Citrus Quiz

Question: What is the world’s largest producer of grapefruit?

Answer: The United States is the world’s largest producer. Other large growers are Israel, Cuba, Argentina, Cyprus, South Africa, and Mexico.

Question: Which of these citrus fruits lent its name to sailors in the British navy?

Answer: British sailors are called “limejuicers” or “limeys” because of the British law requiring a regular allowance of lime or lemon juice at sea to prevent scurvy.

Question: Which of these is not a citrus fruit?

Answer: A pear is a relative of the apple. The other fruits are citrus, containing high quantities of citric acid.

Question: In which U.S. state are the most oranges grown?

Answer: California produced the most fruit until frozen juice became popular. Florida then took the lead in production.

Question: In which U.S. state are grapefruits not grown commercially?

Answer: Raising and marketing grapefruit is a large industry in southern Florida, Arizona, and the Rio Grande valley of Texas. Southern California also has many grapefruit groves.

Question: About when did concentrated orange juice become commercially available?

Answer: Before World War II nearly all oranges were marketed as fresh fruit. In 1944 scientists found a way to concentrate the juice in a vacuum and then freeze it without destroying the flavor or vitamin content.