2024 Southwestern Arizona Orange U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
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Orange U-Pick Orchards in Southwestern Arizona in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for orangesthat we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have oranges orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using theadd a farmform!
Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email themif they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!
PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect infousing the "Report Corrections" form below.
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Yuma County
Wolfe brothers u-pick- No pesticides are used, grapefruit, oranges, other citrus, U-pick and already picked, restrooms 16555 South Avenue A 1/2, Somerton, AZ 85350. Phone: (618) 562-7476. Email:Wolfesat547@gmail.com. Open: Seven days a week 9 am to 5 from first of November thru June. Directions: 3 E to county 16, turn right and follow signs. .Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . Alternate Phone: (618) 562-1268. Fax: 928 627-1056. . We do not use pesticides on the crops. (ADDED: February 07, 2018)
Oranges
Orange Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
In
the U.S., Oranges typically peak during late June through July in the South, and
July and August in the North. In order to produce good local oranges, producers
depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions, and no late frosts.
If you want to knowwhich are the best varieties of
oranges for home canning, see this page!
Before you leave to go to the farm:
Always call before you go to the farm - Oranges are affected by weather
(both rain and cooler temperature) more than most crops. And when they are
in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL
first!
Leave
early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
Most growers furnish picking containers designed for oranges, but they may
charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to
bring
containers. If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Oranges more than 14
inches deep will bruise the fruit on the bottom.
Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large
pots make good containers.
Bring
something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up
a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs
usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it
has been rainy.
You might want to ask whether the oranges are! There are two major types of
oranges: "Freestone" and. "Clingstone". Freestone oranges and nectarines
have flesh that slips easily away from the pit. Clingstones are a REAL pain,
because the fruit tenaciously clings to the stone or pit! Most orange
varieties grown today are freestone and are usually available (depending
upon your location) from June through September. Some nectarines are
freestone and some are clingstone. Freestone nectarines are available in
June and July. Most plum varieties are clingstone.
When you get home
Spread the fruit out on towels or newspapers and separate any mushy or
damaged fruit to use immediately.
Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the others and
freeze them up!
Even under ideal conditions oranges will only keep for a week in a
refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible
after purchase
Ripe oranges have a creamy or golden undertone and "orangey-sweet"
fragrance.
Oranges should be refrigerated and used within a few days.
Putting oranges and nectarines in a loosely closed paper bag at room
temperature for a day or two can help soften firm fruit - but they won't
become sweeter or ripen further - that stopped when they were removed from
th etree.
For best flavor, allow the fruit to ripen fully on the tree.
Store at 33 F to 40 F and high humidity (a vegetable drawer in the
fridge).
How to tell if the oranges are ripe!
Attached to the tree:Oranges are best picked when the fruit
separates easily from the twigs. If it is hard to pull off the tree, it
isn't ripe! Oranges will not ripen further once removed from the tree (they
only "soften")
Color:Green is definitely unripe, but you can't use red color as
an indicator of how ripe a orange is. Different orange varieties have
differing amounts of red blush in their natural coloring. Pick them when the
ground color changes from green to yellow, orange, red (or a combination).
The skin of yellow-fleshed varieties ripens to an orange tint, while the
skin of white-fleshed varieties changes from greenish- to yellow-white.
Softness: unless you
like your oranges very firm, pick your oranges with just a little "give"
when gently pressed. Oranges at this stage are great for eating, freezing,
and baking. Oranges won't ripen very much after picking!
Odor:It should smell sweet and ripe!
Tips on How to Pick Oranges
A
orange is softer than most fruit, so it is important to pick a orange gently, with
little pressure. Using the sides of your fingers rather your fingertips helps to
avoid bruising. Grab the orange firmly and pull it straight off the branch.
DON'T drop the orange into the basket, but set it in gently!
Marks on the Oranges:Bugs (particularly squash bugs and stink bugs)
bite fruit during development and this results in some imperfections in the
orange. This is especially the case with organically raised fruit. These
look like dents in the oranges if the oranges were bitten by a bug when they
were young. This causes a spot that does not grow properly and makes a wrinkle
in the orange. There's nothing wrong with these oranges. They may look funny, but
they will taste just as good as blemish-free oranges, and it's better not to
have the pesticides!
How much do you need?
Raw measures:
About 2 medium oranges = 1 cup sliced oranges.
About 4 medium oranges = 1 cup pureed orange.
About 3 medium oranges = 1 pound of oranges
Process yields (Raw amounts to processed amounts)
2 to 21/2 pounds of fresh oranges yields 1 quart canned
1 lb of fresh oranges typically yields 3 cups of peeled, sliced oranges
or 2 cups or puree.
It takes about 5 good sizes oranges or nectarines (or about 10 plums) to
fill one quart jar of canned oranges.
An average of 171/2 pounds of fresh oranges are needed per canner load of
7 quarts;
An average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints.
1 bushel = 48 to 50 pounds, yields approximately 18 to 25 quart jars.
And a visitor contributes this: 6-7 oranges makes about 4 cups puree, so 2-3
oranges make about 2 cups puree. 1 orange equals about 1 cup puree.
Oranges - Average retail price per pound and per cup
equivalent, Most recent data (2020)
Form
Average retail price *3
Preparation yield factor
Size of a cup equivalent
Unit
Average price per cup equivalent
Fresh *1
$1.72
per pound
0.96
0.342
pounds
$0.61
Canned
Packed in juice *2
$2.02
per pound
1
0.540
pounds
$1.09
Packed in syrup or water *3
$1.81
per pound
0.65
0.441
pounds
$1.23
Frozen
$3.39
per pound
1
0.331
pounds
$1.12
Note 1- The USDA National Nutrient Database for
Standard Reference (SR) reports that the inedible pit of a orange accounts for 4 percent of the retail weight, implying a preparation yield
of 96 percent, when eaten raw.
Note 2- Consumers are assumed to eat the solid
fruit and drink the juice. All contents of the can are edible and count towards an individual's recommended fruit consumption.
Note 3- The syrup (or water) is discarded prior
to consumption. Based on the Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED), ERS assumes that 65 percent of the can's gross weight is solid and
35 percent is liquid. The FPED cup equivalent weight for canned fruit is the weight of the solids and not of the liquid medium in which it
is packed. The preparation yield factor for canned oranges in the above table does not account for any further preparation that occurs prior
to consumption.
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service calculations from 2020 Circana (formerly Information
Resources, Inc. [IRI]) OmniMarket Core Outlets (formerly InfoScan) data; the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR),
Legacy Release; and the Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED) 2017�18 as well as the FPED's accompanying Methodology and User Guide.
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Orange pit tips
It's best to remove orange pits before you cook the oranges. Cherry, orange,
and apricot pits also contain amygdalin; the latter two, in potentially harmful
amounts. Fortunately, orange and apricot pits are sufficiently large and hard
that few people intentionally swallow or chew them. (The unapproved anti-cancer
drugSee this page for more
information&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/cam/laetrile">Laetrileis a semisynthetic derivative of amygdalin; a cheaper version of
laetrile produced in Mexico came from crushed apricot pits.)See this page for more
information.