Not all oranges are the same. Here’s how to choose the right one.
Tarocco, Navel, Moro, Ovale, Valencia or bitter orange? They differ in colour, sweetness, harvest season, uses and storage life. Here’s how to really tell them apart.
Every orange has its own season and character
An orange is not simply “sweet” or “tart”. The result depends on the variety, clone, soil, temperatures and rainfall before harvest.
- Cold weather colours blood oranges: Tarocco and Moro develop deeper pigmentation with winter temperature swings.
- Green peel does not always mean unripe fruit: in early Navel oranges, the peel becomes more orange as temperatures fall.
- Rain affects keeping quality: peel that has absorbed a lot of water can be more delicate during transport.
- Seasonality matters: late varieties let us enjoy Sicilian orange juice even in spring and early summer.
In Italian, is it arance or arancie?
The correct Italian form is “arance”, without the i. The singular is “arancia”, while the plural in standard contemporary Italian is “arance”.
- Consonant before -cia/-giaarancia → arance
pancia → pance
pioggia → piogge - Vowel before -cia/-giacamicia → camicie
acacia → acacie
ciliegia → ciliegie
The i in “arancia” gives the c its soft sound before a. In the plural, before e, that sound occurs naturally and the i is no longer needed. Therefore, in correct Italian we always write arance siciliane, arance rosse and arance biologiche.
Official linguistic source: Accademia della Crusca — “Difficult plurals of words ending in -cia and -gia”. The reference explicitly gives the change l’arancia → le arance.
The differences at a glance
Use this table as a quick guide, then explore each variety in the sections below.
| Variety | Approx. season | Flesh | Flavour | Seeds | Best use | Keeping quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarocco | December–spring | Pigmented | Sweet and balanced | Few or none | Eating + juicing | Very good |
| Washington Navel | Late October–winter | Blond | Very sweet | None | Eating fresh | Good |
| Lane Late | Late winter–spring | Blond | Sweet | None | Eating + juicing | Good |
| Moro | Late December–March | Deep red | Intense and aromatic | Few or none | Juicing | Moderate |
| Bitter orange | Winter | Blond-orange | Tart and bitter | Present | Preserves & processing | Good |
| Ovale di Pantalica | Spring–early summer | Blond | Sweet and juicy | Few | Eating + juicing | Excellent |
| Valencia | Spring–summer | Blond | Fresh, slightly tart | Few or none | Juicing | Excellent |
Harvest periods may vary depending on the growing area and the season’s weather conditions.
The Tarocco family
Tarocco oranges: one name, many varieties
When we talk about Tarocco, we are not referring to just one orange, but to a large family of clones. Ripening time, red pigmentation, fruit size and peel texture vary, while the characteristic balance of sweetness, aroma and acidity remains.
Red pigmentation is encouraged by low temperatures and temperature swings. The same Tarocco may therefore show only faint streaks at the beginning of the season and become much redder in colder months, without changing the authenticity of the variety.
Sweet and seedless
Washington Navel and Lane Late: similar, but not the same
Navel oranges are loved for their blond, very sweet, juicy flesh, which is normally seedless. They are easy to peel and especially suitable for eating fresh, including for children.
The Washington Navel opens the blond-orange season and may be available from late October to the beginning of winter, depending on the year. The Lane Late, also known as Lanelate, is a late Navel that extends the harvest into late winter and spring.
A small rudimentary secondary fruit develops inside the main orange. This “twin” remains embedded and creates the characteristic navel-like opening at the end opposite the stem. It is not a defect: it is a natural feature of the variety.
At the beginning of the harvest, the peel may still be partly green. Orange colour increases as temperatures drop, so a fruit can already be ripe and sweet inside even if the outside is not completely orange.
Wine-red
Moro oranges: small, dark and perfect for juicing
The Moro orange is closely linked to the citrus-growing area between Lentini, Solarino and Syracuse. It is generally small to medium-small, with flesh that can develop very deep dark-red tones.
Ripening begins around late December. As winter progresses, especially between January and February, cold weather encourages anthocyanin formation and the flesh can turn wine-red. In a mild winter, pigmentation may be less uniform.
For recipes and preserves
Bitter oranges: intensely fragrant, but not ordinary eating oranges
Bitter orange has an extraordinary fragrance and a peel rich in aromatic oils, but its flavour is distinctly tart and bitter. It should not be confused with a sweet orange that is simply underripe.
