We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Science

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Are Most Oranges Actually Orange?

Published: Jan 30, 2024
Share

Oranges are a healthy and delicious fruit enjoyed by people all over the globe. In English, the orange fruit is inextricably linked with the color that shares its name. Yet, despite what you see in the supermarket, the exterior of an orange is not always orange.

The fruit's skin can vary from bright orange to yellow-orange to orange with green patches. In fact, in warm, sunny environments, many ripe oranges naturally stay green due to their high chlorophyll content. Oranges only turn orange if they are in a climate with a significant difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures, which must fall to around 53.6°F (12°C). This doesn't often happen in tropical and subtropical regions, leaving the skin distinctly green.

Yet because many people in temperate regions associate green fruit with being unripe, some rather extreme "degreening" measures are taken to make the green oranges more appetizing for customers. To achieve the orange hue associated with their name, the naturally green, ripe oranges may be exposed to the cold, covered in wax, exposed to ethylene gas (which breaks down chlorophyll), and covered in dye. Luckily, these measures do not affect the taste.

All about oranges:

  • The first mention of orange fruits in English dates back to the 13th century, whereas the color orange was first used in English in the early 16th century. For the record, the color was named for the fruit and not the other way around. Previously, the color orange was referred to as “geoluread” (yellow-red) in Old English.

  • While some languages also use the same word (or very similar words) for the color and the fruit, others use completely different terms. For example, in Dutch, the word for the color orange is oranje but the fruit is sinaasappel, or "Chinese apple," a reference to their early culivation in southern China. Sweet oranges (Citrus × sinensis) are a hybrid of the pomelo and the mandarin.

  • Oranges aren’t the only fruits that have been artificially pigmented for resale to consumers. Red Delicious apples, blueberries, and Maraschino cherries are also artificially treated to achieve their color.

  • Brazil is the largest producer of oranges in the world, with an estimated output of 16.5 million metric tons (MMT) in 2022-2023, more than double the next-largest producer, China (7.6 MMT). India, the United States, Mexico, and Egypt are also major producers.

  • It takes approximately 14 gallons of water to grow one orange in California.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://direct.wisegeek.com/are-most-oranges-actually-orange.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.