Yes, Citrus Has A Season And It's Almost Over: 11 Ways To Use Fresh Citrus In Your Cooking

Let's compare apples and oranges — they both have seasons, but when is the last time you walked into the grocery store without being greeted by a pyramid of these sweet fruits? Probably never. Our industrial food system is fraught with issues, but it does two things really well: Cheap food and blurring the lines of seasonality.

Anyone who enjoys a refreshing grapefruit with breakfast every morning may have noticed that their favorite citrus tastes just a little bit sweeter in the winter, and probably that the fruit was grown a little bit closer to home.

Then, there are the more obscure citrus fruits that really are harder to find in the full-on heat of summer, like blood orange and satsuma tangerines. So get your fill of sweet, peak-season citrus fruits while the farmers market gettin's good, and before you have to wait another year for juicy in-season citrus fruit.

For some cooking inspiration, and a few of our favorite citrus recipes, check out our roundup of 11 recipes featuring everything from tart grapefruit to sweet tangerines.

A seasonal salad full of citrus, invigorating mint, and a touch of sweetness from both the beets and drops of orange-flower water. — Suzanne Goin

For the Beets and Tangerines With Mint and Orange-Flower Water recipe, click here.

Roast beautiful blood oranges along with chicken and green olives in this twist on a classic chicken marsala recipe.

For the Chicken With Marsala, Olives, and Blood Oranges recipe, click here.

Winter brings a bounty of citrus, my favorite being clementines. While living in Spain last winter, we made a chocolate fondue with fresh fruits one night as a special treat. It proved to be very indulgent — fun yet healthy — and the clementines with chocolate revealed to be a much loved combination. — Erin Swing

For the Chocolate-Covered Clementines recipe, click here.

Ancient grains are an excellent way to work more whole grains into your diet. Paired with a blood orange vinaigrette, this farro salad is a nutty and a bright choice for a meatless lunch.

For the Farro and Beet Salad With Blood Orange Vinaigrette recipe, click here.

This French toast recipes uses both the zest and juice of an orange for a zesty, bright flavor.

For the French Toast With Orange Yogurt recipe, click here.

Enjoy the end of winter citrus season with this grapefruit salad that is fresh and vibrant. Allow the flavors of the fennel, grapefruit, and fresh herbs to marinate before serving.

For the Grapefruit, Fennel, and Feta Salad recipe, click here.

Use your citrus two-ways here with tart lemon and sweet tangerine juice that make one incredibly flavorful side dish for dinner.

For the Lemon and Tangerine Glazed Carrots recipe, click here.

What better way to use up a bag of ripe lemons than to make a sweet, citrus treat. Top with fluffy meringue and bake to brown.

For the Lemon Meringue Squares recipe, click here.

This easy and delicious baked chicken breast is perfect for topping a light and healthy salad; it has lots of lemon flavor and an irresistible crunch. — Kristie Collado

For the Lemon-Crusted Chicken Breast recipe, click here.

Fresh lemon and clean white fish are broiled for a light and refreshing dinner recipe that is easy-to-make, even on busy weeknights.

For the Rockfish With Lemon Butter and Sage recipe, click here.

Satsumas are a sweet, juicy, and easy-to-peel citrus. In this colorful stir-fry, satsuma peel adds intense flavor, satsuma juice is used to create a rich sauce, and segments of satsuma provide a final burst of citrus. Prep all of your ingredients before starting to cook so it's ready to go as this cooks in merely minutes.

For the Tangerine, Beef, and Vegetable Stir-Fry recipe, click here.