Did you know that citrus fruits need colder weather to turn color? If you spy a bunch of green lemons, it’s not necessarily that they are not yet ripe; it’s more likely they were grown in a tropical climate, away from seasonal changes. Read on for more fun facts, tips, and tricks about citrus. 

SHOPPING FOR CITRUS

There are near countless types of delicious citrus fruits—lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, tangelos, clementines, kumquats, the list truly goes on. While each one offers a little something different, the way to search for a ripe citrus fruit is near universal: Follow the Goldilocks rule! You don’t want fruit that’s too soft, and you certainly don’t want fruit that’s too hard, you want to choose fruit that’s juuuuust right. Generally speaking, look for citrus that is firm, but shows a mild resistance when pressed.    

STORING CITRUS

Citrus fruit has a decent shelf-life depending on how you store it. If you’re looking for a quick and easy orange snack at your fingertips, keep it at room temperature and the fruit should be good for 3-4 days. If you’re unsure of just when you’re going to try those lemons or grapefruit, we suggest popping them into the crisper drawer of your fridge; they should last a few weeks!

SAVORING CITRUS

There are countless ways to savor citrus fruits: 

• Prep Ideas

• Zest the outer layer of your orange, lemon, or lime, and add to a quinoa or bulgur salad for a boost of brightness.  
• Use one of our FreshForce Citrus Juicers and get the absolute most juice out of your fruit, perfect for a glass of juice, a smoothie, or adding to an adult beverage at the end of the day! (...or the morning, it’s 2020 and there are no rules.)
• Slice your citrus up into easy-to-grab pieces, perfect for snacking. 
• Marmalade, lemon curd, grapefruit jam—get some English muffins ready for all these great preserves!

• Try This

• Broil your grapefruit with sugar sprinkled on top for an updated spin on a classic breakfast. 
• Enjoy a light Moroccoan-style salad with blood oranges, clementines, and tangerines, topped with fresh herbs, pistachios, and a dollop of yogurt.  
• Brighten up your standard hummus recipe, by adding lemon and artichoke.
• Take your desserts up a notch by adding blood oranges to a classic creme brulee. 
• Toss tangerines in with rum and rosemary for a cool cocktail, or opt for a spicy grapefruit margarita.

• Save Your Scraps

• There’s no need to throw away any part of your citrus fruit. Of course the “meat” of the oranges, tangerines, lemons, etc is delicious, healthy, and incredibly edible, but the peel shouldn’t go to waste, either. Try using it in homemade cleaner for an aromatic scent; candy the peel for a yummy snack; or even peel off a curlicue for the perfect cup of tea—or cocktail.