Find out when blood oranges are in season, what varieties are available, and where to get them near you. Plus, discover some exciting new hybrids—blood oranges crossed with other types of citrus. I share a few tasty recipes at the end.
📋 What's New In This Post (4/29/25) - Added new photos and a FAQ section.
All Oranges Aren't Just Orange
Oranges are orange. At least on the outside - unless you live in a super warm climate where they are green when ripe but that's another story. On the inside oranges can be an array of different colors - dark purple to all different shades of red. I have had some that had a rainbow of reds, yellows, and oranges on the inside.
I first discovered blood oranges many years ago when shopping at a Meijer store in Michigan. Someone was sampling blood oranges, which as young 20 year old I have never tasted before. But when I first laid my eye on the unique inside of these oranges and their unique flavor, I instantly became intrigued and set out to learn all I could about these oranges.
After having them over many seasons, I have come to learn when I can expect them in the store and when they are going to taste the best. I am here to share the information with you also while you might think blood orange is just a type of orange, there are actually many varieties of blood oranges that often don't get called out by name in the store. I will tell you about those as well.
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❔ FAQ about Blood Oranges
If you aren't familiar yet with blood oranges, let me first answer for you some basic frequently asked questions. Click/tap the plus sign to get the answers to any of these questions.
❄️ When in Season?
Generally the blood orange season runs from December to May or June. Peak time is February to April. Imports can also be found when out of season, especially around Halloween.
The first blood oranges of the season show up before Christmas. The first ones usually don't appear any different than any other orange. There is no red showing on the outside like you will see later in the season. Why is that? It's because the oranges don't turn color on the outside until they experience some colder weather, further into winter.
Let me show you a blood orange tree that I observed in California right after New Year's Day.
Besides the color, the flavor is not there either. I wouldn't be in a rush to get blood oranges until February. From then through April seems to be the sweet spot in terms of cost, selection, and quality.
They seem to be lasting more into spring now than in past years. I can't speak much for the quality than as usually that time of year I am more interested in peaches and cherries.
In late summer and into fall you can some that are imported from Southern Hemisphere countries. In fact, growers like to take advantage of the American Halloween holiday by marketing their blood orange as "Dracula Blood oranges".
🍊 Varieties
Most people may not know that there are actually different varieties of blood oranges. The grocery stores often just label them all blood oranges. Let me go through the 3 major types of blood oranges that I have tried, along with some new varieties that are derived from them.
Moro
The one that you find almost every time is the Moro blood orange, it is by far the mode widely grown. These ones tend to have the darkest color inside. A mature one can be dark purple on the inside while being nearly completely red on the outside. Even if it's orange on the outside, the flavor can still be good.
The Moro has a good amount of tartness and is my favorite for using in recipes. However it's not my favorite for just eating out of hand. You can peel them by hand but it can be a little tricky. Not as easy as a mandarin or even a Navel orange. Moro blood orangs are the first variety on the market in December, but really aren't that good until we get more into the winter.
Sanguinello
This has a very Italian sounding name. You can tell these from Moro as they have a less rounded, more elongated shape. The flavor is very similar to Moro. I didn't really notice a difference until I tried it side by side with a Moro and I felt that is had better flavor. Not more than a subtle difference.
Tarocco
Tarocco blood oranges are a whole different story. These are by far my favorite for eating out of hand. They tend to be less acidic and have a sweeter, more fruity flavor. The color inside isn't as dark as the other varieties. It's more of a rainbow of yellow, orange, and red. Quite beautiful as the picture below showcases.
As for peeling the skin, these I find to be the easiest to peel. They are no more different than a Navel orange.
They can be a challenge to find, especially when most stores just sell all blood oranges under the label blood orange. If you can find them, snatch them up. I have seen them at Trader Joe's in the past, but not lately. I have also found them imported from Italy at Meijer stores in Michigan. Or you can order them from Specialty Produce out of San Diego.
When I do find them it tends to be latter in the season, although I have gotten some in late January that were really good.
🔴 Raspberry Oranges
If find a bag of Raspberry Oranges these are actually just any type of blood orange as raspberry oranges. I expect most of them are going to be the widely grown Moro. Kings River packages them this way to try to increase sales by focusing on the raspberry like flavor.
Mixed Types
In the last few years some new varieties have arrived on the market that are a cross between a blood orange and another type of citrus! These are really exciting.
- A Pomelo was crossed with a blood orange and mandarin - the Valentine Pomelo was born. This pomelo is red on the inside and has the shape of a heart when slice in half. The name thought actually comes from the fact that is ripens around Valentine's Day.
- A blood orange and a Clementine mandarin were crossed to create the Ruby Tango mandarin. It peels like a mandarin with the flavor of a blood orange. I really loved these but sadly I have not found them in many years. I can't find any information on them either, so I believe they have been sadly discounted.
🌳 Where are They Grown?
If you are in a grocery story you are pretty much guaranteed they will be coming from California. The only real exception is when they are imported when California ones aren't in season.
I have on occasion got some blood oranges that were imported from Italy. They are were the Tarocco variety and they were amazing. I have been to Florida during the winter season and did not find any growing there. Lots of signs down there advertising for Red Navels, which are just Cara Cara navels.
🛒 Where to Buy
Trying to find blood oranges near me? If you are looking to track down some blood oranges, you should be able to find them in most grocery stores. Here are ones that I can confirm. I do not recall seeing them at Costco before, but if you have, leave a comment below.
- Central Market
- Food City
- Food Lion
- HEB
- Hy-Vee
- Kroger
- Meijer
- Sprouts
- The Fresh Market
- Trader Joe's
- Walmart
- Winco Foods
- Wegmans
- Whole Foods
They are not too hard to track down anymore. A lot of the time you will find them in bags. Kroger stores have them under their Private Selection label. Also they are sold by pound.
If you are looking for a specific type of blood orange than that is a lot harder. Almost all of the blood oranges in these stores are Moro. Rarely are you given that information at the grocery store unless they are not Moro. Occasionally I have seen bags of Sunkist blood oranges labelled as Moro. When I have found Tarocco blood oranges they have been labelled that way.
💲 Do They Cost More Money?
Blood orangs typically run more than Navel oranges. I would say around $2 a pound is what I find to be the average price. Usually at least once a season I will find a store that has them on sale and I can get them for less.
They are not as widely grown as Navel or juicing oranges, which often the market is flooded with. So there are less oranges on the market. So it's a supply and demand thing.
🧃 Can You Juice Them?
Absolutely you can juice them. I use them in the following recipes.
🥄 Recipes
The unique flavor of the blood oranges and it's eye appealing color make it a great choice to use in many recipes. Here are some of my favorite
- Blood Orange/Strawberry Jam - How to make a small batch of strawberry jam using blood oranges to up the flavor ante.
- Blood Orange Granita - A refreshing retreat, made of small ice crystals that can be made in the freezer without any special equipment. You got a pan and a fork you can make it.
- Blood Orange Sherbet - Take Alton Brown's recipe for orange sherbet, and replace the regular orange juice with blood orange juice.
Or a simple thing to do is buy plain Greek yogurt, stir in some freshly squeezed blood orange juice and some orange blossom honey.
What is your favorite way to enjoy blood oranges? Leave a comment below.
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