Never judge an orange by its peel

We’re all familiar with the well-worn phrase:

Never judge a book by its "cover.”

(And no I’m not talking about The Geology of Florida by Randazzo and Jones, which I might add is a terrific book – and more than just a pretty cover – it digs deep into the endlessly fascinating geologic story of the peninsular state.)


I’m talking about not judging an orange by its peel,

And more specifically – the many varieties of Florida oranges.


Florida oranges – its true – do not have California good looks,

But trust me:

That’s a beauty that runs “peel” deep.


As easy as they are to peel and pull apart, and eat – all in sequence – without a drop of juice sticking to your hands ... therein lies the problem:

The California orange – which in technical circles better known as a Washington Navel – is a tamed down version of what an “orange in full” was bred to be.

In terms of variety, juiciness, and taste the Florida peninsula is the Napa Valley among citrus connoisseurs.


Last I checked, you can’t eat the peel, but you can fresh squeeze out the juice on the inside ... by the glassful if it’s a Floridian, but only drop by drop for a Californian.


I wasn’t surprised to see the Honeybell Tangelo take the prize as the “preferred” form of Florida citrus on the recent poll I posted on the journal – I am a big fan myself,

But I was disappointed to see the Dancy Tangerines not get a single vote.



In season now are the Sunburst Tangerines. They are billed as “easy peelers with few seeds.”

The peeling was easy enough, yes … but as for the seeds:

I lost track at 44!


I reached for my calculator to confirm but pulled back in better judgment:

My hands were coated in a sticky film of juice.


Florida oranges are for squeezing you know, just as books are made for reading.

Or in other words,

Never ever judge a peel by it cover!