Pleasant Oaks Ranch Grows the Sweetest Oranges of All

About a five hour drive from the Bay Area, and nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills is the town of Springville. There you will find a place seemingly untouched by time and home to orange farmer Ron Matik of Pleasant Oaks Ranch.

“Pleasant Oaks Ranch heirloom Navel oranges are among some of the sweetest, most flavorful oranges we carry,” says Robbie Sigona. “Starting today through March 12^th, you’ll receive a free tote bag full of these super sweet and seedless heirloom Navel oranges.

It’s in the Sierra Foothills that oranges flourish. Mild winters and warm summers maximize the natural sweetness of the fruit. They also get extended “hang time” on the tree, which allows the fruit to reach its full flavor potential.

“I have yet to taste an orange that is better than ours,” says Matik. “Maybe some with the same sweetness, but never better.”

And Sigona’s agrees!

“Small farmers, such as Ron, are a dwindling breed,” says Rob Sigona. “They’re passionate caretakers of the the land that produce exceptional quality; they are the rare gems.”

To continuously offer top-quality produce, Pleasant Oaks Ranch citrus are only picked when perfectly tree-ripe…a secret that makes their intense sweetness even better. Tree-ripening also means the oranges are not intended for shipping across a long distance. Fortunately for us, that’s not a problem since we are so close to Ron’s orchard, and Ron’s crew pick & pack each orange by hand, which also helps prevent bruising during transit to our store. Pleasant Oaks Ranch Navel oranges arrive ready to eat.

Compare that to large agribusiness. Many larger growers must pick their oranges a bit green to keep them stable for shipping over thousands of miles. Their citrus are picked immature and gassed with ethylene gas, which gives them a kind of yellowy color – but they never turn deep orange because they didn’t ripen on the tree. And, as you may guess, that means their flavor and sugar is off.

Whether you eat them plain, juice them, toss the segments in a salad, or even poach them, seek out these pesticide-free oranges from Sigona’s. They’re simply some of the sweetest, juiciest oranges around, sweetened even more by their environmentally-friendly growing methods.