Oranges
Navel and Valencia oranges are the most commonly grown varieties in Australia, while Blood and Seville oranges are available in smaller quantities. Between them, oranges are generally available all year round. The winter Navel orange is seedless, easy to peel and juicy, making it a great eating orange. The summer Valencia has more seeds and its skin can be tinged green due to being ripened in warmer weather; it’s a good juicing orange. Blood oranges are a rare treat (available in late winter to early spring), with their sweet, rich flavour. The bitter Sevilles, available in late winter, make great marmalade.
Lemons
These are available most of the year, but are at their peak during winter. The main varieties are Eureka, which has a thick skin, and Lisbon, with a thinner, smoother skin. Lemons are especially popular with seafood, but are versatile in both savoury and sweet dishes.
Grapefruit
Most grapefruit are quite large, and can be anything from bitter to slightly sweet in taste. They can be white (actually yellow-skinned with white flesh) or ruby red (red-blushed yellow skin and pink flesh) and seeded or seedless.
CHOOSING
Unlike some other fruit, citrus fruit doesn’t continue to ripen or get sweeter after being picked. So buy ripe fruit that feels heavy for its size, without any soft or bruised patches. The skin should be evenly coloured and intact.
STORAGE
The skin of citrus fruits protects them from extremes of temperature, which means they only require a cool, dry place to be stored successfully for a couple of weeks. To store for any longer, citrus fruits should be kept in the fridge.
