Know what is in season

Lemon

Argentina, South Africa, Turkey, Egypt, Spain, China

Lemon trees produce up to 272kgs of fruit all year round. The most common types of lemons are the Meyer, Eureka, Bearss and Lisbon lemons. The fruits are cultivated primarily for their juice, though the pulp and rind (zest) are also used in cooking, mixing and bi product manufacturing. The juice of a lemon is about 5% citric acid, which gives lemons a sour taste and a pH of 2 to 3.  Sprinkling the juice on other fruits can prevent them turning brown. An average lemon holds three tablespoons of juice and contains eight seeds.

Grapefruit

Argentina, South Africa, Turkey, Egypt, Spain, China

Grapefruits vary in colour from white or yellow to pink and red. They can range in taste from acidic and somewhat bitter to sweet and tart. The juices, peels, and pulps all provide nutritional benefit. A single grapefruit tree can produce more than 680kgs of fruit. Grapefruit are hand-picked, no mechanical harvesting is used. A grapefruit is 75% juice and has 92% water more than almost any other fruit.

Mandarin

Taiwan

Mandarins are smaller and oblate, rather than spherical, like the common oranges and their skin is peelable. They taste less sour, as well as sweeter and stronger. Mandarins are generally peeled and eaten fresh. The fresh fruit is also used in salads, desserts, main dishes and on occasion the dried or dehydrated. Mandarins are a winter fruit and they symbolise wealth and prosperity during the Chinese New Year celebration.

Liu Ding (Sweet Orange)

Taiwan

Taiwan sweet orange known as Liu Ding, has a greenish orange rind. The variety is very similar to Valencia with pale orange flesh but much sweeter in flavour. The pulp is more apparent compared to a regular orange, somewhat like a pomelo. Liu Ding is perfect for juicing, baking, cooking and topping off a fancy dish but is best served fresh. This juicy and pulpy fruit is filled with natural sugar and is mostly sweet than citrus tasting.

Murcott (Honey Murcott)

Taiwan

Murcott is a tangor which is a hybrid between a mandarin and a sweet orange (liu ding). The fruit appears to look like mandarins but are smaller and more fragrant. It has a mixture of sweet and tangy flavours with a smooth, shiny appearance and a desirably thin peel. Honey murcotts contain high levels of vitamin C and help to lower blood pressure.

Kumquat

Holland

The bright orange-yellow fruit closely resembles the orange in colour. Its round sometimes oval shape is much smaller than an orange, being approximately the size of a large olive. Depending on size, the kumquat tree can produce hundreds or even thousands of fruits each year. The flesh of a kumquat is strong and sour, however the peel is usually sweet in comparison, and for this reason, it is common for the flesh and peel to be eaten together.