1. When buying, choose dense and bright fruits. You shouldn’t even pay attention to dull and soft ones – you won’t squeeze a lot of juice out of them and you won’t cook anything worthwhile.
2. It’s good if on fruit there is a small green “star” in the place where the fruit was connected to the branch. This is a clear external sign of the freshness of orange, grapefruit, lemon and tangerine.
3. If you call citrus fruits by name, then ripe orange has a smooth and firm skin. We do not waste time on oranges in loose peel!
If a fruit has a so-called “navel” on top, such a fruit has no seeds, moreover, it is juicy and sweet.
Usually, the thickness of the rind does not affect the flavor of the citrus, while fruits with thick rinds are considered less juicy. When choosing, just click on the crust – the thick one will spring.
4. The form mandarin can tell us the taste of the fruit. Most often, the round shape indicates sweetness, and the slightly flattened one indicates the presence of sour notes in the taste. Look for tangerines with a bright skin and no dents.
5. Pink grapefruit always sweeter.
6. When buying lemon it is better to take fruits of a bright yellow color. A thick-skinned fruit has a loose rind, and the owner of a thin rind will certainly be smooth. And buying lemons in the winter is better in the store, and not on the street. Chilled lemons will taste bitter.
8. When buying all citrus fruits, trust your sense of smell as well. Ripe and tasty, the fruit has a characteristic aroma of essential oils.
9. Regardless of the size, the citrus must be heavy enough. If it is light, then it may well be dryish.
After purchase, it is best to use citrus fruits within a week – the zest may lose its flavor.
Remember that the most cold-resistant citrus fruits are tangerines, the most thermophilic are lemons and grapefruits, they must be stored at a temperature of + 1 … + 10 ° С.