Thursday, March 17, 2011

The Refreshing Orange

Oranges orginate from South East Asia, but are now available in most warmer climates, with the United States being the major producer of oranges in the world. Depending on the variety, oranges are available year long, with the peak season during the winter months.

There are three main varieties of oranges:
1. Sweet=these are for eating and juicing, some have seeds and some do not. They are usually hard to peel, the three most popular sweet oranges are naval, Valencia and blood oranges.
2. Loose skinned= these tend to be a part of Mandarin orange family, they can be sweet or even tart.
3. Bitter=these oranges are bitter to eat raw. They need to be cooked to be palatable, for example orange marmalade or bigarade sauce. Bitter oranges are also used to make essential oils and to make candied peel. Two types of oranges to look for when needing a bitter orange are Seville and bergamot.

Oranges can safely be stored on the counter top for 2 to 3 days, but keep longer in the refrigerator up to 14 days. Select an orange that is heavy for its size and shows no bruising, or has any shriveled or moldy skin, pick a brilliant colored one.

Oranges have extremely high Vitamin C, which helps maintain a healthy immune system. They are also have high fiber and no fat, oranges also have a fair amount of Folic Acid, Calcium, Potassium and Thiamine. So not only are oranges good but they are definitely good for us.

No doubt oranges have many health benefits, always remember to eat in moderation. Excessive consumption of any citrus juices can leach calcium from the body system, causing decay of the bones and teeth. If drinking juice caused excessive mucus build up in your throat, you could be alergic to oranges. The name orange applies primarily to the sweet orange. Lets face it oranges are good for us, and no matter what we will not stop eating them and drinking their juice.


14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am allowed to eat oranges. I am not allowed to eat grapefruit because I take warfarin or Coumadin.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

I love the orange fruit juice with a meal,
A wonderful informative read. most enjoyable.

Thanks for the visits and comment.

Have a good week
Yvonne.

Anonymous said...

I have been meaning to ask you, and decided to do that today.

Who did your banner at the top or some people call them a "Masthead." I think it is very good and fits everything you do.

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hello Margaret,

Very informative post. Oranges are good for health. I love oranges.We get them here in summer in large quantities. However, oranges are becoming costly these days.

Best wishes,
Joseph

dr.antony said...

In the south of India,we have only variety of orange,loose skinned and sweet.Here in the supermarket,there are many varieties.The one which are sweet are called mandarin,isnt it so?.They use oranges here to make juice.

Kay said...

Oh no! I always put lemon in my water. Perhaps this is not good for me since it could leach calcium from my bones. I really, really have to keep my calcium!

I've wondered what the difference is between Clementines and mandarin oranges.

Anonymous said...

Hi Margaret

Thanks for the great orange info.

When I was a kid growing up in Southern California we were surrounded by orange groves. They've all long ago been replaced by housing tracts and shopping malls.

Take care and have a great week :-)

~Ron
*******

Linda said...

So very interesting as always, Margaret. :) I love oranges. They are actually one of the few fruits I really enjoy.

Hope you have a blessed week. We're back to the doctor tomorrow afternoon for the full results of the pathology report, but soooooo thankful that we already know it is NOT cancer.

Blessings,
Linda

Patty said...

I love oranges, never use to like them, but do now that I am older. Like the naval oranges, they are easy to peel. Love orange marmalade on bagels that have been heated in the toaster and have either butter or cream cheese spread on, then the marmalade.

A New Beginning said...

I just love oranges, thanks for sharing such a juicy post :))

Urmi said...

Very beautiful and informative post. Enjoyed reading it very much. I am fond of orange juice and always like to have for breakfast.

Judy said...

I have orange juice almost every day and I love oranges. This was very informative as usual. I think we all need to get our vitamin C. Have a good week.

Anonymous said...

interesting read. I love oranges. I never knew there were bitter ones though. ;)

Becky said...

Oranges are my very favorite fruit, and I have one every day!
B.

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