Navel Orange

Navel orange is a seedless sweet orange with a small navel-like button at the blossom end and a bright orange, easy-peeling rind. Flesh is juicy, low-acid, and segmented, with a zesty aroma; segments hold shape well for salads and desserts. Use fresh in fruit salads, salsas, and baking; zest and peel add bright flavor and candy well; freshly squeezed juice can turn bitter if held due to limonin.\n\nOriginating from a 19th-century mutation in Bahia, Brazil, the Washington navel spread via cuttings and became a cornerstone of California citrus. Navels now thrive in Mediterranean and subtropical citrus belts, with North American harvests peaking in winter.