At Campos del Abuelo, among other fruits and vegetables, we grow oranges. Valencian oranges have always been a family tradition, which is why we love talking about them so much.
This time, 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 we continue, 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 with Eduardo, we tell you why grafting trees is useful.
Now, to what brings us here...
Orange Families
In the July heat, nothing appeals to us more than resting in the shade of a tree. So here we are, in the middle of an orange grove, in the shade of the leaves, waiting for a breeze to temper the summer sun...
Taking advantage of the break, we asked Eduardo to tell us about the orange groups:
Well, regarding oranges, there's the Navel family and the White family. Then there are more families, but essentially, these two are the ones that are commercialized...
This distinction between the Navel and White groups also helps us differentiate between juicing and eating oranges. And although at Campos del Abuelo we always say that any orange can be juiced and any orange can be eaten, in this article we tell you how to tell a juicing orange from an eating orange. Well, let's continue, because within the groups we also have varieties.
Orange Varieties within the Navel Family
At Campos del Abuelo, we cultivate varieties from the Navel family. The Navel orange became popular in Washington, but it is of Brazilian origin. It was first found in Salvador de Bahia around 1820.
Since they became popular in the United States, Navel oranges are so named because in English, the word "navel" means belly button. Eduardo tells us about the varieties of these "belly button" oranges:
We have the Navelina variety, which is the first to arrive. Approximately in late November, but we prefer to start picking them in early December, so they are a bit riper. And it's an orange that lasts perfectly until March.
It's the one we cultivate the most at Campos del Abuelo. It's truly versatile and once it starts producing, it's very generous. That's why not only we choose to grow it: it's also the choice of many fellow farmers.
Navelinas are the result of a natural mutation of Navel oranges that occurred in California. They were christened Navelinas at the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Sciences because they share characteristics with Navel oranges but are slightly smaller in size. Let's continue, as there are more varieties to discover with Eduardo.
Then we have the Lane Late, also an exquisite eating orange that arrives in January and extends until March or even April.
This variety of Navel, curiously, comes from Australia, just like another one of the varieties:
And then we have the Powell, the Navel Powell, which starts from the end of April and is available during May and June in the market and at its peak for eating. After that, there are no more eating oranges. There are more varieties, besides these that we have, but they are all in the same time segment.
In this video we recorded during the Powell orange season, Eduardo talks about the Navel Powell Summer variety and, knife in hand, shows how to enjoy the full flavor and juice of this delicious citrus fruit.
Orange varieties within the White family
We still need to learn about a few more varieties, but within the White group. These, unlike Navel oranges, do not have a navel.
These are the varieties considered ideal for juicing. Oh! And if you need help because your orange juice turns out bitter, we recommend this article where we give you the steps for the perfect orange juice. So let's continue as Eduardo keeps talking about the world of oranges...
So, then we have what is called juicing oranges, from the White group, which, as I said before, mainly has two varieties. Well, there are more, but we have two varieties: the Salustiana, which comes between the winter months, from December to April; and then we have the Valencia Late, which comes between the summer months, from May to July.
The Valencia Late is also very good because it can be stored in the refrigerator and lasts a long time. And those are essentially the varieties we have, which cover the entire spectrum, from November to July. Although there are more Navel varieties and new varieties, these are the ones we know.
This information provided by Eduardo is important to keep in mind that, at Campos del Abuelo, from late October, early November, until July, we have fresh oranges direct from the tree to your home.
Let's now delve a little deeper into Salustiana oranges.
The Valencian origin of Salustiana oranges
On another occasion, Eduardo told us that just two of these oranges make a full glass of juice, and it seems he likes them a lot because he talks about Salustianas like this:
They are oranges that have a much higher amount of juice in their pulp than eating oranges. And that's why they are specific juicing oranges. Although the Salustiana, for example, which is the winter orange, besides having a lot of juice, is also a very good eating orange.
However, it is more commonly sold as juice and it is an orange that is usually exported, because there isn't much of it and it's not very well known here in Spain.
That it is not well-known in Spain is no small detail because it turns out that the Salustiana variety is 100% native to our lands.
As I told you, juicing oranges are of the White variety, and the original orange was actually 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 the field of a gentleman named Salustio.
This gentleman realized that this Valencia, instead of arriving in May, arrived from December onwards. And it was an orange that had more juicing qualities than the Valencia, but it was also sweeter and had a much finer pulp, because, of course, coming in winter, the pulp is much finer; the pulp gets thicker due to the heat.
So, from that point on, it began to be reproduced, and in honor of that gentleman, it is called the Salustiana orange. And so, those are the two varieties that exist. Then there are more varieties of whites, such as the Barberina, which, let's say, is in between the Salustiana and the Valencia Late.
The Salustiana, let's say, finishes in April, and the Barberina is good during the months of April and May. And then we have the modern Valencia varieties that have emerged, such as 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. Knowing the orange families and varieties, a silence has settled. So we took the opportunity to ask Eduardo what his favorite orange is.
Well, my favorite eating orange is a well-ripened Navelina. There's no competition for an orange like that. Because it has everything: the sweetness, the right acidity. It's not too acidic, but it has enough acidity to taste like orange and not just sugary water... it has fine pulp. For me, it's the one that meets the best conditions.
And then, in the family of juicing oranges, undoubtedly the Salustiana is an extraordinary orange for making juice, because it's an orange with a very, very fine pulp, it's practically all juice and it's super sweet.
Bonus: oranges from the Sanguinelli family
To conclude, we must mention this type of orange because, although it is not so common to find, we cannot deny that it is striking.
This orange is known as blood orange, Sanguinelli orange, red orange or bull's blood orange. Both its pulp and its juice are this color, which in turn is due to the fruit's exposure 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 among eating oranges, but it can also be used to make juices of a very interesting color…
Concluding with orange families and varieties...
Our journey with Eduardo through the families and varieties of oranges comes to an end for now. At Campos del Abuelo, we are proud to be part of the Valencian tradition of growing oranges, so we will surely continue writing about their wonderful world.
We hope this information, direct from the field to your home, has helped you 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 farm 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 thank you for reading!
