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We all know oranges as… well, orange
Bright, juicy, and basically named after their colour. So it feels almost wrong when you see a green one. Most people would assume it is unripe or not good yet.
But here's the surprising part. Oranges are not always naturally orange, even when they are fully ripe.
The colour of an orange actually depends on where it is grown
In places with mild weather, the temperature difference between day and night helps the peel slowly turn that familiar orange shade as it ripens.
However, in hotter countries, oranges can stay green even when they are fully mature and ready to eat. So yes, a green orange can still be a perfectly ripe orange.
This is where things get even more interesting!
In supermarkets and markets, many oranges are still bright orange even if they weren't originally grown that way. This is because some are treated with ethylene gas, a natural, odorless and tasteless compound found in nature.
Ethylene does not "add colour" artificially in a harmful way. Instead, it speeds up the natural ripening process, helping the fruit shift from green to orange. It is widely used because consumers tend to associate orange colour with ripeness.
And that is exactly the problem. We are so used to seeing orange oranges that we often judge green ones as unripe, even when they are not!
So the next time you see a green orange, it might not mean it's not ready.
