Green or pale oranges and mandarins

One of the changes that oranges undergo as they ripen is a reduction in the green color of chlorophyll and an increase in the synthesis of yellow and orange pigments.

In the typical Mediterranean climate, as autumn arrives, temperatures drop, and the temperature difference between day and night becomes more pronounced. This slowdowns the production of chlorophyll and gives rise to the characteristic orange color. This doesn't happen in tropical or subtropical regions. In areas where this thermal change doesn't occur, the skin remains green while the inner pulp continues to ripen and turn orange in color. This is the case with oranges from Texas, Mexico, or Vietnam, where the peel remains somewhat yellowish-green even though the orange is ripe.

This autumn, we are experiencing temperatures that are clearly higher than usual, and the contrast between night and day is much less, causing the first oranges to be somewhat pale although they are excellent in flavor.

As we explained in another article on the blog, "Citrus Treatment," there are artificial methods of de-greening the peels, such as treatment with ethylene gas. These methods are often used to give an appearance of ripeness to oranges that have not ripened sufficiently. However, these treatments do not impart the organoleptic characteristics of a fruit ripened on the tree. They may look appealing but are generally lacking in flavor, as is often the case with those found in supermarkets.

By purchasing home-delivered oranges from Naranjas de Cullera, you can be sure that they have been harvested at their optimal ripeness and have not received any treatment that masks their maturity. For this reason, you may find some of our fruits partially green or pale, depending on the variety. This should not be a reason to doubt that we always select the best varieties for each season, and within these, we perform selective harvests on each tree to find the best ripening point. All of this is done with the primary purpose of offering the most flavorful oranges.