Kitchen

[hopi]

They are never in stores and barely can find oranges grown in the US and if they are the peels are not a nice orange color any more.

[Largoman]

Florida oranges do not begin to ripen until mid November. The first being the navel oranges.

92% of Florida orange groves have been wiped out by a disease called citrus greening.; We have gone from producing 244 million boxes of oranges a year to just 12 million a year.

To add to the problem, hurricane Milton destoyed another 70% of groves.

So, that's where all the Florida oranges have gone.

[Group 5 minus 1]

@Largoman : Thank you for that info. We did not know that.

[CJC]

@Largoman ...and developers have bought out the rest. 

[CalminHeart]

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@hopi wrote:

They are never in stores and barely can find oranges grown in the US and if they are the peels are not a nice orange color any more.

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I'm waiting for U.S. citizens to line up for jobs to work in fields since those who usually do aren't allowed to anymore. 

[walkingal]

This is not the season for citrus.  Citrus season, especially organges and grapefruits, is November through May.  It's a hit or miss for good fruit in my grocery store whether it's in season or not for most fruit. So, I know what you mean.  I now only buy fruit that's in season.  When I'm really craving good citrus during the Winter, I'll order from one of the citrus growers in Vero Beach.  .  

[deeva]

We still have local growers here in Arizona. I buy from them starting in December. The oranges taste much better than the stuff sold in grocery stores. 

[brandiwine]

It's not citrus season on the east or west coast.  Hang in there!  It won't be too long

[Kachina624]

@hopi.  All oranges come from the tree sort of mottled in color and not at all beautiful, so they are all dyed orange.

I hear orange groves in Florida have been wiped out to make room for new housing development in addition to loss due to disease and hurricanes.

[Pittfanatic]

Largoman is correct.  I live in Palm Harbor, FL, just a few miles north. I also have a condo in Stuart, FL, on the other coast.  There is a citrus procesessing plant that we pass on our drive there and in the past the trucks would be lined up full of oranges starting in November and ending in April. No more.  Greening disease has wiped out many groves.  And development has gotten rid of thousands more.  The current generation in many farming and ranching families is just not interested in staying in the orange growing business.  All of the orange trees that you used to see on the way to Disney World are gone.  And they won't be back.