How to Pick Your Own Citrus in Florida

In Florida, pick-your-own farms offer the opportunity to select fresh-from-the tree citrus fruit. The selections include tangerines, oranges, grapefruit and tangelos. Fall through spring is harvest season for oranges, but plan to pick tangelos November through February. The other two citrus options are available any time in the growing season.

• 1

  Decide on a farm. Pick-your-own farms are available throughout the state. Visit one that has the type and variety of citrus you want to pick. If you're looking for juice oranges, for instance, go to a farm that has Valencia or Hamlin orange trees.

• 2

  Contact the farm ahead of the visit to get the details, such as hours of operation, pricing and rules for picking.

• 3

  Get ready to go. Pack the car with enough containers to hold the harvest. Many smaller containers are easier to carry than a few large ones. Apply sunscreen, and take extra to reapply as you sweat out in field. Take snacks, lunch and lots of water. A hat also keeps your head protected from the sun and might save you from a heat-induced headache. Carry rain gear, just in case.

• 4

  Pull citrus off the tree with a "pull-twist-snap motion," instructs the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. Only the fruit should end up in your hand, while the stem and calyx remain attached to the tree. If you receive different picking instructions at the farm, follow those instead.

• 5

  Place each fruit carefully into the containers. Citrus fruits with bruises and broken skin don't keep. They must be eaten right away or discarded. Store intact citrus in a refrigerator at a temperature between 38 and 48 degrees Fahrenheit.