Where do you order your Florida oranges?

[wackymother]

Does anyone have a good place to get a bushel of Florida navel oranges? We've used Hale Groves in the past, but we're looking for a new place.

Years ago, there were store up here in NJ called the Orange Car. There were about four of them, all near the train tracks, all in little buildings painted orange. They were only open in the wintertime, and you could buy bushels of oranges, whole pecans, fruitcake, coconut patties, and all the things you can get in Florida. Long gone...I really miss them.

 

[Beaglemom3]

Harvey's Orchards. Always good, so far.

http://www.harveysgroves.com/index....eSource=FSPS&gclid=CMzEhtzfhbMCFUmd4AodsnkAaQ






--

 

[csxjohn]

I buy from Pell when in Daytona. They also ship fruit.

http://www.pellcitrus.com/

 

[cotraveller]

Another vote for Harvey's. Be sure to try the Honeybells.

 

[fillde]

Mixon's in Bradenton. http://www.mixon.com/

 

[wackymother]

I ended up trying Nokomis Groves, which a foodie friend recommended. I talked to them on the phone and the lady was helpful. Those are arriving in January. But now I want more oranges...sooner! Maybe I'll order a December bushel from one of these recommended places....

Thanks to all for posting!

 

[gnorth16]

50 lbs of oranges.....Wow, that a lot of oranges...

 

[wackymother]

50 lbs of oranges.....Wow, that a lot of oranges...

We have a pretty big family--five people, and the kids are teenagers. And two refrigerators. We get through a bushel in less than a month, if the oranges are good. There's not much fruit competition in January!

 

[Talent312]

I don't order oranges. I get them off a tree...
Well, close. I usually stop at roadside stands.
.
.

 

[wackymother]

I don't order oranges. I get them off a tree...
Well, close. I usually stop at roadside stands.
.
.

Alas, not an option in northern NJ.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Kissimmee FL -- The Big Orange.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[wackymother]

Now THERE'S a reason to visit greater Orlando. Is it open year-round?

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

Since Florida Oranges are harvested in the Fall, I would think they might close - or just not offer oranges - during the Spring and Summer.

TS

 

[AwayWeGo]

Year-Round Is As Year-Round Does.

Now THERE'S a reason to visit greater Orlando. Is it open year-round?

It was open every time we were in the vicinity over the past 10-12 years -- mainly early January & a few times in the fall.

The place is mainly a souvenir stand & T-shirt shop (stuffed alligators, cute Disney flipflops, mugs, floaties, swimsuits, hats, caps, & I don't know what-all). It has a timeshare tour headhunter booth right inside the front door, to the left as you go in (mainly offering WestGate timeshare tours for freebies).

Outside is a nice selection of prime quality juicy citrus, with free samples all sliced & waiting -- with paper napkins.

It's on Rt. 192 right across the street from the Cracker Barrel restaurant that's in front of the Wyndham Cypress Palms timeshare.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[gnorth16]

Now a Cracker Barrel is a reason to go on a road trip! It's either a 7 hour drive to Bismarck ND or fly to Orlando... We choose Orlando!

What does it cost to deliver a 50 lb crate of oranges? It must be a significant savings over buying in store... (Or a much better product)

 

[spencersmama]

Years ago, there were store up here in NJ called the Orange Car. There were about four of them, all near the train tracks, all in little buildings painted orange. They were only open in the wintertime, and you could buy bushels of oranges, whole pecans, fruitcake, coconut patties, and all the things you can get in Florida. Long gone...I really miss them.

We have three trees. The satsuma tangerines ripen in November. They are my favorite - small, easy to peel, and no or very tiny seeds. We can each easily eat 3 or 4 per day. The other tangerine tree tree ripens around Christmas, and the orange tree ripens in February. I have noticed the last few years that the post office and rest stops at the border have signs up stating it is illegal to ship citrus or take it across the border unless you have a license. I'm guessing they had problems with the spread of citrus canker a couple of years ago. Maybe the fees got to expensive for the Orange Car to stay in business.

Since Florida Oranges are harvested in the Fall, I would think they might close - or just not offer oranges - during the Spring and Summer.
TS

If you are in Florida, the turnpike rest stops often have great citrus. I was surprised they even had some off season last year.

