How do you pick a good navel orange?!
Answers: I seem to keep getting ones that look good and then taste sort of moldy or are just aren't as good as other ones.
Look for smooth, small-pored shiny skin, that feels full, but not hard when you give it a little pinch.
Those will tend to be the ripe, sweet, juice-filled oranges.
The ones that are hard will have thick skins and tend to be dried out and pulpy on the inside.
If you can't find good ones--don't waste your money. Wait until they have a good batch!
they should smell sweet and there skin should be a little lifted from the flesh.
Maybe they are just out of season. I know in California we had bad weather and some of the fruit is just not good.
Pam
Part of my life I lived in Florida.
Oranges are not always 'orange' in color - they actually will insert dye under the skin and the like to make them more appealing to the public.
Go by smell first. Should 'smell' like an orange should.
Next look at the skin. The skin isn't dried out. Rubbing the skin, you are going to be able to get the 'smell' of the orange on your hands if it is really fresh.
You might find that getting the oranges that are called 'juice oranges' are more to your liking this crop.
Crops haven't been really good this year in the parts of the USA for the crop - so the quality might not be all that great. You may find that buying fruit sold that is from outside of the country is going to be better than the USA crop.
Me? I prefer to help the farmers within my own country - so really try to only buy things grown by farms from the USA. But that is just my own little quirk and not anything that others have to follow at all.