Moro
The reddest
Flesh from deep red to almost violet, a bold flavour with a slightly bitter note. It is the variety traditionally linked to the Lentini area, a few kilometres from here.
Harvest seasondec – feb
Our harvest
Three crops, eight varieties
Blood oranges
Moro · Tarocco · Sanguinello
The three varieties of the Arancia Rossa di Sicilia PGI specification. The red comes from anthocyanins, pigments the fruit only produces when hot days are followed by cold nights: the temperature swing that Etna gives this part of Sicily, and that does not happen elsewhere.
Tarocco
The most sought-after
Medium-large fruit, flesh streaked with red, almost seedless. Sweet, aromatic and easy to peel: the table blood orange par excellence.
Harvest seasonjan – mar
Sanguinello
The veined one
Orange flesh run through with red veins, the peel lightly blushed. Sweet and juicy, it ripens alongside Tarocco in the heart of winter.
Harvest seasonjan – mar
Blonde oranges
Navel · Valencia
Blonde oranges open and close the season: Navel arrives before the blood oranges, Valencia after them. A less fine texture and a sweeter taste.
Navel
The first
Seedless and easy to peel. You can tell it by the small “navel” at the base: a second miniature fruit set into the peel, which gives it its name.
Harvest seasonnov – jan
Valencia
The last
It challenges the idea of the orange as a winter fruit: it is picked from March to June, when all the others are over. Very juicy, few seeds.
Harvest seasonmar – jun
Femminello lemons
Primofiore · Bianchetto · Verdello
The Sicilian lemon par excellence, with a trait few citrus fruits share: it flowers several times a year. The same tree gives three harvests, each named after the time it arrives. Peel rich in essential oils, plenty of juice.
Primofiore
The main harvest
Born from the spring flowering, it is picked from October to April. Thin peel, very juicy.
Harvest seasonoct – apr
Bianchetto
The spring lemon
Paler, smoother peel and firm flesh.
Harvest seasonapr – jun
Verdello
The summer lemon
From a late flowering, it arrives in summer when the other lemons are gone. Light green, thicker peel, very fragrant.
Harvest seasonjun – sep
For purchase planning
Harvest calendar
Eight varieties in succession: there is no month of the year without something on the tree.
OctoberNovemberDecemberJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptember
Blood oranges
Moro
Tarocco
Sanguinello
Blonde oranges
Navel
Valencia
Femminello lemons
Primofiore
Bianchetto
Verdello
Why they are good for you
Rich in vitamin C
Immune system
Citrus fruits are naturally high in vitamin C, which contributes to the normal function of the immune system and to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
An ally of iron
Vitamin C increases iron absorption: the reason why a glass of fresh juice next to an iron-rich dish is more than just a family habit.
Colour is substance
The red of Moro, Tarocco and Sanguinello comes from anthocyanins, the pigments formed thanks to the temperature swing between day and night. The same ones found in berries.