There are lots of reasons why I love winter, but up at the top of the list is citrus. Winter is when oranges are in season, and I love oranges. It’s also one of the reason I love living in the modern world–I can live in West Virginia and drink orange juice all year round, and get fresh oranges when it’s snowing outside.

I’m not sure about anywhere else, but the first seasonal citrus to his the shelves here are clementines. I can sit and eat clementines like they’re candy. In fact, one day over the holidays when my brother was here I think the two of us went through half a box in a single evening.

I started seeing Cara Cara oranges a week or two ago, but what I was really waiting for was Moro or blood oranges.

I actually hadn’t tried them until a couple years ago, and now I can’t wait until they’re in season. They’re tart, which is usually not my favorite, but there’s something about them I can’t resist.

Given a choice between the two, I prefer clementines, but blood oranges are usually on their way in as clementines are on their way out. Which probably keeps me from getting sick of clementines.

And that is why I love winter.