly versatile and once it comes into production, it is very generous . That is why we are not the only ones who choose to grow it: it is also the choice of many fellow farmers.

Navelinas are the result of a natural mutation of the Navel that occurred in California. They were named Navelinas by the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Sciences because they share characteristics of the Navel but are slightly smaller in size. Let's continue, there are more varieties to discover with Eduardo.

Then we have the Lane Late , also an exquisite table orange that comes in the month of January and lasts until March or even April.

This variety of Navel, curiously, comes from Australia, like another variety:

And then we have the Powell, the Powell Navel , which starts to ripen at the end of April and is also on the market during the months of May and June and is in its prime for eating. After that, there are no more table oranges. There are other varieties, apart from the ones we have, but they are all in the same time frame.

In this video that we recorded during the Powell orange season, Eduardo talks about the Powell Summer Navel variety and, knife in hand, shows how to take advantage of all the flavor and juice of this delicious citrus fruit.

Varieties of oranges within the white family

We still have to learn about a few more varieties, but within the group of the Whites, these, unlike the Navels, do not have a navel.

These are the varieties that are considered ideal for making juice. Oh! And if you need help because your orange juice is bitter, we recommend this article in which we give you the steps for the perfect orange juice . Let's continue then as Eduardo continues talking about the world of oranges...

Then we have the juice orange , from the white group, which as I said before, basically has two varieties. Let's see, there are more, but we have two varieties: the Salustiana , which is the one that comes between the winter months, in December and April; and then we have the Valencia Late , which comes between the summer months, from May to July.

Valencia Late is also very good because it can be stored in the fridge and lasts quite a long time. And these are basically the varieties that we have, which cover the whole spectrum, from November to July. Although there are more varieties of Navels and new varieties, these are the ones that we know.

This information that Eduardo gives us is important to keep in mind that, at Campos del Abuelo, from the end of October, beginning of November, until July we have fresh oranges direct from the tree to your home.

Let's now learn a little more about Salustianas oranges.

The Valencian origin of Salustianas oranges

On another occasion Eduardo told us that with just two oranges of this variety you can make a full glass of juice , and it seems that he likes them a lot because this is how he talks to us about the Salustianas:

These are oranges that have a much greater amount of juice in their pulp than table oranges. And that is why they are specifically made for juice. Although the Salustiana, for example, which is the winter orange, apart from having a lot of juice, is also a very good orange to eat.

However, it is sold more as juice and it is an orange that is normally exported , because there is not much of it and it is not very well known here in Spain.

The fact that it is not known in Spain is not a minor detail because it turns out that the Salustiana variety is 100% native to our lands.

As I told you, the juice oranges are of the Blanca variety and it is an orange that in reality the orange that was there was the Valencia Late... And what happened was that there was a natural mutation in a field in a town in Valencia , a small town in Valencia called Enova, in a field belonging to a man called Salustio.

This gentleman realized that this Valencia , instead of coming in the month of May, came from December onwards . And that it was an orange that had better juice than the Valencia, but it was also sweeter and had a much finer pulp , because of course, when it comes in winter, the pulp is much finer, the pulp becomes thicker due to the heat.

So, from there, it began to be reproduced and in honor of that gentleman, it is called the Salustiana orange. And so, there are two varieties. Then there are more white varieties, such as the Barberina , which, let's say, is in the middle between the Salustiana and the Valencia Late.

The Salustiana, let's say, ends in April and the Barberina is good during the months of April and May. And then we have the modern Valencia varieties that have come out, like the Delta and other types of varieties, but they are all more or less very similar, all from the same family.

The heat doesn't let up, but the conversation keeps flowing. Now that we know the families and varieties of oranges, a silence has remained floating. So we take advantage and ask Eduardo which is his favorite orange.

Well, look, my favourite orange for the table is a ripe Navelina . An orange like that has no competition. Because it has everything: it has the right sweetness, the right acidity. It is not very acidic, but it has the right amount of acidity so that it tastes like an orange and does not taste like sugar water… it has fine pulp. For me, it is the one that meets the best conditions.

And then, in the juice family, the Salustiana is undoubtedly an extraordinary orange for making juice, because it is an orange with very, very fine pulp, it is practically all juice and it is super sweet.

Bonus: Blood oranges

To close, we have to name this type of orange because, although it is not so common to find it, we cannot deny that it attracts attention.

This red orange is known as blood orange , red orange or bull blood orange. Both its pulp and juice are this color, which is due in turn to the fruit being exposed to low night temperatures.

This color is explained by the presence of anthocyanins , natural pigments that not only give the intense red, but also contain a large amount of antioxidants. 

We can find it between February and May and, although it is more popular in Italy, there are areas in Spain where it is produced.

It is considered a table orange , but it can also be used to make juices with a very interesting color…

Closing with the families and varieties of oranges…

The journey with Eduardo through the families and varieties of oranges is now coming to an end . At Campos del Abuelos we are proud to be part of the Valencian tradition of growing oranges , so we will surely continue writing about its wonderful world.

We hope that this information from the field directly to your home has helped you to clear up doubts or learn something new. Remember that by visiting our online fruit and vegetable store you can purchase seasonal products directly from the field to the consumer.

You can customize your box as you wish and receive it at home in less than 24 hours without any post-harvest chemicals.

Until next time and thanks for reading!