Hale Groves’ Shopping Guide for Temple Oranges

By: The Hale Groves Team | On: February 22, 2022 | Category: Fruit Facts Gift Ideas

It’s Temple Orange time! This mid-late season, rare treat is both tangy and sweet and full of lovely juice, with thin, easy-peel skins and very little pith, making them a snacking favorite. Hale’s Queen of the Crop Temples are bright and tangy on the palate, with a sweetly mellow finish that lingers long after the last drop disappears. If you love oranges but have never had a Temple Orange, we know you’d love them!

But you might be wondering…if the orange Temple is so good, why haven’t you heard of it sooner, and why is it so hard to find in stores? It’s simple – their extra-thin skins don’t handle mass commercial shipping well, which is why you should go with Hale Groves for your Temple Orange delivery – we select just a few of the very best oranges fruit and expertly cushion-pack them so your box of oranges arrives in perfect condition every time.

Before you order your Temple Orange gifts, here are five fun facts about this fabulous fruit:

Fact #1: You’ll know Temple Oranges when you see them. You can find many types of oranges in Florida and elsewhere in the US, but Temples are distinctive when you see them. Unlike the ubiquitous Navel Orange, Temples have a more reddish-orange peel akin to a Tangerine’s. This medium-sized orange is also a bit more squat than other oranges, with a pudgy middle and slightly flattened ends.

Fact #2: Temple Oranges have a slightly spicy taste. Temple Oranges are one of the more full–flavored, complex citrus varieties available. They have the sweetness of a Mandarin that’s set off with a sparkling tartness that gives them a nice, tangy-sweet flavor.

Fact #3: Temple Oranges are not a Navel variety. Navel Oranges are seedless, which means they reproduce through grafting. Temple Oranges grow from seeds like the famous Valencia (a popular juicing orange). This means that, like the Valencia, they do have a few seeds. They’re also very juicy, but not so juicy that they’re drippy to eat. This means that, despite the seeds, they’re an excellent snacking orange, easy to peel and segment.

Fact #4. The Temple Orange is named for William Chase Temple, a Florida citrus grower. A common sight in Florida orange groves, Temple Oranges were first discovered in Jamaica by a fruit–grower from Florida named Boyce. Boyce shipped budding branches back to Florida, where they were grafted onto another tree. The resulting fruit eventually came to the attention of William Chase Temple, who was the first to grow them commercially in the early 20^th Century. These Indian River oranges remain a popular fruit with foodies today.

Fact #5: Temple Oranges are an exotic snack or addition to recipes. Temple Oranges are wonderful when eaten fresh out of hand, and also make a great addition to green and fruit salads (though you may want to remove the seeds first). The Temple Orange’s flavorful juice is also a great addition to desserts, breakfast treats, and other recipes.

• Temple Oranges – A Delicious Treat for Everyone
• What’s the Difference Between a Navel and a Temple?
• When are Temple Oranges in Season?
• DIY – Temple Orange Juice Face Toner

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