Citrus fruits are some of the most popular fruits used in the culinary world. The powerful acidity is what people crave. It often rounds out the flavor of sauces, salsas, marinades, juices, and more. The reason people fall in love with citrus fruits is because they hit three of the primary flavor profiles: bitter, sweet, and sour. 

People love citrus fruits for their flavor, but they should love them for their incredible nutritional profiles. The diverse flavonoid and antioxidant compounds exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and immune-boosting properties. Additionally, the vitamin C in citrus fruits works to neutralize free radicals in the body, lowering the threat of oxidative damage. They are also rich in potassium, a mineral that the body needs for carbohydrate metabolism, heart contraction, and nerve function. 

There are too many citrus fruits to count, and that’s why we’ve decided to bring you the zest of the best. Keep reading to find out which citrus varieties rose to the top. Well, they topped our list, anyway!

Meyer Lemon

These may be the best lemons on the planet, primarily because they are slightly sour with wonderfully sweet undertones. If you want to make homemade lemonade, the Meyer lemon should be your first choice. It is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, and it rose to popularity in the culinary world because of Martha Stewart, Alice Waters, and other chefs of that caliber. 

Pomelo

This citrus fruit has too many names to count, so we’ll just stick with pomelo. It’s one of the only three original citrus species left; all of the other varieties have been hybridized. The white pomelo has a thick pith and a sweet pink/white flesh. They are very popular in Asia during the Mooncake festival. 

Sumo Tangerine

These enormous tangerines are enormously delicious. It’s not the most attractive citrus fruit, but ugly foods are often the most delicious. It’s like an easy-to-peel mandarin, but supersized and more flavorful. Sumo tangerines are new to the United States, and people are loving them. The flavor is bold, with sweet and tart flavors that keep you coming back for more. They do cost more than the average citrus fruit, but they come from Japan, so the price makes sense. 

Blood Orange

The striking red/orange flesh of the fruit looks like a wheel of tie-dye art. The blood orange is mildly tart and beautifully sweet, and the rich pigment comes from the powerful polyphenols known as anthocyanins. You can’t always get your hands on these citrus gems, so make sure to snatch them up when you see them.

Key Lime

Almost everyone has heard of key lime pie, but these small limes are not solely reserved for baking. Many people prefer key limes to regular limes because they have a stronger alkalizing effect on the body. Key limes have a subtly sweet flavor and the juice is more floral and aromatic than that of regular lime juice. 

Kumquat

These little citrus fruits are entirely edible. That’s right, folks; you can eat pop the whole thing in your mouth and enjoy the beautiful combination of the sweet skin and tart flesh. You won’t always find them in stores, but they can pop up at local farmer’s markets. Kumquat trees are also popular in many neighborhoods, so keep your eyes peeled, especially from November to March when they’re in season.

Finger Lime

The finger lime is different from most other citrus fruits, and it gets the name because it is long, just like a finger. The flesh also differs from other citrus fruit. It looks like little gelatin balls, vesicles as they are called. You can think of it like lime caviar that you can turn into a rich marmalade or add to pickling jars. You can also zest the peel for strong notes of citrus in your culinary creations.

Buddha’s Hand

This abnormal, alien-looking fruit belongs to the citrus family, but it’s definitely in a league of its own. The “fingers” open up as the fruit ripens, but you can’t really enjoy the fruit. The only usable part of this fruit is the zest because there is no flesh. Buddha’s hand has a wonderful fragrance and it is often placed as a prayer offering at pagodas or altars in Asian countries. 

Tangelo

This funky little citrus hybrid is a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine, so the flavor is both tart and sweet. Sink your teeth into this fruit and you get hit with an immediate burst of sweetness, and the tart flavor hits you on the back nine. They are easy to peel and make great substitutes for oranges. 

Calamansi

Calamansi is a classic citrus fruit in both Malaysian and Filipino cuisine. The peel is green and the flesh is a bright orange, but don’t let it fool you into thinking that it is sweet. It’s only a touch sweeter than a regular lime, but it does impart unique flavor into your food. If you want to make a homemade sorbet, fresh calamansi juice is an excellent juice to use. 

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Tahini is a common ingredient in many hummus recipes, but it goes great in salad dressings as well. It adds a beautiful creaminess and nutty flavor to dressings, but it never overpowers the other flavors. Tahini works beautifully with ingredients like lemon, garlic, mustard powder, paprika, maple syrup, and olive oil. Because it is so creamy, you can often whisk it in with other ingredients. That said, blending it with a series of ingredients is also an excellent strategy.

For this dressing, you’ll need a generous amount of lemon juice, freshly squeezed of course. If you want the best flavor, use Meyer lemons, provided you can get your hands on them. They are a little sweeter than standard lemons, which is why many people use them to make lemonade. If you like your dressings extra lemony, feel free to add a little lemon zest to the dressing. Whether or not you add the zest is entirely up to you and your taste buds.

If you just want to whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl, or shake them up in a jar, make sure to finely mince the garlic. You don’t want large chunks of raw garlic in your salad, so make sure to use a garlic press or finely chop the clove. And if you want a little extra flavor, sprinkle some sea salt on the garlic while you mince it. Trust us when we say that that little pearl of culinary wisdom will change your life.

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Everyone needs a go-to home remedy for sore throats, colds, or sinus infections. There are so many immune-boosting ingredients that you can easily acquire at the grocery store. In the case of this recipe, you need fresh lemons, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon sticks. If you don’t have access to fresh ginger or fresh turmeric root, you can use ginger or turmeric powder. You will just need to adjust the recipe.

