Florida Citrus: Delicious, Versatile (and Complicated)

After a long summer sabbatical from writing, 'The Neighborly Florida' is back with a citrus tale to tell.

The complimentary cup of Florida orange juice served at the Official Florida Welcome Center near Lake City is a delicious way to enter the state. It’s sweet. It’s refreshing. It’s unmistakably Florida.

It’s also complicated.

Florida citrus — oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and tangerines — is the cornerstone of the state’s agriculture industry. And even though these fruits are not native to the Sunshine State (we can thank the ancient Indian subcontinent for that), they have proliferated upon arrival sometime in the early 1500s.

But it wasn’t until after the Civil War when commercial production began, due in part to newly constructed railroads that allowed citrus growers to move products across the country.

So far, even through devastating freezes, fly infestations, disease, and extreme weather events, the citrus growing industry in Florida has flourished into a multi-billion dollar production. To be sure, Florida is the second-largest producer of citrus in the world and the largest producer of 100% orange juice in the United States.

But Florida citrus has taken a beating as of late by way of hurricanes, urban sprawl and an incurable contagion.

In 1998, a small winged, sucking insect about the size of a flax seed or chili flake appeared in Florida and began its slow but steady pillage of citrus trees across the state. By feeding on leaves, the Asian citrus psyllid spreads a toxic bacteria (Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) that blocks the flow of nutrients from the roots to the branches, breeding infection in both older and young trees, although younger trees are more susceptible.

Just like any highly transmittable disease, the infection spreads from host to host, and in this case, tree to tree or even to neighboring groves. Once infected, the bacteria will starve and strip the tree of sugar and minerals, turning green leaves yellow and preventing the ripening of fruit.

The tree will die within five years—and the fruit along with it. There is no cure, only the culling of inventory; the chopping and removal of trees, the pulling of stumps and roots.

Citrus greening disease, also known as huanglongbing or yellow dragon disease, has been spreading rampant in Florida groves, causing serious damage to the crop and to the state’s industry.

Like many progressive diseases, the damage took years—decades even—to come into fruition. And, now, the true extent of the deterioration can be found in the details, the fine print listed on cartons, showing where exactly the ‘Florida’ orange juice is coming from.

Picture courtesy of Invaio

Made in Florida with Mexican and Brazilian oranges

For decades, the label on Florida’s Natural read, "100% premium Florida orange juice.” But about two years ago, this iconic orange juice brand made the decision to distribute a new ‘from concentrate’ blend, featuring oranges from Mexico and Brazil, while also vowing to “use as many Florida oranges as possible based on what Mother Nature delivers.”

To be expected, the company received backlash from Florida orange juice diehards and connoisseurs. Others hardly noticed the difference.

Six months after the brand changed its blend, Chief Operating Officer of Florida’s Natural, Chris Groom, said there was significant growth in OJ, grapefruit and drink sales. Likewise, Chairman Frank M. Hunt III, claimed positive input from consumers and taste panels.

But, now, two years later, how many consumers notice or care to notice the change? And an even bigger question: Are Floridians even remotely aware of the dire conditions within citrus groves across the state?

I admit I’m not as knowledgeable about the subject as I should be. In truth, there is orange juice fully stacked on the shelves at my local grocery store. There are bags of oranges and grapefruits and lemons lining the aisles.

And what about the fresh, cold orange juice at the Florida Welcome Center? When I called the Florida Welcome Center near Jacksonville, a cheerful woman answered the phone. And when I asked if the orange juice they served came from Florida oranges, she didn’t hesitate. “Of course,” she said. “We use Florida’s Natural.”

I thanked her for her time, ended the call and double checked the label. She was partially correct, I suppose, in a larger sense. But in terms of just how many Florida oranges were used in the blend, there’s no way to know.

In Florida, citrus greening has shrunk the orange and grapefruit yields by more than half.

Modified for success

There’s very little doubt that the process of genetic engineering creates suspicion in the minds of health-conscious consumers. Some people claim that GMOs are harmful to the environment. Others say selective breeding alters the DNA of the host plant, and the resulting foreign genes cause health problems like allergies and even cancer. And yet, advocates claim GMOs just might save humanity, or at the very least, orange juice.

Recently, Florida citrus growers have joined the GMO movement by exploring genetic engineering to fight citrus greening in the state, seeking out new ways to slow the spread of the bacterium and save the industry.

As of August of this year, a Maryland based BioAg Climate Technology Company, Silvec Biologics, announced a first-of-its-kind RNA vector delivery product to combat the disease. Unlike GMO technology, RNA products deliver traits into plants without modifying their genomes. According to a recent press release, “a single application has been demonstrated in field trials to provide long-term reduction in yield declines caused by the citrus greening bacteria.”

Another company, Massachusetts-based Invaio, recently created a ‘Citrus Health’ solution that suppresses bacteria in an infected tree, using a small port about the size of a phone charger, so the solution can stream directly into the tree’s vascular system. Rather than using an extensive insecticide spraying method that can lead to the destruction of groves, Invaio opted for a ‘precision infusion’ approach using bactericides, or agrobacteria, which is “a microbe that originated in soil but has been turned into a plant engineering tool,” according to geneticist James Thomson in a release.

Smaller brands still got it

For those of you seeking 100% juice from Florida-grown oranges, you still have options. Fort Pierce-based Natalie's and Indian River Select continue to distribute 100% Florida-grown orange juice.

Other brands, who seem to be more niche in their approach, have turned beloved Florida citrus into novelties like wine, cakes, cocktails mixes, cookies, and more.

In fact, the Honeybell Orange Lover's Cake was the origin story for this article. On a very hot afternoon in June, I ordered this cake from Al’s Family Farms, a small but thriving family owned citrus grove located one mile off I95 in Fort Pierce. A few days later it came delivered to my front door step in a cold, round tin cake can. I can’t even say for certain why I ordered the cake. But I believe I was craving something sweet, something citrusy …. something moist. And, of course, it had to be something from Florida.

Al’s Family Farms is not the first to pair flour and oranges, though it may be the most delightful. It certainly is moist. It was so good, and I highly recommend this cake to any friends, family or readers.

Did I know I would like the cake? I had no idea. It was a lucky discovery and I’ll be ordering again soon.

After the cake and after a few afternoons of brainstorming ideas for this story, I decided to search for a Florida citrus wine to try. These wines are typically sweet and not what I would normally choose, but this is a story about Florida citrus, and oranges specifically, so it had to be made with pure, 100% fresh-squeezed Florida orange juice.

An internet search found a company named Florida Orange Groves Winery selling several wines that matched my criteria, but especially the Orange Sunshine flavor. So I ordered this wine for its symbolic value, with no idea how it would taste and if I would like it.

According to its website, it takes about nine pounds of fruit to create enough juice for just one bottle of Orange Sunshine wine, using a special process of fermentation, aging and bottling. Most of the wines are enjoyed best when chilled and can pair well with fruit or cheese and crackers. They also have lower alcohol content than traditional grape wines which may appeal to more health-conscious wine drinkers.

Without giving too much away about my wine tasting experience, I wholeheartedly recommend at least trying a Florida citrus wine. The taste is unique and worth exploring and you are supporting local citrus growers and a state-wide industry that needs all the help it can get.

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