When are oranges in season Australia

Oranges

Western Australian oranges are picked all year round although the peak of the citrus season is through the colder months of winter.

Navels orange are available through the winter. They are a sweet, juicy, seedless orange making them ideal for eating.   Harvesting starts in WA in May and extends through November. A range of varieties are grown to ensure an extended season.

Rosy Red Navels and Cara Cara Navels have become very popular in recent years due to their delicate pink flesh and sweet low acid flavour. They have a strong orange skin and are not to be confused with Blood Oranges.

Valencia oranges are the variety to enjoy through Summer months. This deliciously juicy, seedless orange is sometimes overlooked as the skin is a lighter colour due to the warmer weather. The sweet high juice content of the Valencia makes it the premium choice for eating and juicing.

Midnight Valencias or the Summer Orange ends our citrus season with a zesty bang. With most other citrus varieties available only in the Winter months, this unique Valencia variety gives consumers the opportunity to enjoy fresh, local citrus right up until Christmas. The Midknight Summer Orange is virtually seedless and unmistakably juicy.

Mandarins

Mandarins are picked in WA from April to November

A range of varieties are grown to ensure an extended supply of fresh mandarins through winter.

Imperial are the most widely planted and most popular mandarin variety grown in WA, possibly as it’s the first variety to launch the season in May.

Other varieties follow as the winter unfolds, including the popular Hickson, Daisy, Afourer, Mystique and Murcott varieties.

Available July to November

Imperial

A small to medium sized fruit, smooth and thin-skinned. Easy to peel with stunning flavour.

Available May to August

Ellendale

A large fruit with deep orange skin.  Easy to peel and very flavoursome. A cross between a sweet orange and a mandarin.

Available July to September

Honey Murcott

A deliciously sweet, late maturing fruit with a distinctive honey taste.  Similar in size to an Imperial, but seeded and not quite as easy to peel.

Available September to November

Afourer

A highly attractive deep orange-red colour and is easy to peel. Very flavoursome with high juicy content. Usually seedless, but depends on growing conditions.

Available July to September

Mystique

Mystique is a mandarin orange cross which is seeded, large and juicy with a tighter skin.

Available September to October

Gold Nugget

A distinctive bumpy rind and great eating qualities – sweet, seedless, easy to peel with large segments.   An excellent late season mandarin.

Lemons

Western Australian lemons are harvested all year with supplies being a little scarce in January and February.   Eureka and Meyer are the main varieties.

Lemons are picked when greenish-yellow but ripen to full yellow over a few days.

Limes

Limes available October to March

Finger limes grown in Pemberton are picked March to May

Tahitian Limes (sometimes called Persian Limes): Seedless, thin skinned, with a pale, juicy flesh. Limes are picked and sold while still under ripe, as the flavour is the best when still green. When fully ripe the skin is yellow and they loose their fragrant acidity. Look for fruits that are bright darkish green, glossy skinned and feel firm and heavy for their size.

Grapefruit

The traditional white grapefruit grown in the cooler south of WA, has been principally replaced by sweeter red flesh fruit.

Warm conditions above the Tropic of Capricorn create the intense red colour flesh and exceptionally sweet flavour of the popular Red Grapefruit.  Carnarvon and Kununurra are main growing regions.

Available in early June until August.

Sweet red grapefruit varieties such as Star, Rio Red and Flame are harvested in Kununurra from March to May, Carnarvon from May to August and in south west regions from September to December.  Sweet Ruby pink grapefruit are harvested in Carnarvon from May to August.   Some sweet white flesh grapefruit (Marsh variety) grown in southern areas, are harvested at the same time as the red varieties.

Grapefruit from March to December.

Citrus Fruits Grown in WA (based on area planted)

Western Australian citrus production is concentrated north and south of Perth and further north around Kununurra and Carnarvon.

The industry includes navels and Valencia oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes, tangellos and native citrus. The breakdown of the main citrus types grown in WA based on area planted can be found at

Seasonal Availability of Citrus in WA

What month are oranges in season?

Peak Season Navel oranges are best from December until March, blood orange varieties are the best from December until April, and clementines and tangerines are the best between late October and January. Opt for a ruby red grapefruit between October and April and a white grapefruit between April and June.

What is the best month to pick oranges?

Most oranges ripen in December, although some, such as Valencia oranges and blood oranges, ripen later. It's best to allow the citrus to ripen and get sweet on the tree since they will not sweeten any more once harvested. Some citrus fruit (satsumas, notably) are ripe when there's still a green blush on the skin.

Where are orange grown in Australia?

Australia's citrus growing industry is situated primarily along the Mur- rumbidgee and Murray Rivers, with over 90% of plantings in the Riverina, Sunraysia and Riverland irrigation areas of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, and the Central Burnett area of Queensland.

Are oranges in season right now?

While they are available year round, the most flavourful oranges can be bought from November to April. Mandarins, Clementines & Tangerines: Much smaller than a regular orange, these little gems pack a flavourful punch and are the perfect on-the-go snack.