Two is Better than One: 5 Hybrid Citrus Fruits You Have to Try

What's better than your favorite citrus fruits? Your favorite fruits combined! Check out these unique hybrid citrus fruits that you have to try.

Have you ever wished you could have the sweetness of an orange mixed with the size of a grapefruit? The idea of cross-breeding fruits, including citrus, is nothing new and dates back hundreds of years as farmers worked to create strains that were hardy against pests and grew better in native soil.

As genetic science advanced, people began mixing different types of fruits to create hybrids that had characteristics of both. Some of your favorite fruits are likely hybrids and you don’t even know it. We’re going to take a look at some of the most famous hybrid fruits available.

Are these on your weekly shopping list?

The Bloodiest of Hybrid Fruits: The Blood Lime

It might seem like something from your deepest nightmare, but the Blood Lime is a hybrid between a red finger lime and an Ellendale mandarin orange. What makes this fruit stand out is the dark red color on the outside and an orange mixed color on the inside.

You might think it’s sour given the lime, but it actually has a flavor that is both sweet and tangy. They make a great snack or mixed in with a salad. Mix with a blood orange from a fresh blood orange tree for the perfect Halloween fruit plate.

Peacotums Aren’t Just Peachy

There are many peach hybrids, but Peacotum stands out because it’s actually a mix of three different fruits. It’s a beautiful melding of peach, apricot, and plum that delivers a peach-like flesh consistency, but with the flavors of plum and apricot.

This tasty Frankenstein of fruit are wonderful by themselves or when sliced and added to a fruit salad or a delicious smoothie. While you’ll see plenty of dual fruit hybrids, this tribrid fruit was created by Zaiger Genetics.

Pineberry: The White Strawberry

One of the defining characteristics of a strawberry is the bright red color, but this hybrid of a common strawberry and a unique strawberry native to Hawaii is a stark contrast. The Pineberry’s white exterior with red seeds makes for a unique sight.

The flavor has a hint of pineapple to create something truly unique to the world of hybridization. The bright green stems plus the white flesh is the perfect combination for this petite berry.

Oroblanco is a Sweeter Grapefruit

This seedless fruit is a mix of pomelo and a tetraploid grapefruit. It’s less acidic and bitter than your standard grapefruit, but it’s also smaller. Developed by the University of California in 1981, the round fruit has a thinker skin than a grapefruit and is eaten like an orange.

The tasty flesh is separated by a white membrane that is very bitter.

The Tangelo Looks Like a Bell

You’ll see tangelos commonly in grocery stores are a mix of a tangerine and a grapefruit. The result is a bell-shaped fruit often called a honeybell. It has a loose skin that makes it much easier to peel than a standard orange and lacks the bitterness of a grapefruit.

The bell-like appearance comes mostly from an elongated nipple at the top of the fruit.

Only the Tip of the Hybrid Iceberg

These are five of the most unique hybrid fruits, but there are many more. Scientists and farmers create new varieties every year and improve existing fruits. People throughout the world eat them and often have no clue they’re eating a hybrid.

Try our seasonal citrus box while its available...the Craft Citrus Club!

Our Rio box is a 15-lb curated box of our fresh-harvested citrus from South Texas. The fruit is NOT gassed, rather it is tree-ripened. Our season runs from Nov-May for  oranges, grapefruit and mandarins.

Our Grande box is a 30-lb box of either fresh-harvested Rio Red Grapefruit or Sweet Oranges from South Texas.