Blood orange
A ruby-red twist on the orange. Offer the fruit, not the juice.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat blood orange from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve blood orange by age
6 months+
Large segments, membrane and seeds removed
Peel a blood orange and pull it into segments. Slit the thin skin (membrane) around each segment and peel it off, or cut the flesh out from between the membranes. Pick out any seeds. Offer the soft flesh as finger food, or mash it and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon.
- Size
- Large segments about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), with the peel, pith, membrane and seeds removed.
- Check before serving
- Squash a piece between your thumb and finger. The flesh should break apart easily, with no tough membrane left.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
9 months+
Small soft pieces
Cut membrane-free blood orange flesh into small pieces for pincer-grasp practice. Check every piece for seeds.
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Each piece should squash flat between your thumb and finger, with no membrane or seeds.
12 months+
Small pieces
Offer small pieces of blood orange with the membrane and seeds removed, on their own or in a fruit salad. Offer the fruit rather than juice.
- Size
- Pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Still check for seeds and tough membrane.
18 months+
Bite-sized pieces
Keep taking off the tough membrane until your child chews well, and keep removing seeds and thick white pith. Cut the flesh into bite-sized pieces, or scatter it over plain yogurt. Make sure your toddler sits down to eat, and stay with them.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Check every piece for seeds.
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare blood orange
- 1
Rinse the blood orange under running water, gently rubbing the skin, and dry it before peeling, so germs on the peel aren't carried onto the fruit.
- 2
Peel it and pull off as much of the white pith as you can.
- 3
Separate the segments. Slit and peel away the membrane, or cut the flesh out from between the membranes with a small knife.
- 4
Pick out every seed, then serve large pieces (6 months) or small pieces (9 months+). The red juice can stain, so a bib helps.
How much to offer
Start with the flesh of one or two segments. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of sucking, squashing and dropping is normal at first.
Common mistakes
Giving blood orange juice instead of the fruit
The AAP says no juice before 12 months: it offers babies no nutritional benefit and can lead to tooth decay. Whole fruit also gives your baby fiber.
Missing seeds
Check every segment. The NHS says to always remove hard pips from fruit.
Leaving the membrane on for babies
The membrane is tough and chewy. Remove it until your child chews well.
Stopping because of a red rash around the mouth
Citrus fruit often causes redness where it touches the skin. This contact rash isn't an allergy. See the FAQ below for what to do.
Where US and UK guidance differ on blood orange
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
For babies under 1, the AAP says that apart from mashed banana, most fruits should be cooked until soft, and it lists fruit chunks among foods to avoid under 1. If you follow US advice, mash membrane-free blood orange flesh. The AAP says no juice before 12 months.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS lists slices of soft fruit as finger foods from around 6 months and says to always remove hard pips. Use only membrane-free flesh with every seed picked out. The NHS advises avoiding fruit juice for children aged 4 and under, because of the sugar, and says eating fruit is OK.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can blood orange be a choking hazard for babies?
Blood orange membranes are tough and chewy, and segments can hide seeds. The NHS says to always remove hard pips from fruit, and the CDC says to avoid small, hard foods that are difficult to chew. Remove the peel, pith, membrane and seeds, cut the flesh to the size for your baby's stage, and stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to blood orange?
Blood orange is not a common allergen. Citrus fruits often cause a red rash around the mouth, chin or hands where the juice touches the skin. This is a contact reaction, not an allergy: it stays where the food touched and usually settles without allergy medicine.
Is blood orange healthy for babies?
FoodData Central has no standard entry for blood oranges. One brand's label lists about 1.9 g of fiber and 9 g of natural sugar per 100 g, and oranges in general have about 53 mg of vitamin C per 100 g. It is not a major source of iron.
Is a blood orange different from a regular orange?
Blood oranges are oranges with deep red or red-streaked flesh. Prepare them the same way: peel, pith, membrane and seeds removed, and cut to the right size for your baby's stage. See our orange page for more.
Why does my baby get a red rash around the mouth after blood orange?
Citrus fruits are among the foods that most often cause a contact rash where the food touches the skin. It isn't an allergy: it stays around the mouth, chin and hands and fades once you wipe the skin clean. NHS dietitians suggest leaving that food out for a few days, then offering a small portion again, such as 1 teaspoon. A thin layer of petroleum jelly around the mouth and hands before meals can help. Hives or a rash that spreads to skin the food didn't touch is different: talk to your pediatrician. Call your emergency number right away if your baby has breathing trouble, sudden swelling of the lips, face or tongue, repeated vomiting, or is floppy.
Can babies drink blood orange juice?
Not before 12 months. The AAP says babies under 1 year shouldn't have juice. From 12 months, the AAP says up to 4 ounces (120 ml) of juice a day with a meal may be reasonable, while the NHS advises avoiding fruit juice for children aged 4 and under. Whole fruit is the better choice at every age.
If your baby refuses blood orange
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Blood oranges can be tangy. Try small pieces next to a fruit your baby already likes.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
- Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing blood orange
- Keep whole blood oranges in a cool place or in the fridge.
- Keep peeled blood orange in a covered container in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below, and use it within 3 to 4 days.
- Membrane-free pieces dry out quickly, so prepare them shortly before serving.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- A rash after blood orange spreads beyond the skin the food touched or turns into raised hives. That isn't a simple contact rash, so talk to your pediatrician before offering it again. If it comes with swelling of the lips, face or tongue, breathing trouble, repeated vomiting, or your baby is floppy, call your emergency number instead.
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards
- AAP: When can babies start solid foods?
- AAP: Where we stand: fruit juice for children
- NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Preparing food safely for babies
- NHS South West London Healthier Together: Contact reactions to foods in babies and toddlers
- USDA FoodData Central: Oranges, raw, all commercial varieties
- USDA FoodData Central: Blood oranges (branded)
- FDA: 7 tips for cleaning fruits and vegetables
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
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