What makes it difficult to eat fresh becomes a major advantage in preserves and cooking. Its intensity is ideal for marmalades, candied peel, liqueurs, desserts, sauces and traditional recipes.
Pantalica’s late-season oranges
Ovale di Pantalica oranges: sweet, elongated and exceptionally long-lasting
Ovale di Pantalica are late blond oranges, medium to medium-small in size, with a characteristic slightly elongated shape. They ripen as the winter-orange season is ending and can be enjoyed through spring and into early summer.
The flesh is sweet and juicy and may contain a few seeds. They are enjoyable eaten in segments and also make excellent juice. When harvested at the right time and stored correctly, they keep remarkably well.
It is said that our grandparents stored harvested Ovale oranges inside caves, where the cool, sheltered environment allowed them to keep until July. They then used them to make refreshing orange juice for visitors to the necropolis. Whether history or legend, the story captures this variety’s remarkable keeping quality.
Spring juices
Valencia oranges: juicy and ideal for springtime juice
Valencia is a late variety that ripens during spring and can continue into early summer. It is the right orange for anyone who wants to keep making Sicilian orange juice after the winter varieties have finished their season.
The flesh is very juicy and the flavour is sweet yet fresh, with a more tart note than Navel or a fully ripe Tarocco. It is not necessarily the sweetest orange, but that balance makes it refreshing and well suited to warmer months.
Tell me how you want to enjoy it, and I’ll tell you which one to choose
There is no single best orange: there is the one that best suits each person’s taste and intended use.
Very sweet and ideal for eating fresh
Choose the Navel: blond, easy to peel and normally seedless.
Balanced and versatile
Choose the Tarocco: sweet, aromatic and excellent both in segments and as juice.
Deep red juice
Choose the Moro: small, deeply pigmented and bold in flavour.
Marmalades and recipes
Choose thebitter orange, naturally made for preserves and cooking.
Sweet, late-season and long-lasting
Choose theOvale di Pantalica, the classic late-season orange.
Fresh juice in spring
Choose the Valencia: juicy, refreshing and slightly tart.
Variety matters. So does how you store it.
Citrus fruit that has not been surface-treated with anti-mould waxes is more natural, but also more sensitive. As soon as your box arrives:
- open it immediately rather than leaving it closed for days;
- check and separate any fruit that has been cut or bruised;
- divide the citrus fruit into groups of about 2–3 kg;
- keep them in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place;
- avoid water, humidity, radiators and other heat sources.
Questions about orange varieties
Essential answers to help you choose and recognise Sicilian oranges.
In Italian, is it arance or arancie?
The correct Italian form is arance, without the i. “Arancia” ends in -cia preceded by the consonant n: according to the rule explained by the Accademia della Crusca, the i is dropped in the plural in this case. So Italian uses “un’arancia” and “due arance”.
Which orange is the sweetest?
Navel is generally the sweetest and most delicate, especially for eating fresh. Tarocco can also become very sweet, but retains a more aromatic and slightly tart profile.
Which oranges are best for juicing?
Moro and Valencia are especially well suited to juicing: Moro produces a deep red, intense juice, while Valencia gives a fresh, generous juice in spring. Tarocco is perfect for anyone who prefers a sweeter, more balanced juice.
Why do some Navel oranges still have green peel?
External colour also depends on temperature. If autumn stays warm, the flesh may already be ripe and sweet while the peel retains green areas. As colder weather arrives, the orange colour becomes more uniform.
Why aren’t Tarocco and Moro always completely red?
Pigmentation is encouraged by low temperatures and temperature swings. Variety, clone, growing area, season and harvest time therefore determine how intense the colour becomes.
Which oranges keep the longest?
Ovale, Valencia and Tarocco generally keep very well. Actual storage life, however, depends on rainfall, ripeness, any knocks during transport and proper ventilation after delivery.
Can natural oranges develop mould?
Yes. Fresh fruit that has not been surface-treated is naturally more delicate. A cut, bruise or humidity can start deterioration, so the box should be opened immediately, the fruit checked, and damaged fruit separated before storage in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place.
Now you know how to recognise them. All that’s left is to taste them.
Availability changes throughout the year because we follow the natural ripening of each variety. Discover the oranges available now or create a box with your favourite Sicilian products.
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