Now, you might be thinking, "But what about the color? I thought oranges were supposed to be, well, orange?" And you're right, they are - but the trick is, the shade of orange can vary depending on the type of orange. Some, like the Valencia, will be more of a deep orange, while others, like the Blood orange, will have a reddish tint. So, don't rely solely on color - unless you're buying a lemon, in which case, yeah, it should be pretty yellow.
Another way to tell if an orange is ripe is to give it a whiff. Yep, you read that right - a ripe orange will give off a sweet, citrusy aroma that's like a warm hug for your nose. If it doesn't have much of a scent, or if it smells more sour than sweet, it's probably not ripe yet - or it might be overripe and starting to ferment, which is like the orange equivalent of a bad hangover.
