Citrus Season: Discover the Best Time to Buy Your Favorite Fruits

Wondering when your favorite citrus fruits are in-season? Find out if it's citrus season near you and when you can expect certain citrus fruits to be ready.

Do you enjoy eating seasonal produce?

If yes, that's awesome. When you buy fruits and vegetables during their peak seasons, you get more natural nutrients. That's thanks to the reduced need for pesticides and chemicals and the short transit times from farms to your table. 

Now, if you're an avid citrus-eater, you may be wondering about the best times to buy your favorite citrus fruits.

Well, wonder no more. Here's everything you need to know about citrus season!

When Is Citrus Season?

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when someone says "lemons and lemonade stands"?

Is it summer? It's hard not to associate the two when you think about how refreshing the perfect lemonade is during a hot day.  

But even though you might see limes and lemons all year long in grocery stores, and most especially during summer, most citrus varieties are actually winter fruits. 

Don't believe us? Here are some common citrus fruits are in-season during the winter months.

Clementines

Also known as "Christmas orange," clementines are a cross between a mandarin and sweet orange. They're small, sweet, easy to peel and make a great snack for kids. 

So when is clementine season? If you want to get them at their sweetest and juiciest, it's best to buy them from November to January.

Blood Oranges

As their name suggests, blood oranges are crimson on the inside. They have a tart to semi-sweet taste, which makes them perfect for cocktails and preserves.

Blood orange season is from December to April. Tip: Store them in the fridge and they'll last for about two weeks. 

Grapefruits 

Like lemons, you'll see grapefruits in grocery stores year-round. But there are varieties such as the ruby red grapefruit and dark red grapefruit which are best purchased in the winter. 

To be specific, ruby reds are in season from October to April. Dark red grapefruits are in season from November to March.

Kumquats

Can you think of other citrus fruits you can eat the peel and all?

Kumquats are unique because it's their peel that's sweet and not their flesh. To get the best kumquats, you should buy them from February to April.

In-Season Citrus Fruits: Good for You and the Environment

Buying in-season citrus fruits is a great way to eat more sustainably. And your wallet will thank you, too.

You save more by not buying out of season fruits and veggies shipped in from abroad. And you reduce your carbon footprint since the best ways to get in-season produce is to buy them from local farms and businesses or to grow them yourself.

In-Season Citrus

Check out the rest of our blog for citrus tips, advice, and recipes including helpful information about citrus fruits and how to cultivate and grow healthy citrus trees.

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.