2024 Deep South of Texas Orange U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Orange U-Pick Orchards in Deep South of Texas in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for oranges that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have oranges orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

Hidalgo County

• Obst Family Farm - Rio Red Grapefruit, Oranges
  1213 Earling Rd, Alamo, TX 78516. Phone: (956) 782-4644. Click here for a map and directions. Obst Family Farm Phone: 956-787-6917 . Mon - Fri: 8 am - 5 pm; Saturday: 8 am - 12 pm
• The Lazy S Citrus Grove - grapefruit, oranges,
  , Mercedes, TX 78570. Phone: 956-264-4549. Email: cherswear@yahoo.com. Click here for a map of the area. Payment: Cash, only. . . Please Call Ahead To Schedule Picking Time; 7 days a week - morning til' dusk. Call for directions when you make an appointment. Note: Call before you go; I cannot find any recent information about them online.

 

Oranges

Orange Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S., Oranges typically peak during late June through July in the South, and July and August in the North. In order to produce good local oranges, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions, and no late frosts. If you want to know which are the best varieties of oranges for home canning, see this page!

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - Oranges are affected by weather (both rain and cooler temperature) more than most crops. And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Leave early.  On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for oranges, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Oranges more than 14 inches deep will bruise the fruit on the bottom. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers.
4. Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.
5. You might want to ask whether the oranges are! There are two major types of oranges: "Freestone" and. "Clingstone". Freestone oranges and nectarines have flesh that slips easily away from the pit. Clingstones are a REAL pain, because the fruit tenaciously clings to the stone or pit! Most orange varieties grown today are freestone and are usually available (depending upon your location) from June through September. Some nectarines are freestone and some are clingstone. Freestone nectarines are available in June and July. Most plum varieties are clingstone. 

When you get home

1. Spread the fruit out on towels or newspapers and separate any mushy or damaged fruit to use immediately.
2. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the others and freeze them up!
3. Even under ideal conditions oranges will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase
4. Now, get ready to make Orange jam or canned oranges - It is VERY easy - especially with our free
    - orange jam instructions - they're illustrated and easy and our page on
    - how to make home canned oranges from fresh!
   - Or see here to freeze oranges instead!
   - make your own home canned orange pie filling to use in the winter
5. Here's a great and easy orange pie recipe
   or orange-blueberry pie  or how about
   - orange salsa?
   - Orange chutney
   - Spiced oranges
   - orange butter
   - Orange honey
   - pickled oranges
   - orange syrup
   - orange juice
6. Here are some great and easy orange desert recipes, like easy orange cobbler.
7. If you want more information about the Giant Orange water tower in Gaffney, SC, click here.

Temporary Storage Tips

• Ripe oranges have a creamy or golden undertone and "orangey-sweet" fragrance.
• Oranges should be refrigerated and used within a few days.
• Putting oranges and nectarines in a loosely closed paper bag at room temperature for a day or two can help soften firm fruit - but they won't become sweeter or ripen further - that stopped when they were removed from th etree.
• For best flavor, allow the fruit to ripen fully on the tree.
• Store at 33 F to 40 F  and high humidity (a vegetable drawer in the fridge).

How to tell if the oranges are ripe!

• Attached to the tree: Oranges are best picked when the fruit separates easily from the twigs. If it is hard to pull off the tree, it isn't ripe! Oranges will not ripen further once removed from the tree (they only "soften")
• Color: Green is definitely unripe, but you can't use red color as an indicator of how ripe a orange is. Different orange varieties have differing amounts of red blush in their natural coloring. Pick them when the ground color changes from green to yellow, orange, red (or a combination). The skin of yellow-fleshed varieties ripens to an orange tint, while the skin of white-fleshed varieties changes from greenish- to yellow-white.
• Softness: unless you like your oranges very firm, pick your oranges with just a little "give" when gently pressed. Oranges at this stage are great for eating, freezing, and baking. Oranges won't ripen very much after picking!
• Odor: It should smell sweet and ripe!

Tips on How to Pick Oranges

A orange is softer than most fruit, so it is important to pick a orange gently, with little pressure. Using the sides of your fingers rather your fingertips helps to avoid bruising.  Grab the orange firmly and pull it straight off the branch. DON'T drop the orange into the basket, but set it in gently!

Marks on the Oranges: Bugs (particularly squash bugs and stink bugs) bite fruit during development and this results in some imperfections in the orange. This is especially the case with organically raised fruit.  These look like dents in the oranges if the oranges were bitten by a bug when they were young. This causes a spot that does not grow properly and makes a wrinkle in the orange. There's nothing wrong with these oranges. They may look funny, but they will taste just as good as blemish-free oranges, and it's better not to have the pesticides!

How much do you need?

Raw measures:

• About 2 medium oranges = 1 cup sliced oranges.
• About 4 medium oranges = 1 cup pureed orange.
• About 3 medium oranges = 1 pound of oranges

Process yields (Raw amounts to processed amounts)

• 2 to 21/2 pounds of fresh oranges yields 1 quart canned
• 1 lb of fresh oranges typically yields 3 cups of peeled, sliced oranges or 2 cups or puree.
• It takes about 5 good sizes oranges or nectarines (or about 10 plums) to fill one quart jar of canned oranges.
• An average of 171/2 pounds of fresh oranges are needed per canner load of 7 quarts;
• An average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints.
• 1 bushel = 48 to 50 pounds, yields approximately 18 to 25 quart jars.

And a visitor contributes this: 6-7 oranges makes about 4 cups puree, so 2-3 oranges make about 2 cups puree. 1 orange equals about 1 cup puree.

Oranges - Average retail price per pound and per cup equivalent, Most recent data (2020)

Form	Average retail price *3		Preparation yield factor	Size of a cup equivalent	Unit	Average price per cup equivalent
Fresh *1	$1.72	per pound	0.96	0.342	pounds	$0.61
Canned
Packed in juice *2	$2.02	per pound	1	0.540	pounds	$1.09
Packed in syrup or water *3	$1.81	per pound	0.65	0.441	pounds	$1.23
Frozen	$3.39	per pound	1	0.331	pounds	$1.12
Note 1 - The USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR) reports that the inedible pit of a orange accounts for 4 percent of the retail weight, implying a preparation yield of 96 percent, when eaten raw.
Note 2 - Consumers are assumed to eat the solid fruit and drink the juice. All contents of the can are edible and count towards an individual's recommended fruit consumption.
Note 3 - The syrup (or water) is discarded prior to consumption. Based on the Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED), ERS assumes that 65 percent of the can's gross weight is solid and 35 percent is liquid. The FPED cup equivalent weight for canned fruit is the weight of the solids and not of the liquid medium in which it is packed. The preparation yield factor for canned oranges in the above table does not account for any further preparation that occurs prior to consumption.
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service calculations from 2020 Circana (formerly Information Resources, Inc. [IRI]) OmniMarket Core Outlets (formerly InfoScan) data; the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR), Legacy Release; and the Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED) 2017�18 as well as the FPED's accompanying Methodology and User Guide.

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Orange pit tips

It's best to remove orange pits before you cook the oranges. Cherry, orange, and apricot pits also contain amygdalin; the latter two, in potentially harmful amounts. Fortunately, orange and apricot pits are sufficiently large and hard that few people intentionally swallow or chew them. (The unapproved anti-cancer drug See this page for more information&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/cam/laetrile">Laetrile is a semisynthetic derivative of amygdalin; a cheaper version of laetrile produced in Mexico came from crushed apricot pits.) See this page for more information.

 

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children"s consignment sales
• Fruit and vegetable festivals
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed & Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources
• Resources for Farmers