How to Tell How Sweet an Orange Is (5 Steps)
An orange packs a lot of nutrition into its juicy, edible pulp. The average orange provides vitamin C, folate, thiamine, fiber, potassium and about 60 calories of wholesome energy. The fat-free, sodium-free fruit also contains natural sugars, giving the orange a sweet, dessert-like quality. Find the sweetest oranges in your grocer's aisles or at local farmer's market stands by evaluating each orange's physical characteristics, such as color and weight.
Instructions
-
Browse for oranges with a slight greenness or yellow tint to the skin. While you might associate sweet, juicy ripeness with bright orange skin, the yellow-orange and green-orange fruits are among the juiciest, sweetest oranges, and are fully ripened.
-
Look for the smallest oranges in the group. According to "Haley's Hints" by Graham and Rosemary Haley and David McNiven, smaller oranges have a sweeter taste in general.
-
Smell the orange. The ripest, sweetest oranges strongly emit the scent of their sweet juices.
-
Choose extra juicy, sweet oranges by comparing similarly sized small oranges by individual weight. The heavier oranges contain more juice.
-
Select a firm, round orange free of softened, puffy or creased spots, which indicate damage that could affect your orange's sweetness. Don't worry about light scratches or marks on the skin, however; Florida oranges rub against tree trunks and branches in the windy weather, but these marks, called "wind-scarring," don't affect the oranges' taste.
Produce & Pantry
- Can I Use Expired Molasses?
- Difference Between Raw Chocolate Powder & Cocoa Powder
- How to Freeze Homemade Vegetable Stock (3 Steps)
- Can I Peel Tomatoes & Freeze Them Without Blanching?
- When was Juicy Fruit introduced?
- The Best Way to Clean & Store Iceberg Lettuce
- How Much of an Onion's Weight Is Lost From Cooking?
- The Best Apples for Fresh Juice
- Frozen Vegetables Vs. Fresh
- Why Does Bread Go Moldy Quicker in a Bread Bin?
Produce & Pantry
- Bakeware
- Baking Basics
- Baking Techniques
- Cooking Techniques
- Cooking Utensils
- Cookware
- Easy Recipes
- Green
- Produce & Pantry
- Spices
