Seedless citrus is a relatively new variety of citrus fruit, where the toothsome, inedible seeds have been completely bred out. They’re called seedless because they don’t have any pits or seeds. These fruits are also called “freestone” fruits because the flesh separates easily from the segments, leaving no seed behind.
By removing the seeds entirely, seedless citrus is easier to peel hence more popular with people who eat them raw. They can also be squeezed for juice or used in cooking without any preparation. You can find these fruits year-round in most grocery stores, but their peak season is winter through late spring.
So, here are some facts about seedless citrus that you might want to know about them.
What is Seedless Citrus
Seedless citrus refers to citrus fruits that lack seeds and are mainly used for juicing. These types of citrus include:
- Navel Oranges
- Lime
- Tangerines
- Clementines
- Mandarine
- Lemons and many more
Seedless citrus is used in juicing because the fruit has a higher juice content than non-seedless citrus fruit. The juice yield from seedless citrus can be up to five times higher than from ordinary citrus ( those with seeds).
This means you can get more juice out of one seedless fruit than you would get from five other types of citruses with seeds.
Juicing is an excellent way to get enough vitamin C in your diet, but it can be hard on your blender if you have a lot of pulp in your juices. Seedless fruit will cut down on the amount of time you need to spend sticky scrubbing residue off your appliance.
Orange juice is one of the most popular breakfast drinks in the world. Seedless oranges are a citrus fruit that lacks the characteristic seeds found in most other oranges or other citrus fruits. These seeds are usually bitter and are unpleasant to chew on, so some people prefer to avoid them.
Creating a seedless orange is quite complicated and arduous, which makes it rather expensive. However, there are some good reasons for buying this seedless citrus if you can afford them. Aside from not having any seeds, they are sweeter and taste better than seeded varieties when eaten raw. Here’s how they’re made and why you might want to eat them!
How Seedless Citrus Come to Be
Seedless fruits grow in the following ways.
1) They can grow without fertilization (parthenocarpy)
2) They can develop with pollination, but the ovules abort without producing fully grown seeds (stenospermocarpy).
In short, The majority of citrus species do not begin seedless. Instead, horticulturists and gardeners carefully breed and pick these fruit trees for various characteristics, including fewer seeds. A seedless variation is eventually produced by selectively breeding trees with few seeds. Once that variety is established, future genetic variation is restricted by transplanting seedless-citrus branches onto surviving trees. As a result, the grafted branches can produce seedless citrus fruit genetically identical to the parent plant.
Benefits/ Advantages of Producing Seedless Citrus
The advantages of producing citrus outweigh any challenge producers may encounter in the process. Here are some of them.
Increased Yield Per Tree
Producing seedless citrus is a process that’s been around for over a century. Much of the fruit we consume today is seedless or has seeds so small that you can remove them by hand effortlessly. Seedless oranges, grapefruits, limes, and lemons are the popular varieties you find in supermarkets and grocery stores.
One of the main benefits of producing seedless citrus is that it yields more fruit per tree. For example, a lemon tree that produces 100 pounds of fruit without any seeds will yield about 10 pounds with seeds.
More yields mean more sales, which translates to loads of cash tucked away in your bank. Producing seedless citrus enables you to triple your profits at a moment’s notice.
Seedless citrus fruit is different from traditional citrus fruit in that it has no seeds. This means that seedless citrus can be used in recipes and cooking more effectively, without the worry of the seed interfering with the process. Seedless also have a longer shelf life than traditional citrus fruit because they don’t have any seeds to spoil.
Seedless Citrus Can Be Used in Recipes Commercially
Seedless citrus can be used for cooking and baking more efficiently to enhance the flavor of other ingredients. Cooking with traditional fruits can be challenging because of their fragility and tendency to shorter shelf life. In contrast, seedless fruits may last up to a year on a grocery without bad. So, if you venture into seedless citrus production, you’ll never be out of business because you can be supplying these fruits to high-end hotels or grocery stores year in year out.
They Are Easier on the Stomach
Seedless citrus fruits are a great example of how food technology has evolved to help us incorporate healthier eating habits.
Some people have difficulty digesting the seeds found in oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits. The lack of seeds can also make these foods easier for kids to eat. Since the taste and texture do not change with seedless citrus, it is easy to cut down on calories without sacrificing flavor.
In addition to being easier on your stomach, seedless citrus can also be more affordable than other varieties. In some cases, these types of fruit can cost less than their seed-containing counterparts.
While they may take up more space in the grocery cart, seedless citrus will make it much easier to stay healthy and enjoy your favorite fruits!
You Need Citrus Netting To Produce Seedless Citrus Effectively
Citrus Netting is used on citrus trees to protect them from cross-pollination. The presence of a large number of seeds in citrus fruits is a major deterrent to consumer acceptance. Consumers will only eat seeded fruits if seedless options are unavailable.
Seediness is also a significant disadvantage, limiting the usage of a wide number of fruits in the processing industry and raising the cost of juice or pulp manufacturing. Furthermore, the presence of seeds in the fruit may be linked to bitterness and certain unpleasant odor chemicals.
Citrus bee netting is a beneficial netting to minimize the total amount of seeds in citrus fruits or to achieve complete seedlessness.
Your seedless citrus trees are more vulnerable to frost damage than their counterparts with seeds inside. To prevent this, netting can be wrapped around the tree during the coldest times of the year. This will help protect against frost damage and reduce the need for costly orchard heaters.
Conclusion
Let’s face it: though seeds are crucial for propagation, they are not likable. Many fruits have seeds mixed in with the edible portion, rather than being confined to the uneatable portion like apples or being small like blueberries and strawberries. The crunch of a large seed is unpleasant, and spitting them out is socially awkward unless it’s a competition. Seize the opportunity to get rid of seeds or reduce their number to a manageable level by embracing seedless citrus production.
Eyouagro‘s citrus netting is custom-made for your area, fruit, and type of fruit. Our goal is for you to have a high-quality crop to harvest. Eyouagro is the market leader in the field of citrus bee netting. Our netting coverings protect all of the fruits. To discuss the best netting for your needs, contact us at info@eyouagro.com today.
