How to Harvest Citrus Fruit

Get the maximum flavor out of your citrus crop by following these steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Polyethylene Bags
• Baskets
• Gardening Gloves
• Pruning Shears
• Pruning Shears
• Plastic Bags
• Paper Grocery Bags
• Plastic bags
• Baskets

1. Grab a fruit with your hand.

2. Remove it from the tree with a quick snapping motion. If the rind tears, use pruning shears instead, cutting the fruit just above the stem.

3. Taste fruit to check ripeness. Flavor is the best judge of ripeness. Rind color alone is a poor indicator. Some brightly colored fruit may not be ripe. Some greenish fruit may taste great.

4. Harvest only what you will use. Fruit left on the tree will usually improve in quality.

5. Eat fruit as soon as possible, or store in the refrigerator for up to six weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• Take a harvest basket with you when you pick citrus or use a paper bag or box.
• If the rind tears, eat the fruit immediately, or it will decay quickly.

[Abusaade]

on 10/22/2008 Oranges are splitting. I have no idea why? I live in Southren california close to ocean.
Please; give me an advice. Thank you
[e-mail]

[ebony]

on 4/30/2007 Should a few grapefruit be left on tree? Was told we should so the tree would not reflower and try to reproduce to soon. Old wives tale?

[e-mail]

[Dupree887]

on 1/16/2007 I Just want to know if a bud start to grow on an orange tree
in January is that okay for the tree ? mine is budding now my email address is [e-mail]

on 11/22/2005 When a freeze is looming, especially if it is dry, we turn the soaking hose around the trees over night. The water in the tree is an excellent insulator.