Orange
The orange tree has been cultivated in Asia for over 4,000 years.
The Arabs first introduced the orange to Persia, Egypt, Spain and
North Africa.
The word "orange" comes from the Arabic term ''narandj'' which, in turn, comes from Sanskrit ''narang''.
Since the 1980's, Brazil has surpassed the United States as the
biggest producer of oranges.
Most oranges are sweet but the variety dictates the size, flavour, acidity and the time it takes for the fruit to reach maturity. Oranges must be picked when they are ripe, because the ripening process ceases once the fruit is picked.
- Choose firm oranges that are heavy for their size. The peel should be smooth, free of mould, spots and soft areas.
- The sweet orange can be consumed fresh or as juice. The orange can be used to prepare many dishes from entrees to desserts.
- When grating an orange, always work with the whole fruit since it provides a better grip and lessens the risk of injury. The peel of an orange can be frozen or dehydrated.
- If you are going to be cooking with the zest, wash the peel in warm water and brush it gently to eliminate any chemical substance which the fruit may have been in contact with. Gently roll the peel with your fingers to release the essential oils.
- To facilitate paring to the flesh, remove some of the peel and place the orange in the refrigerator. The cold temperature will cause the white pith to contract and harden thereby facilitating its removal.
- The orange is of course essential in making duck à l’orange, but it is also used to make sweet and sour sauce, barbecue sauce, and many other sauces that accompany poultry, pork or fish.
- If you keep your oranges in the refrigerator, leave them at room temperature for a few minutes before eating them to increase the flavour. Roll the orange on a flat surface while applying slight pressure to breakdown juice cells and obtain more from the orange.
- The bitter orange is used primarily in the preparation of delicious marmalades because it has a perfect degree of sourness and a high pectin content.
Oranges are classified into two major groups: bitter oranges and
sweet oranges.
|
Variety
|
Characteristics
|
|
Sweet oranges
|
|
|
Valencia orange
|
Very sweet and juicy; excellent for making orange juice.
|
|
Hamlin orange
|
Small in size, few seeds; lighter coloured flesh; acid and
fragrant flavour; juice is somewhat yellow in colour rather than
orange.
|
|
Moro orange (Blood orange)
|
Less acid, hints of plum and wild strawberries; sweet,
delicious, often seedless.
There are two major types of blood oranges: pure
blood orange,
with large blood red spots scattered on the skin and flesh and the
half blood orange with orange skin speckled with red
spots.
The blood orange is available in your METRO
supermarket
from December to May.
|
|
Navel orange
|
The most popular eating orange; sweet, juicy and almost
seedless; very fragrant peel.
|
|
Cara Cara navel orange
|
All the characteristics of the navel orange but with a unique
dark pink to red flesh.
|
|
Bitter oranges :
|
|
|
Bitter orange of Seville orange
|
Excellent for cooking; perfect for marmalades and jams.
May replace lemon juice.
Taste is too bitter to be consumed fresh.
Séville oranges are available in January, February and
March.
|
Oranges are available year-round at METRO supermarkets.
The orange is regarded as the ultimate source of vitamin C. Eating
a single orange will supply more than the minimum recommended daily
requirement. It also supplies the most folic acid, potassium and
dietary fibre.
Vitamin C, however, is sensitive to air and heat. Consume oranges shortly after having extracted the juice or having cut the orange in segments to avoid losing some of the vitamin C.
Vitamin C, however, is sensitive to air and heat. Consume oranges shortly after having extracted the juice or having cut the orange in segments to avoid losing some of the vitamin C.
Oranges can remain at room temperature for about one week. For
longer storage, place them in the fruit compartment of your
refrigerator.
To avoid condensation, which accelerates the deterioration of oranges when stored in a plastic bag or in a sealed container, punch small holes in the bag or leave the container half-opened.
To avoid condensation, which accelerates the deterioration of oranges when stored in a plastic bag or in a sealed container, punch small holes in the bag or leave the container half-opened.