In the United States, oranges were first grown commercially in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1820. Oranges were first grown commercially in California in the 1840s, in what is now part of downtown Los Angeles. The orange-juice industry uses every bit of the orange. Everything, including the pulp, seeds, and peel, is used in food products like candy, cake mixes, and soft drinks.
Gary Soto Oranges The first time I walked With a girl, I was twelve, Cold, and weighted down With two oranges in my jacket. December. Frost cracking Beneath my steps, my breath Before me, then gone, As I walked toward Her house, the one whose Porch light burned yellow Night and day, in any weather. A dog barked at me, until She came out pulling At her gloves, face bright With rouge. I smiled, Touched her shoulder, and led Her down the street, across A used car lot and a line Of newly planted trees, Until we were breathing Before a drugstore. We Entered, the tiny bell Bringing a saleslady Down a narrow aisle of goods. I turned to the candies Tiered like bleachers, And asked what she wanted - Light in her eyes, a smile Starting at the corners Of her mouth. I fingered A nickle in my pocket, And when she lifted a chocolate That cost a dime, I didn’t say anything. I took the nickle from My pocket, then an orange, And set them quietly on The counter. When I looked up, The lady’s eyes met mine, And held them, knowing Very well what it was all About. Outside, A few cars hissing past, Fog hanging like old Coats between the trees. I took my girl’s hand In mine for two blocks, Then released it to let Her unwrap the chocolate. I peeled my orange That was so bright against The gray of December That, from some distance, Someone might have thought I was making a fire in my hands.
The possible reasons why we find an orange in the toe of our Christmas stockings. https://www.thekitchn.com/heres-why...mas-holiday-traditions-from-the-kitchn-213985
My grandfather was born and raised in a small impoverished Virginia mountain town. Every Christmas, some society ladies from a big church in Charlottesville would come up by train with Christmas presents for all the children, usually socks, underwear and gloves. One year, they brought a crate of oranges and every child got one. Grandpa said that they all brought their oranges home and put them on the kitchen table. Nobody knew what they were supposed to do with them. Do you cook them? Do you eat the whole thing? Is it going to taste funny? None of them had ever seen an orange before.
In Redlands, Calif., when life gives you oranges... By the Great Depression of the 1930s, women working in the Redlands packing houses were largely Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. This view, from the early 1950s, is in Tom Peppers’ packing house, where work in underway packing under the popular (and now collectible) Red Mule Brand label. - courtesy of Nathan Gonzales from the Smiley Library
I remember my father telling me he got an orange for Christmas, once, during the depression, implying that was all he got. I assumed he was kidding me. I was too young to even think to ask for sure, and it never came up again.
Blood Oranges: Grown mostly in California, blood oranges have blood-red flesh, but are sweet and juicy. Hamlin Oranges: Grown mostly in Florida, they are usually used for juice. Jaffa Oranges: Grown in Israel, they are similar to the Valencia Orange but sweeter. Navel Oranges: One of the more common orange varieties in the US, Naval Oranges are large and have thick skin. They are seedless, sweet, and easily peeled. Parson Brown Oranges: Grown mostly in Florida, they were the most common oranges in the US before 1920. They are sweet, have thick skin, and are an early-season orange. Pineapple Oranges: Named for their aroma, which is similar to that of a pineapple, Pineapple Oranges are a dark orange color, have thick skin, and are sweet. Temple Oranges: Far juicier than most oranges, Temple Oranges are grown mostly in Florida, where they are common. Valencia Oranges: The most widely grown orange, Valencia Oranges are used mostly for juice but, because they are a late-season orange, they are also used for eating.
When I was growing up in the UP of Michigan, there wasn't a lot of fruit or vegetables available that weren't grown nearby. I don't know what the rest of the country was experiencing at the time so it might be that there wasn't a lot of stuff trucked in from long distances because there were only small towns in the UP. However, for reasons that I am unaware of, bananas were available for most of the year, but we had oranges and tangerines in the stores only around Christmas, so I tend to think of them as a Christmas treat.
We always had a tangerine in our Christmas stockings and that was the only time in the north that we ever saw a tangerine. I eat them all the time now but the smell is pure Christmas to me.