After the Civil War, many settlers began to move towards the central part of the Florida Peninsula. Numerous men and women discovered “wild” orange, lemon, and grapefruit groves. The pioneers mistakenly believed that the citrus fruits were native to Florida. However, citrus fruits are actually native to Southeast Asia. The first lemon and orange groves in Florida were planted in and around St. Augustine by the Spanish. A Frenchman, Count Odet Philippe, is credited with introducing the grapefruit in the Tampa Bay area around 1823.
Before refrigeration fruit had to be taken to the market in enough time to prevent spoilage. Slow transportation meant that the fruit would arrive in poor condition.
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