Author Topic: Sour Orange cold hardiness  (Read 899 times)

christianmom

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Sour Orange cold hardiness
« on: December 03, 2024, 08:47:55 AM »
I've been reading up on sour oranges and wonder if anyone is growing them and how cold hardy they are. Are there any interesting varieties worth growing for the zest and juice? I actually have a Yuzu grafted onto sour orange (Brazilian sour orange) rootstock and if the rootstock suckers I want to try to root the suckers.

Millet

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2024, 04:56:19 PM »
It is difficult to give a specific degree of temperature, Sour Orange is not as cold tolerant a Trifoliate Orange, but is not all that far from it.

christianmom

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2024, 10:13:42 PM »
It is difficult to give a specific degree of temperature, Sour Orange is not as cold tolerant a Trifoliate Orange, but is not all that far from it.

Ok, that's encouraging, definitely on my list to grow outdoors with protection on frosty nights.

Mulberry0126

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2024, 07:39:12 AM »
We are growing Taiwanica lemon/Nansho Daidai which is supposed to be a type of sour orange. It tastes more like a lemon/pummelo and makes a very pleasant lemonade. It's quite hardy and so are it's hybrids.

Florian

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2024, 09:46:59 AM »
I had a Yuzu that was grafted on sour orange and it died in its first winter after only -8C. None of my other citrus (grafted on Poncirus and Citrumelo) showed damages that winter.

Ilya11

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2024, 11:35:33 AM »
Soar orange is very susceptible to viruses, some citrus varieties die when grafted on it.
Best regards,
                       Ilya

Zitrusgaertner

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2024, 12:11:15 PM »
It is difficult to give a specific degree of temperature, Sour Orange is not as cold tolerant a Trifoliate Orange, but is not all that far from it.

Ok, that's encouraging, definitely on my list to grow outdoors with protection on frosty nights.

might be encouraging but is definitly wrong. C. aurantium can take -10°C but not much less. C. trifoliata is hardy down to -23°C or even less. It is decidous.

Galatians522

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2024, 10:09:50 PM »
I've been reading up on sour oranges and wonder if anyone is growing them and how cold hardy they are. Are there any interesting varieties worth growing for the zest and juice? I actually have a Yuzu grafted onto sour orange (Brazilian sour orange) rootstock and if the rootstock suckers I want to try to root the suckers.

The ones I am familiar with do not make good juice. Sour is one thing, but these are bitter, too. Even marmalade and candied peel tasted very bitter to me. The best way to use them is as a marinade for pork and chicken or in Mojo Sauce (sour orange juice cooked with salt, pepper, and garlic). Some hoe that removes the bitterness or at least reduces it to a level that is not noticeable. I believe the ones common around here are a Seville type I believe if that helps.

Zitrusgaertner

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2024, 02:08:14 PM »
The ones I am familiar with do not make good juice. Sour is one thing, but these are bitter, too. Even marmalade and candied peel tasted very bitter to me. The best way to use them is as a marinade for pork and chicken or in Mojo Sauce (sour orange juice cooked with salt, pepper, and garlic). Some hoe that removes the bitterness or at least reduces it to a level that is not noticeable. I believe the ones common around here are a Seville type I believe if that helps.
[/quote]

There are "sour" oranges (C. aurantium) that arevery sweet and aromatic and only slightly bitter. They differ much in quality. The sweet orange has the same parents. That's the reason why one cannot expect great hardiness. It is within the same range as sweet orange, Some might be hardy down to -12°C (for a very short time)
Cara cara or the Montagne Corse, a blood orange.

Till

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #9 on: December 11, 2024, 01:21:32 PM »
I have drunken a lot of Sour Orange Lemonade in Sizily and Portugal (and ruined my teeth with it). Yes it makes an aromatic lemonade. But I did never understand why sour oranges are so widely cultivated. The fruits are often somewhat dry and they are really sour and bitter. I would rather cultivate some Poncirus hybrids than sour orange. Maybe the only reason is that sour oranges were known in Europe before sweet oranges. And what is once established in cuisine will not so easily be replaced by something better.
But it is as anything of cause a question of personal taste. The plants are beautiful.

Millet

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #10 on: December 11, 2024, 04:40:20 PM »
Sour oranges are heavily used in marmalade manufacturing, perfumes, flavoring, and in Earl Gray tea.

bussone

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #11 on: December 12, 2024, 02:34:13 PM »
I have drunken a lot of Sour Orange Lemonade in Sizily and Portugal (and ruined my teeth with it). Yes it makes an aromatic lemonade. But I did never understand why sour oranges are so widely cultivated. The fruits are often somewhat dry and they are really sour and bitter. I would rather cultivate some Poncirus hybrids than sour orange. Maybe the only reason is that sour oranges were known in Europe before sweet oranges. And what is once established in cuisine will not so easily be replaced by something better.
But it is as anything of cause a question of personal taste. The plants are beautiful.

Cooking and industrial use (flavoring, perfume, etc), I suspect. Marmalades, too.

Consider sour cherries vs sweet cherries. Or table vs wine grapes.

Zitrusgaertner

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #12 on: December 12, 2024, 03:24:13 PM »
I have drunken a lot of Sour Orange Lemonade in Sizily and Portugal (and ruined my teeth with it). Yes it makes an aromatic lemonade. But I did never understand why sour oranges are so widely cultivated. The fruits are often somewhat dry and they are really sour and bitter. I would rather cultivate some Poncirus hybrids than sour orange. Maybe the only reason is that sour oranges were known in Europe before sweet oranges. And what is once established in cuisine will not so easily be replaced by something better.
But it is as anything of cause a question of personal taste. The plants are beautiful.

Cooking and industrial use (flavoring, perfume, etc), I suspect. Marmalades, too.

Consider sour cherries vs sweet cherries. Or table vs wine grapes.

Seville oranges are grown for decorative reasons and for the fragrance of its flowers. Who ever has been to Sevilla in Spain in March or April knows what I mean? Nobody eats the fruits of these trees. Only tourists try -once.

vnomonee

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #13 on: December 12, 2024, 03:42:16 PM »
In the next town there is a Hispanic grocery that carries sour oranges. People buy them for marinades like mentioned above. Not sure what variety but I made marmalade out of them, they are bitter but not unpleasantly so (well to me, I have a high tolerance lol). I also use the seeds for rootstock, don't think we have virus problems where I am.

I threw some seeds outside to see what will happen last winter/spring, the plants that grew out are so far are ok but they will probably die by the end of the winter.   



bussone

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Re: Sour Orange cold hardiness
« Reply #14 on: December 17, 2024, 12:43:17 PM »
Cooking and industrial use (flavoring, perfume, etc), I suspect. Marmalades, too.

Consider sour cherries vs sweet cherries. Or table vs wine grapes.

Seville oranges are grown for decorative reasons and for the fragrance of its flowers. Who ever has been to Sevilla in Spain in March or April knows what I mean? Nobody eats the fruits of these trees. Only tourists try -once.

I use Sevilles for marmalade. The rind is really nice. The juice... is good for wetting the sugar.

The seediness means I don't need to add pectin. =)

 

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