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Sour Oranges

6 years ago

I wanted to know how many of you grow sour oranges, and if you recommend them as being a worthwhile endeavor? I cook a lot and over the last few years I have been branching out from the classic French/western European style of cooking (I went to french culinary school) to more Asian and now South American style. Seville oranges are used quite often in Yucatan style cooking as well as being considered the "proper" orange for marmalade. I hear the smell of their blossoms is miles above sweet oranges. But I am not familiar with their tastes, are many sour oranges similar to one another or is Seville really the "top dog" for flavor? I know Bergamot rind is used in tea, and Chinottos are highly decorative, but are their flavors similar enough to be used interchangeably? How to they compare to something like a Calamondin? I've tried looking in some local markets but haven't come across them and it looks like I've missed their season. I pretty much treat my citrus collection like a pantry and want to be able to eat/cook with everything I have so I am hoping that a Seville would be a good addition if I could find one in stock anywhere.

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Comments (3)

User
6 years ago
In my neighborhood, I can buy Bitter/Sour Orange all year round, as Asians and Hispanics both use them in cuisine. (I don't think Seville necessarily refers to a different variety but may be wrong.) They may have a peak season one place or another, but somehow they manage to stock their supply constantly. They are, as the name implies, SOUR, I think more bitter than Calamondins. I do use them them in mojo marinades (with beef, chicken or duck). What I like about the species itself is that it seems so robust, more than sweet oranges in my opinion. Each fruit comes FILLED with numerous seeds and they are truly easy from seed. I probably have a dozen plants and have given some away as I am always planting the seeds from the fresh fruit. They are large enough to flower and fruit this year so fingers crossed.
Sammers510 thanked User
Laura LaRosa (7b)
6 years ago
Sammers, I have a Seville that I got from FW as a one year tree. It's much bigger now but I still don't have oranges. I am Cuban though and remember using sour oranges to season pork. I do not think the taste is reproducible exactly. I have made calamondin marmalade and it reminds me of Seville orange marmalade so for that purpose you may be ok. I have a chinotto, but the two fruits on it are small yet and I've never tried it. I am still trying to get my hands on a bergamot which continues to elude me. I can tell you that the Seville orange tree is fairly easy to grow. Mine had very little leaf drop this winter. It is now growing like gangbusters. No buds yet though...
Sammers510 thanked Laura LaRosa (7b)
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No, but I did ask a the master gardener at our local demo garden. She said don't even bother with grapefruit, it just won't ripen. She said the Chinotto sour orange might be doable if I can find a spot that collects heat. However, she did say that my Rangpur lime (the other uncooperative citrus I'm struggling with) is actually a rather fragrant sour mandarin, and it might be worth digging it up and moving it to a sunnier location, and that it might do as a sour orange substitute! So that might be the way to go. (She said a Moro blood orange might be worth trying, btw!) KC
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Sammers510
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I think I am going to keep an eye out for a seville, I would love a chinotto because they have that beautiful growth habit and wonder what the taste difference would be. I am happy to hear it's an easier tree to grow, my meyer gave me so much stress over the winter and I don't want to have too many trees like that. Though my NZL isn't bouncing back after dropping all its leaves after its accidental drying out. It had some new leaves started but it has stalled, hopefully with the slightly warmer weather were forecasted it will push new growth. Its such an irony, lemons are my favorite citrus but the worst luck for me to grow.

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