How to Pick an Orange

No grocery store orange can compare to the flavor of one picked right off the tree. If you're lucky enough to have an orange tree of your own--or know someone who does--here's the best way to grab off these juicy gems.

Things You'll Need

• Orange tree
• Bucket
• Ladder (optional)
• Garden clippers (optional)

Instructions

1. Be sure the oranges are ripe. Though the fruit should have no hint of green on the skin, often the best ones aren't impeccably orange, either. Look for a warm, yellow-orange color, and sample one or two before you pick the rest.

2. Wrap one hand around the desired orange so it sits in your palm and your fingers spread out around it.

3. In one motion, twist the orange about 90 degrees and tug firmly, but not too hard. The fruit should separate from the stem without ripping the skin.

4. Place the orange in the bucket and repeat Steps 1 through 3 until you have the desired amount of oranges. On the same tree, some fruit may ripen more slowly than others, so assess each fruit individually.

5. If necessary, carefully use a ladder to reach oranges too high up on the tree to reach on foot.

Tips & Warnings

• Oranges are generally best right after a cold spell, which brings out the sugar in the fruit.

• If you can't get an orange to separate from the stem cleanly, use garden clippers to cut the stem just above the orange.

• Be sure to twist and pull the orange in a simultaneous motion to avoid ripping the skin, which will cause the orange to spoil more quickly.