Temple Oranges

The main production of oranges in the United States is concentrated in the sunshine state of Florida. More orange crates have been produced in Florida than the rest of the nation put together. In fact, Florida, which sometimes is also called the orange state, counts oranges as its most valuable crop. Like most other variations of oranges, temple oranges are also mostly produced in Florida.

There are numerous varieties of oranges found in the United States, with temple oranges being one of the tastiest. It is a tangerine-type orange with characteristically loose skin. It is widely believed that temple oranges were first cultivated in the United States in Winter Park, Florida, a city in Orange County just north of Orlando. In 1881 Loring A. Chase and Oliver E. Chapman purchased 600 acres of land on the site and laid out a town that they called Winter Park. There they started cultivating temple oranges.

Temple oranges resemble oranges, but they are smaller and oblate in shape. Consumers of this orange could discern the more pungent odor of the temple oranges. A more thin rind and sections that could be easily separated also characterize Temple oranges. Nutritionally temple oranges are comparable to any other variety of oranges. One major drawback as compared to other oranges is that temples are more delicate and thus require better handling.

Oranges are usually transferred from one location to another in orange crates. Approximately twenty percent of oranges are sold on the retail market. Nearly forty percent of the orange crates are sent from the groves to make frozen concentrated fruit. The remainder goes to other juice processing and fruit processing plants.