Oranges

The orange tree probably originated in Southeast Asia. Columbus and other European travelers brought sweet orange seed and seedlings with them to the New World and by 1820 there were groves in St Augustine, Florida.

Florida is still the number one citrus producer in the United States, producing 70 percentt of the U.S. crop, with 90 percent  of that going into juice. However, Arizona, Texas, and California also produce oranges, with variations in color and peel.

Varieties of orange include the sweet orange, the sour orange, and the mandarin orange, or tangerine.

The principal varieties of the sweet orange in the eastern United States are the Hamlin and Parson Brown. Both eastern and western growers also cultivate the Valencia, a late variety that is commercially seedless. Fresh oranges from California and Arizona are available throughout the year, with two major varieties, Navels and Valencias. The Navel orange is a seedless orange, with medium-thick rind.

The color of an orange depends on the climate. Florida's warm days and nights produce oranges with some green in the skin coloring. California and Arizona oranges tend to have deeper orange color due to cooler desert nights.

Oranges are a primary source of vitamin C for most Americans. The fruit has more to offer nutritionally than just this one nutrient though, containing significant amounts of folacin, calcium, potassium, thiamin, niacin and magnesium.

Most of the consumption of oranges is in the form of juice. Eating the whole fruit provides 130 pecent of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C, which is less than the juice. However whole oranges provide a good amount of fiber, which is not present in the juice.

How to buy

An orange of any variety should be firm, heavy for size, and have fine-textured, bright, colorful skin.

Skin color itself is not a good guide to quality as fruits may be ripe even though they may have green spots. Oranges may exhibit some re-greening of the skin; this does not adversely affect internal fruit quality. Neither does surface scarring, which occurs when wind brushes young fruit against the tree.

Citrus fruit peel may vary in thickness, depending on weather conditions during the growing season. Thinner skinned oranges tend to be juicier than thick skinned ones.

How to store

Oranges do not ripen further after harvest and can be stored at room temperature, in the refrigerator without plastic bags, or in the crisper drawer for up to two weeks. 

Fresh-squeezed juice and grated peel or zest may be refrigerated or frozen, but whole citrus fruit should not be frozen.

• Combine orange juice with other fruits and yogurt in the blender for a smoothie

• Add a couple of tablespoons of orange juice concentrate to a fruit cup for a great flavorful sauce

• Cut oranges into wedges and eat them for a light snack or use them as edible garnishes

• Use a zesting tool or grater to remove the rind from oranges to use in recipes, rice, or stir fry for added flavor.

• Carry an orange with you wherever you go, they come in their own covered container so you can just peel and eat orange segments whenever a snack craving occurs!

• Squeeze orange juice on other fresh fruits, such as cut apple, to prevent browning