Growing Temple Oranges in Florida
The Florida citrus industry is enormous. It employs nearly one hundred thousand workers and generates over 9 billion dollars per annum. At the heart of this industry is the orange. More than just the official state fruit, the orange is one of the nation’s largest agricultural crops. Seventy percent of them come from the Sunshine State.
People have been growing oranges in Florida since the late 15th or early 16th century. Depending upon whom you ask, orange seeds were brought to the New World by either Christopher Columbus or Ponce de Leon. The first trees were first planted near St. Augustine, Florida.
The orange industry began to bear fruit (pun intended) in the 1840s. Newly laid railroad tracks gave commercial growers the option of shipping their oranges out of state. Production figures continued to increase into the twentieth century. The orange became one of the world’s most popular fruits when its juice was frozen and sold at supermarkets across the nation. By the 1930s, Florida became one of the world leaders in citrus fruit production.
Commercial growers in Florida produce more than seven million tons of citrus fruit each year. The oranges accounts for over seventy percent of their total citrus crop. Most of these oranges, about ninety-five percent, are sent directly to the processing plant for juicing. Florida is responsible for most of the orange juice we find at the store. The remaining five percent of oranges are sold as fresh fruit.
As any grower could tell you, the orange is an incredibly diverse fruit. There are more than six hundred known varieties. But only a few dozen are sold commercially in significant quantities. The rarest of the rare are the fresh eating oranges grown in Florida. As we have seen, Florida is all about the OJ. However, they also produce the most delicious eating oranges in the world. Let us take a moment to discuss Temple oranges.
Far less popular than the Navel orange, Temple oranges are grown almost exclusively in Florida and in Israel. Because they take a few extra weeks to reach full maturity, most growers do not plant them. Though they are not rare enough to be considered a delicacy, they can be hard to find outside of Florida.
The best time to look for Temple oranges is at the end of January or in early February. If the crop is large, shipments will be sent out of state, it if it not, it is unlikely that you will find them at your local supermarket. In recent years, online sellers have started offering them on the internet. Orders should be placed at least a month in advance. Commercial sellers typically ship Temple oranges in late January or early February.
Taste the Sunshine with Hale Groves
At Hale Groves, we believe the best gifts come from the land, not a factory. For generations, our fruit has been grown slowly under the Florida sun, picked at its peak, and delivered fresh to your door. From sweet Navel Oranges to rare Honeybells, every gift shares the simple joy of real flavor—perfect for holidays, milestones, or everyday moments worth celebrating.
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