Guide To Types Of Winter Orange And Tangerines - The Spruce Eats

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From juicy navels to exotic blood oranges, find your winter citrus favorite

By Molly Watson Molly Watson An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients. Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process Updated on 07/18/25 Close

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  The Beauty of Winter Oranges and Tangerines

  

  During the winter months, bright and sweet citrus fruits like oranges and tangerines reach their peak in the warmer regions of North America, adding a touch of sunshine and juicy refreshment to our winter diets.

  Citrus fruits come into season in November and continue until June. Look for oranges and tangerines that feel heavy for their size and have thinner skins. Store them in a cool, not chilled, place. Most varieties are great for eating as is, but try cutting them into "supremes" for an elegant presentation.

  Oranges and tangerines are varieties of the same species. Oranges are larger and more tart, while tangerines are generally smaller and sweeter. The skins of tangerines are typically looser, making them easier to peel. Tangerines and clementines fall under the mandarin category. Clementines are the smallest members of the mandarin family.

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  Navel Oranges

  Navel oranges are the most commonly eaten variety of orange. They are sweet, seedless, and perfect for eating out of hand, but they also taste great in salads. They are available from November to June.

  Navel oranges have comparatively thick skins and a distinctive "navel" mark on the non-stem end. While great for juicing, their juice is so sweet that it ferments quickly, necessitating use within a few hours. Try them in a classic orange and coconut ambrosia—a fresh mix of orange pieces, coconut, confectioners' sugar, and orange juice. Alternatively, create a vanilla citrus fruit salad with grapefruit, pineapple, lime juice, and powdered sugar, along with oranges and vanilla.

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  Valencia Oranges

  Valencia oranges have thin skins, and some seeds, and are very juicy, which makes them the perfect (and most common) type of orange used to make orange juice. These oranges are perfectly delicious to eat as fruit as well—you just have to watch out for the seeds.

  If you are squeezing a few, consider saving some of the juice to make a Valencia cocktail—a refreshing combination of apricot brandy, fresh orange juice, and orange bitters.

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  Blood Oranges

  Blood oranges are known for their deep red flesh, which varies in intensity. Externally, the fruit might display a red blush on its otherwise orange skin.

  This variety is a smaller orange, quite sweet, and is best used as a fruit—rather than for its juice—if only to show off its beautiful color, like in a spinach salad with feta cheese. They are also delicious when part of a dessert, such as a cardamom cake or panna cotta.

  Blood oranges aren't widely available in North America but can be found at specialty markets between November and March. You might also find them at your local supermarket.

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  Cara Cara Oranges

  Cara Cara oranges are a wonderfully sweet type of navel orange, harvested in California between December and April. Their bright orange skin hides a juicy interior that's often slightly pink, making them perfect for citrus fruit salads and satisfyingly sweet juice. These oranges have low acidity, offering a great zingy bite behind their sweetness, and they tend to have very few seeds, if any.

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  Seville Oranges

  Seville, or sour oranges, are perfect for making marmalade; their natural sourness nicely offsets the large amount of sugar used. Seville orange juice serves as an excellent acid for cooking. Cocktails and salad dressings, in particular, can benefit from the broader range of flavors you get from sour oranges compared to lemons or limes. These fruits tend to be small and have a short window of availability, starting in December and ending in early February.

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  Tangerines

  Tangerines are smaller than oranges, featuring bright orange skins and slightly looser peels. These delightful fruits are perfect for snacking and adding to salads. You can also juice tangerines for a sweeter and brighter twist on classic orange juice, making it an excellent choice for a cocktail like a tangerine margarita. The tangerine season extends longer than that of most other citrus fruits, running from November through May.

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  Clementines (A.K.A. Cuties)

  Clementines, sometimes marketed in the U.S. as "Cuties" or "Sweeties," are small, seedless oranges with a honey-like sweet flavor similar to tangerines. Their compact size makes them ideal for snacking, but they are also delicious in a cornmeal cake or a salad featuring green beans and bulgur wheat. Their tight, shiny orange skins make them perfect for display and creating casual, edible centerpieces.

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  Kumquats

  The smallest of the commercially available "oranges" are kumquats. These unique little citrus fruits are somewhat sour and have the delightful trait of edible peels. Enjoy them as they are; just be sure not to make the mistake of peeling them, as the peels are the sweetest part. There are many ways to enjoy kumquats, from preserving them to making marmalade or pureeing them to incorporate into a cream pie.

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  Mandarins

  Mandarins, often referred to as mandarin oranges, are a small and sweet variety of tangerine. They contain some seeds, which can make them slightly less desirable for snacking compared to seedless clementines. These fruits enjoy one of the longest seasons, available from January through May.

  You may have had mandarins from a can, as it is a popular canned fruit packed in syrup. But for a real treat, buy some fresh mandarins to taste how mild yet sweet they are. Whip up a mandarin orange vinaigrette or a purple cabbage salad which features this fruit in both the salad itself as well as the dressing.

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  Satsumas

  seedless, and their skin is loosely attached to the fruit, making them incredibly easy to peel. This citrus fruit does not need smooth, tight skin when purchased, but choose satsumas carefully, as the looseness of the peel can make bruising hard to detect.

  Like clementines, satsumas are seedless. The two are often marketed and sold interchangeably, although the difference is easy to detect: clementines have tight peels, whereas satsumas have loose peels.

  Satsumas are relatively cold-hardy for a citrus fruit, with their growth area extending around the Gulf Coast in the U.S., although most satsumas come from California. They are in season from November through January. Try replacing canned mandarins in recipes like Southern mandarin orange cake with fresh oranges for a truly delicious dessert.

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  Kishus

  Kishus are teeny, tiny tangerines that make clementines look large. At their best, these fruits are as sweet as candy. Unfortunately, they are hard to come by, as they are only grown in California and Florida and are available only during February and March. If you're lucky enough to find some, be sure to enjoy them while they're fresh!

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