While certain citrus fruits hit their peak seasonality in winter, many can be enjoyed year-round. From vibrant salad toppers to sweet chocolate-dipped treats, any you choose will add brightness to your dish. But how? And which ones? Good news: We’ve created this handy list of citrus fruits, including 10+ varieties to know and the best ways to incorporate them in recipes.
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Dekopon Citrus
During winter months, dekopon citrus season is short and sweet — so get them while you can! The flavor is sweet and juicy with unique honey, berry and floral flavors. Seedless and easy to peel, they’re perfect for eating on their own.
Cara Cara
With a lovely pink hue that comes from lycopene, Cara Cara oranges are very sweet and have hints of berry and floral flavors. They’re perfect for segmenting due to their low amount of seeds and make a tangy-sweet addition to smoothies or your favorite yogurt.
Blood Oranges
Blood oranges have a deep-red fruit flesh. You’ll taste sweet notes of floral and a hint of raspberries. They can elevate both sweet and savory dishes. Try them in a roasted beet, fennel and citrus salad.
Minneola
These larger oranges combine the tangy, floral acidity of grapefruit with the honeyed flavor of tangerines. Enjoy on its own or tossed into green salads. The flesh can also be chopped into salsa or incorporated into dressing vinaigrettes.
Super Sweet Navel Oranges
Cultivated from classic “old line” orange groves, Super Sweet Navel oranges are intensely aromatic, full of sweetness and low in acidity. They’re perfect for adding to fruit salads or making a brightly scented orange curd to can and preserve for year-round enjoyment.
Pummelo
Also known as Chinese grapefruits, Pummelos are the largest of the citrus fruits, ranging in size from a small cantaloupe to as large as a basketball. These are the perfect balance of sweet and tart without the bitterness of similar grapefruit varieties. Enjoy alone by the slice or in salads.
Grapefruit
Tart with a hint of sweetness, grapefruits are perfect for topping with brown sugar and brûléeing with a culinary torch for a caramelized crunch. Their tartness is a refreshing contrast to the brûlée's sweet crunch. Add a little crème fraîche for an extra special treat.
Pink Variegated Lemons
These lemons have a unique yellow-and-green-striped rind with a pink fruit flesh. They’re less tart than yellow lemons and their blush-pink flesh adds a fruity and floral note. Thinly slice as a garnish for desserts or muddle with mint to flavored water.
Satsuma Mandarins
Satsumas are a perfect snack for kids (or anyone, really) because they’re small, juicy, insanely sweet and easy to peel. They add a pleasant pop of sweetness to fruit salads.
Meyer Lemons
Bright and thin-rinded, Meyer lemons are pleasantly tart with a balance of sweetness. Try baking them into lemon bars or making tangy preserved lemons. Because of their natural sweetness, you can also make a refreshing lemon gelato or ice cream.
Clementines
Clementines have a great balance of acid that favors sweetness with lots of honey flavor. Seedless and bite-sized, they’re perfect for dipping in chocolate fondue. Or thinly slice and serve with a warm cinnamon stick as a simple dessert.
Mandarin Oranges
Mandarins are sweet with a less acidic flavor than oranges. Seedless and so easy to peel, they make a great on-the-go snack. Thinly sliced Mandarins are delicious for tossing into salads, placing over roasted fish or using as a garnish for a citrus cake or tart.
Navel Oranges
Navel oranges have a bright flavor with a touch of acidity. These seedless fruits are perfect for making marmalade because of their intense sweetness and flavor, especially when warm spices like cardamom and ginger are added to the recipe.
Citrus Recipes to Explore:
Now that you know your varieties, it's time to get cooking. While all are delicious on their own, here are some easy, flavor-packed ideas to take them to the next level.