Although the skies are gray on a winter day, 50 acres of land in Polk County are turning up orange.

"We're really kind of glad to have some cooler weather finally," said Archie Ritch, owner of Ridge Island Groves. "When we have that cooler weather, the oranges color up better; they get a little sweeter."

Ridge Island Groves embraces the cool weather. At the family owned and operated citrus farm, time has no meaning.

"This is really the old Florida," Archie Ritch said.

This winter, visitors are invited back to watch how citrus comes in from the field and gets washed, waxed, dried and then sorted in the packing house.

"I like the flavor on that," Savannah Menchaca said. "It has a lot of flavor."

Grab a toothpick. Samples here are always free.

"They say you have to sit in a tub to eat them because they are so juicy," Menchaca said.

While you can find plenty of oranges waiting to go home in the farm market, it's more fun to pick them yourself with a personal grove tour for a small fee.

Menchaca teaches the pull-and-twist method to pull fruit from the trees.

There's always a treat waiting back inside, too.

"No matter how hot or cold it is, that's what they come for," Menchaca said about the famed orange ice cream.

The soft-serve orange swirl ice cream is made with orange juice.

"Most people talk about our ice cream," Archie Ritch said with a laugh.

Tankful on Television
You can catch new Florida on a Tankful stories each Thursday and Saturday on News 13 and Bay News 9. New editions play at the end of each hour starting at 6 a.m. Classic Florida on a Tankful stories can be found each Friday and Sunday on Bay News 9 and News 13 at the end of each hour starting at 6 a.m.

Tankful on Demand
Catch Florida on a Tankful with Scott Fais on your time, now on Bright House Local On Demand, Channel 999. Use your remote to scroll to the right to the TRAVEL category. Then SCROLL DOWN to TANKFUL.

Scott Fais joins Travel Monthly
Catch Scott Fais as the Florida Correspondent on the On Demand travel magazine, Travel Monthly. Each month, Scott joins other travel reporters from across the United States as they showcase a wide variety of attractions, diners, parks and landmarks from across America. See Travel Monthly nationally on Time Warner Cable channel 411 and at home in Florida on Bright House Local On Demand, Channel 999 in the TRAVEL category.