Long before it was the theme park and retirement capital of the world, Florida was famous for its citrus. Fruit lovers came from far and wide to sample their signature products, which include grapefruit, lemons, limes, tangerines, and oranges, of course. It would be impossible to write an accurate history of the Sunshine State without mentioning the orange, since it is the state fruit, its blossoms the state flower, and its juice the official state beverage. Not to mention the fact that it is the most profitable and prevalent agricultural product in Florida.
At present, there are more than 8,000 citrus growers in Florida that cultivate nearly 550,000 acres of land. The industry employs around 90,000 people and brings around 9 billion dollars to the state each year. All told, Florida produces nearly 70 percent of the nation's citrus. It is the second only to Brazil in production of oranges and is easily the world leader when it comes to grapefruit. But because oranges are far more popular, their crops are far larger. About half of the counties in the state grow commercial oranges.
In its nearly two-hundred-year history, the Florida citrus industry has experienced many ups and downs. Major freezes have wiped out entire crops and put countless orchard owners out of business in a single season. But the business has become more consistent due to technology and changing consumer habits. For example, at the end of the 19th century, almost all of the oranges that were sent out of state were shipped in their natural form. But these days, only around 5 percent of Florida oranges avoid the processing plants, i.e., juicing. Why is this?
Orange juice is easily the most popular fruit juice on Earth. According the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans imbibe around 750,000 metric tons of it each year. Most of this juice is picked, processed, and packaged in Florida. Citrus farmers also ship grapefruit, lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits to the processing plants, but they are not nearly as profitable, which is why they are often sold fresh.
In spite of the fact that only a fraction of oranges are sold in solid form, there is still a rather large supply, since the state crop is absolutely enormous. And because it has been growing there for hundreds of years, there are more varieties of orange in Florida than anywhere else in North America. There are hundreds of hybrids and purebreds that came about naturally or were engineered in labs. When sold whole, these eating oranges go for a premium, since they are more valuable in their natural form than as juice. Because they rarely make it out of Florida, the best place to find these specialty fruits is on the internet, where commercial vendors offer them at reasonable prices nearly year round.
This article provided by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious Florida fruit gifts, Honeybells, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Valencia Oranges, Tangerines and more! On the web at HaleGroves.com.
At present, there are more than 8,000 citrus growers in Florida that cultivate nearly 550,000 acres of land. The industry employs around 90,000 people and brings around 9 billion dollars to the state each year. All told, Florida produces nearly 70 percent of the nation's citrus. It is the second only to Brazil in production of oranges and is easily the world leader when it comes to grapefruit. But because oranges are far more popular, their crops are far larger. About half of the counties in the state grow commercial oranges.
In its nearly two-hundred-year history, the Florida citrus industry has experienced many ups and downs. Major freezes have wiped out entire crops and put countless orchard owners out of business in a single season. But the business has become more consistent due to technology and changing consumer habits. For example, at the end of the 19th century, almost all of the oranges that were sent out of state were shipped in their natural form. But these days, only around 5 percent of Florida oranges avoid the processing plants, i.e., juicing. Why is this?
Orange juice is easily the most popular fruit juice on Earth. According the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans imbibe around 750,000 metric tons of it each year. Most of this juice is picked, processed, and packaged in Florida. Citrus farmers also ship grapefruit, lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits to the processing plants, but they are not nearly as profitable, which is why they are often sold fresh.
In spite of the fact that only a fraction of oranges are sold in solid form, there is still a rather large supply, since the state crop is absolutely enormous. And because it has been growing there for hundreds of years, there are more varieties of orange in Florida than anywhere else in North America. There are hundreds of hybrids and purebreds that came about naturally or were engineered in labs. When sold whole, these eating oranges go for a premium, since they are more valuable in their natural form than as juice. Because they rarely make it out of Florida, the best place to find these specialty fruits is on the internet, where commercial vendors offer them at reasonable prices nearly year round.
This article provided by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious Florida fruit gifts, Honeybells, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Valencia Oranges, Tangerines and more! On the web at HaleGroves.com.