Carmelo on Pioneering Green Citrus

If you’ve been with us a while, you’ll know that we’ve been working with Carmelo for more than 20 years. With him, we hold one of our longest standing grower relationships.

As well as sharing our commitment to exceptional flavour, Carmelo draws on his natural instincts and years of experience to pioneer, experiment, and push boundaries in beautiful ways.

This is what made him the perfect grower to embark on our ‘Green Citrus’ exploration with.

Here, he tells us more about it.

When did you start working with us on the idea of harvesting citrus fruit while it’s still green?

It all began around six years ago. I remember Franco being intrigued by the idea of green citrus. It hadn’t been talked about for quite some time and that curiosity pushed us to give it a try. We decided to embark on this journey together, almost as a shared experiment. The first fruits we worked with were Mandarins and a few Navel varieties. From there, it became an ongoing exploration of how to bring out the value in every stage of the fruit, even the earliest ones.

The truth is, the average consumer tends to look for a “classic” flavour: a familiar balance of sweetness and acidity. Green oranges, on the other hand, are more intense, more vivid in one of their elements, and that can be disorienting. For many, “green” simply means “not ready”. And that’s exactly the prejudice we’re trying to overturn.

Was there a moment when you realised this idea could really work

Yes, I’d say two things convinced me.

The first is Natoora’s type of clientele: chefs, curious cooks, people who love to discover and work with ingredients in their most authentic form. For them, every stage of a fruit’s life is an opportunity for expression.

The second is the flavour itself. Take the Green Cara Cara, for instance, a variety that’s already extraordinary when fully ripe, but even more surprising in its early stage. The texture is different, the taste is fresh and vibrant, with a restrained sweetness that lets the acidity shine through. It’s a fruit that doesn’t need to wait to be interesting.

"Imagine cutting open a green orange and finding it pink inside – the visual contrast alone is stunning. Then comes the texture: crisp, juicy, with a freshness that’s never overpowering. It’s an experience that engages all the senses."

What do you notice in the fruit at this early stage in terms of colour, aroma, texture, flavour?

They’re completely different fruits. The bright green of the peel creates a striking contrast with the flesh, which is denser and slightly granular, almost crunchy when you bite into it. The aroma is intense, purely citrus, sharp yet inviting, it reaches you even before you taste it. And then the flavour: the acidity is more pronounced, but not harsh. It’s a taste that wakes you up, it makes your mouth water just from the scent.

Is there one variety in particular that surprises you most when harvested early?

Without a doubt, the Green Cara Cara. It’s a pink-fleshed Navel, naturally sweeter than a classic Navel when ripe. Imagine cutting open a green orange and finding it pink inside – the visual contrast alone is stunning. Then comes the texture: crisp, juicy, with a freshness that’s never overpowering. It’s an experience that engages all the senses.

"Once you taste it, you immediately understand that you’re not eating an unripe fruit, you’re tasting something different, more alive."

How do you know when a citrus fruit has reached the perfect moment to be picked while still green?

There are technical parameters, of course – sugar level, acidity, peel colour – but the truth is, you only really know by tasting. You have to go into the field, try fruit from different trees. It’s a matter of instinct and experience: at a certain point, you sense that the “raw” flavour has found its balance. That’s when you decide to harvest.

What’s the biggest challenge in working with citrus fruit at this early stage?

I’d say there are two: timing and perception.

Timing, because the window of opportunity is very short – often no more than a month – before the fruit begins to change and ripen.

And perception, because for most people, “green” still means “unripe”. But that’s exactly where the collaboration with Natoora comes in: using flavour as a tool to change that perception. Once you taste it, you immediately understand that you’re not eating an unripe fruit, you’re tasting something different, more alive.