Sweet Bites to Try in Your Winter Citrus Fruit Deliveries

Before we get into my top winter citrus picks, I have a quick trivia question for you: When was the last time that San Francisco had an actual snowstorm?

Was it…

A) 1951

B) 1962

C) 1976

D) 1980

The answer is… drumroll please… 1976! I wasn’t here to see it, but enough snow fell to turn the hills white. Kids went sledding in the Inner Sunset neighborhood and made snowmen in public parks. (You can see some great historical photos in the San Francisco Chronicle.)

Since I can’t count on snow to let me know when winter is coming, I track the seasons by citrus instead. Right now, we’re doing more and more citrus fruit delivery across the country, both in bulk and in our regional mixes. I’m looking forward to a blizzard of my favorites! Here are a few of my top winter citrus fruit picks and when you might see them in our mixes.

Cara Cara Oranges (In Season December–April)

I’m a little obsessed with Cara Caras. They look like regular oranges from the outside, but cut one in half, and you’ll see that they’re bright pink, juicy, and sweet! They also have a hint of tartness that tastes like blackberries. We like to get ours from California growers like Bee Sweet Citrus and Creekside Organics, Inc. (formerly Fruit World), and they add a fun pop of color to any citrus fruit delivery.

Kishu Mandarins (In Season in January)

These tiny nuggets of deliciousness are a less common mandarin variety. They’re smaller than golf balls, easy to peel, and sweet to eat. I can easily eat a handful of Kishus back-to-back. Unfortunately, they have a very short season for a winter citrus fruit, and not many farmers grow them. Bernard Ranch in Riverside, California, is one of our favorite sources of Kishu mandarins.

Tahoe Gold Mandarins (In Season January–February)

Tahoe Golds tend to be extremely juicy and sweet. According to UC Riverside, they’re between 13.5% and 15.5% brix. Brix is a measurement of the sugar in a piece of fruit: the higher the brix, the sweeter the fruit (oranges average 8–14%). We source delicate Tahoe Golds from Friend’s Ranches in Ojai, California, and add them to our fruit boxes whenever they’re sturdy enough to ship.

Gold Nugget Mandarins (In Season February–June)

Gold Nuggets are easy to peel, seedless, super sweet, and low-acid. Because of their wrinkly skin, you might think they’re overripe at first glance—but that’s just how they grow. We source them from a couple of different farms, including Suntreat in Dinuba, California. They’re a customer favorite in our citrus fruit deliveries during these colder months.

Try Them All with Winter Citrus Fruit Delivery

I hope you enjoy the blizzard of citrus when it hits you! If you don’t already get The FruitGuys’ fruit and snacks delivered to your office or home, it’s not too late to join the winter fruit fun. You can browse our regional mixes, then order your favorite for recurring delivery. We’ll send a wide variety of fresh citrus to you, your team, or your family to keep you healthy all season long.