 

[wackymother]

We have three trees. The satsuma tangerines ripen in November. They are my favorite - small, easy to peel, and no or very tiny seeds. We can each easily eat 3 or 4 per day. The other tangerine tree tree ripens around Christmas, and the orange tree ripens in February. I have noticed the last few years that the post office and rest stops at the border have signs up stating it is illegal to ship citrus or take it across the border unless you have a license. I'm guessing they had problems with the spread of citrus canker a couple of years ago. Maybe the fees got to expensive for the Orange Car to stay in business.

Maybe. Thanks for the additional insight, you're probably right about what pushed them over the edge.

The oranges there weren't cheap, the prices were just below what you would have paid for a bushel to be shipped up to you, less shipping too. But you knew every orange in the bag would be good, because the Orange Car people had just packed the bags themselves and they had picked up every single orange.

Sigh. I'm all for protecting the citrus industry, I just wish the Orange Car was still around.

 

[chriskre]

Now THERE'S a reason to visit greater Orlando. Is it open year-round?

It's open year round but the oranges aren't great year round.

I used to have a few orange, tangerine and grapefruit trees in my backyard til the Citrus industry hired the citrus canker mafia and destroyed all our trees.
They literally killed all the trees in Miami and said, so sorry. :ignore: My trees weren't even sick but they came in and infected them touching them all and not washing their hands and saying that they were infected. Talk about a scam. :annoyed:

 

[AwayWeGo]

I Might Possibly Resemble That Remark.

I used to have a few orange, tangerine and grapefruit trees in my backyard til the Citrus industry hired the citrus canker mafia and destroyed all our trees.

The Chief Of Staff & her sister co-own 2 adjoining vacant residential lots in Pasco County FL that formerly yielded minivansful of nice oranges & grapefruits. We'd go there in January & pick'm & bring'm home for ourselves with plenty to give to family & friends.

No more.

I don't know the reason -- conspiracy or just 1 of those things -- but all the orange trees are gone. Dead & dry -- went from a bumper crop to no crop in just 2-3 years.

The grapefruit tree is thriving & we still pick a big load of January grapefruits to take home. But it's not the same as picking our own oranges.

So it goes.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[spencersmama]

My trees weren't even sick but they came in and infected them touching them all and not washing their hands and saying that they were infected. :

Sounds like medieval health care, but with trees instead of people.

For all the signs warning against it, I really don't even know what citrus canker looks like....

 

[DeniseM]

Here is a dumb question, because I don't think we order oranges in CA - Why do you "order" them?

 

[Amy]

Here is a dumb question, because I don't think we order oranges in CA - Why do you "order" them?

I was also wondering the same thing. We see lots of Florida/CA oranges during the season at our local market. Is it that much cheaper?

 

[wackymother]

It's not that they're cheaper, it's that they're better. The Florida oranges in the grocery store here (and we have good grocery stores) are usually the small Valencia kind, for juicing. You don't see Florida navels and the other more specialty-type oranges--you might see Mineolas for a couple of weeks. The oranges you order from Florida are big and sweet, dense with juice, very different from California navels, different flavor, different size (Florida ones are much bigger), different texture (coarser).

Also it's a tradition. Many families in the Northeast (including mine, except we bought ours at the Orange Car) would order a bushel or half-bushel of oranges every year for the holidays, when there was almost no decent fruit in the markets up here.

Lots of people send gift trays of Florida oranges, too--when people started moving to Florida for the winter and summering up in the Northeast, sending Florida oranges to the folks at home was a nice gift.

So there you are. It's a combination of much better quality than you get in the market, plus tradition, plus fairly reasonable prices.

 

[barond]

We live in florida near Ceebee's Citrus http://www.ceebeescitrus.com. They ship oranges. We get their oranges and orange juice. Florida oranges especially for orange juice are alot juicier than california oranges.

Baron

 

[AwayWeGo]

Oranges For Eating & Oranges For Juice.

Florida oranges especially for orange juice are alot juicier than california oranges.

Californians say you can't eat a Florida orange without getting soaked, unless you're wearing a raincoat.

Floridians say you can flatten a California orange under a steamroller without even making a wet spot on the pavement.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​