This caffeine-free tea works to enhance immune function, fight infection, boost digestion, and reduce inflammation. The reason that it is called a “detox tea” is because the ingredients support healthy digestion and immune function. Specifically, the lemons are naturally rich in vitamin C, a known antioxidant and immune booster. A quick note is that you can use Meyer lemons for the same benefits, but they have less of a citrusy zing. They are naturally sweeter than most other lemon varieties.

Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful antioxidant that has the ability to fight infection. Some studies found that it exhibits pain-relieving and cancer-fighting properties. Cinnamon may help to support stable blood sugar levels and exhibits antioxidant compounds that help fight infection. Ginger is excellent for supporting healthy digestion and soothing upset stomaches and sore throats. Finally, if you add the optional cayenne pepper, you’ll increase the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity in this detox tea.

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There’s nothing quite like sipping homemade lemonade on a hot summer day. It’s tart, refreshing, and nostalgic, but it often contains a lot of sugar or excess calories. If you’re trying to make healthier decisions, your beverage game needs to change because too many drinks contain unhealthy ingredients. Fortunately, this recipe of frozen lemonade is much healthier for you because it only contains fresh ingredients. There are no artificial sweeteners or high-fructose corn syrup!

One of the best things you can do for your health is to vary your fruit and vegetable intake. The more colors you can eat, the better! That means that you are eating the rainbow, which delivers more antioxidants that help fight free radicals and inflammatory markers in the body. In the case of this recipe, you will utilize green grapes and lemons. Although green grapes exhibit a mildly tart flavor profile, they do offer a pleasant sweetness that balances the sour nature of lemons.

To make your frozen lemonade better than you could ever imagine, you should use Meyer lemons, which are sweeter and more flavorful than your average lemons. In fact, Meyer lemons are the best lemons for making lemonade. If you are lucky enough to grow them, use them. Otherwise, they typically show up in early fall and stay in stores until the beginning of winter. Meyer lemons are just sweeter, and you could even eat them like you would an orange. Use them, if you can, for this recipe and thank us later.

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Bright, fragrant, and zesty citrus fruits are associated with warm weather, but peak citrus fruit season in the United States is during the winter. Even though oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit are typically available year round, the freshest and most diverse citrus varieties only show up from late November to early March. Winter is just brighter with citrus!

What Are Citrus Fruits?

Native to Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Southeast Asia, citrus fruits grow on flowering trees or shrubs. They have leathery skin with white piths and are presently cultivated in tropical or subtropical climates around the world. Roughly one-third of all citrus fruits are used to make juices, the most popular varieties being orange juice, lemon juice, lime, juice, and grapefruit juice.

The Benefits Of Citrus Fruits

Great Fiber Sources

According to nutritional guidelines, you should consume 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories that you eat. Roughly 4% of men and 13% of women in the United States actually reach that amount. One cup of orange segments contains about 4 grams of soluble fiber, which works to lower cholesterol levels. Citrus fruits are unique in that they have a higher amount of soluble fiber than insoluble fiber.

Beneficial For Skin

Citrus fruits, as you may already know, are near the top of the vitamin C fruit list. Vitamin C is necessary for collagen regeneration, which helps maintain skin elasticity. Regularly consuming vitamin C-rich citrus fruits can also prevent UV-induced photodamage and pigmentation. While it may be out of the ordinary, you can use orange peels to help exfoliate your skin to remove dead skin cells and clean out clogged pores. This helps contribute to clearer glowing skin.

They May Fight Cancer

Many studies have linked the consumption of citrus fruits with reduced risk of certain cancers. A Harvard study found that the flavonoids, folate, vitamin C, and carotenoids in citrus fruits significantly reduced the risk of esophageal cancer. Another study found that people who ate one grapefruit a day had a reduced risk of lung cancer. The flavonoids act as antioxidants, which help block the expression of genes that may cause degenerative diseases.

Let These Citrus Varieties Brighten Your Day

Blood Oranges

Blood oranges don’t contain as much citric acid as other citrus varieties, which is why they are typically sweeter. Next time you consume a blood orange, see if you can detect the subtle raspberry-like flavor. The rich red means that blood oranges contain antioxidants that regular oranges do not have, and diversifying antioxidant intake is one of the best ways to keep the body healthy.

Cara Cara Oranges

If you haven’t noticed, wintertime menus seem to feature the mighty cara cara orange, which has a pink flesh that is noticeably sweeter than Navel or Valencia oranges. We recently published a cleanse approved salad recipe that contains cara cara oranges, and you can view that by clicking here.

Meyer Lemons

If ever there was a lemon made for making lemonade, it would be the lovely Meyer lemon. They are smaller than typical lemons and have a darker yellow color. Juice Meyer lemons to make lemonade, desserts, or salad dressings. And don’t you dare think about discarding the rind because the zest helps to elevate your dishes to the next level. You can even zest it into sea salt to create lemon salt.

Kumquats

Kumquats are members of the citrus family, but they don’t seem to get a lot of love, despite the fact that you can eat the entire fruit, skin and all. They can have a sharp and sour bite, but they are typically balanced with some inherent sweetness. You can snack on them, or thinly slice them to add to your salads.

Grapefruit

Grapefruits are not always appreciated, the primary reason being that their flesh can be quite tart. Have you tried the ruby red grapefruit? It is the sweetest grapefruit and it can be juiced, eaten out of hand, or segmented and added to salads.

Tangerines

These may be some of the juiciest and sweetest snacks of winter. Choose from clementines, Satsuma tangerines, pixies, Mineola tangerines, and more for grab-and-go snacking. You can also juice them to mix in with your orange juice because they offer a subtly tart flavor that enhances the natural sweetness of orange juice.

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