Newhall Navel Oranges
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Newhall Navel oranges are variable in size, depending on growing conditions, but generally average 8 to 9 centimeters in diameter and have an oval to oblong shape. The fruit’s elongated nature tapers slightly at the ends and features a characteristic "navel" or circular hole on the blossom stem end, sometimes seen as a small protrusion. The rind is textured, bumpy, and semi-rough, covered in prominent sunken oil glands. The rind is also thick, pebbled, leathery, and matte, appearing in shades of yellow-orange, orange, and red-orange, varying with maturity and climatic conditions. When peeled, the rind can be removed in small chunks, and a spongy pith often remains adhered to the flesh. Newhall Navel oranges have saturated orange flesh divided into segments by thin membranes. These sections are challenging to separate and are easier to slice than detach by hand. The flesh is also seedless, crisp, and aqueous with a tender, soft, and succulent texture. Newhall Navel oranges are aromatic and release sweet, fruity, and floral notes. The flesh is known for its high sugar content mixed with low acidity, creating a mild, sweet, and subtly tangy taste.
Seasons/Availability
Newhall Navel oranges are available from early winter through spring. The variety is cultivated in both hemispheres, and each growing region will have different peak ripening times based on the climate.
Current Facts
Newhall Navel oranges, botanically classified as Citrus sinensis, is a sweet orange variety belonging to the Rutaceae or citrus family. The aromatic fruits grow on evergreen, spreading trees reaching 3 to 4.5 meters in height and are a natural mutation of the well-known Washington Navel orange variety. Newhall Navel oranges were discovered in Southern California in the late 20th century and were commercially selected for their early maturity, arriving in markets several weeks before Washington Navel oranges. The variety is also favored for its deeper coloring, often appearing more orange-red than Washington Navels, and has a slightly smaller, more elongated shape. Newhall Navel oranges are sometimes known as Naveline and New Hall in markets and have spread in cultivation to citrus-growing regions worldwide, especially to Europe, where it is widely produced in Italy, Greece, and Spain. Newhall Navel oranges are an early-season, anticipated fruit purchased by consumers for fresh eating, juicing, and use in cooked culinary preparations.
Nutritional Value
Newhall Navel oranges have not been extensively studied for their nutritional properties. Navel orange varieties, in general, are sources of fiber to regulate the digestive tract and vitamins A, B, C, and E to strengthen the immune system, maintain healthy organs, and guard the cells against the damage caused by free radicals. Navel oranges also provide potassium to balance fluid levels in the body, calcium and phosphorus to support bones and teeth, and iron to develop the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream. Other minerals include manganese, copper, and magnesium to help the body produce energy, control nerve functions, and form connective tissues.
Applications
Newhall Navel oranges have a sweet, subtly tangy taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The variety is popularly eaten out of hand as a snack and is appreciated for its juicy, seedless nature. Newhall Navel oranges are often juiced fresh and consumed as a beverage. The flesh is not easy to segment and is typically sliced with the rind still attached to serve in wedges on charcuterie boards. Newhall Navel oranges can also be added to fruit medleys, cut and tossed into salads, or chopped as a raw garnish with herbs over seafood. In addition to fresh preparations, Newhall Navel oranges are simmered into jams, jellies, and syrups or infused as flavoring into various baked goods and desserts. In Italy, Newhall Navel oranges are added to liqueurs and cooked into spreads, or the rinds are candied as a sweet snack. The variety is also prepared in marmalades, baked into pies, cookies, and cakes, or used to flavor rusks in Crete, Greece. While less common, Newhall Navel oranges are sometimes roasted to develop caramel notes or added to seafood dishes for a touch of sweetness and acidity, as seen throughout Spain. The rind can also be zested to make spiced sugar or salt for added flavoring. Newhall Navel oranges pair well with spices such as cinnamon, smoked paprika, and chili powder, herbs including cilantro, parsley, and rosemary, and nuts such as pine, pistachios, walnuts, and almonds. Whole, unopened Newhall Navel oranges will keep for a few weeks when stored in a ventilated container and placed in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. If consuming the oranges relatively quickly after purchase, the fruits can be left at room temperature in a cool, dry, and dark location for a few days.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Newhall Navel oranges were named after the famous Newhall Ranch, a multi-acre property owned by the Newhall family in Southern California. The ranch was purchased in 1875 by Henry Mayo Newhall, a businessman who found success in auctioneering, investing in land, and making various deals in the railway industry in the San Francisco area. Henry Newhall eventually purchased a Mexican rancho in Southern California and called the 48,000-acre property Rancho San Francisco. This property was mostly undeveloped and was later renamed Newhall Ranch after the family. Henry Newhall passed away a few years after the purchase in 1883, but his surviving five sons and second wife continued to develop the land, planting citrus orchards in 1912. Around 5,000 citrus trees were initially planted on the property, including Washington Navel orange trees. Citrus is known for naturally mutating over time, leading to the discovery and creation of the new navel sport, Newhall Navel oranges. The Newhall family and the Newhall Ranch also became famous beyond its orange variety for founding the neighborhood of Valencia in the mid to late 20th century. Valencia is still a neighborhood in the larger Santa Clarita Valley region of Southern California and is home to over 63,000 residents.
Geography/History
Newhall Navel oranges are a natural mutation, also known as a sport, of the Washington Navel orange. The history of Washington Navel oranges begins at a monastery in Brazil. It is thought Selecta oranges were the original variety planted at the monastery, and in the early 19th century, natural mutations occurred on the tree, producing seedless fruits. These fruits quickly became favored across Brazil and spread in cultivation for their improved traits. Later in the 19th century, German missionary Francis J.C. Schneider encountered the Brazilian seedless oranges, wrote to the United States Department of Agriculture, and eventually sent cuttings for possible propagation. The oranges were initially known as Bahia oranges after the city they were shipped from in Brazil, but after they were successfully planted and established in Southern California, they were named Washington Navels after the country’s capital. Washington Navels were widely grown throughout California in the early 20th century, and in 1967, another bud mutation was discovered on a Washington Navel tree in the orchards of the Newhall Family Ranch in the Duarte area of Los Angeles County. This sport ripened earlier than the common Washington Navels and was selected for commercialization for its darker rind coloring. Head orchardist of the Newhall Ranch, Paul Hackney, propagated the natural mutation, and the new orange variety was called Newhall Navel oranges. Today, Newhall Navel oranges are grown throughout the United States and have spread in cultivation to citrus regions of Europe, mainly in Spain, Italy, and Greece. The variety was also planted in Australia sometime around 1988 and was also established in South Africa. When in season, Newhall Navel oranges are found throughout local markets in their growing regions worldwide. The Newhall Navel oranges featured in the photograph above were sourced through local vendors at weekly open markets in Crete, Greece.
