Oranges are highly valued for their vitamin C content. It is a primary source of vitamin C for most Americans. This wonderful fruit has more to offer nutritionally than just this one nutrient, containing sufficient 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 140% of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C, less than the juice, but with more fiber, which is not present in the juice.

The fruit is technically a hesperidium, a kind of berry. It consists of several easily separated carpels, or sections, each containing several seeds and many juice cells, covered by a leathery skin, containing numerous oil glands. Orange trees are evergreens, seldom exceeding 30 ft in height. The leaves are oval and glossy and the flowers are white and fragrant.

These semitropical evergreens probably originated in Southeast Asia. Columbus and other European travelers brought sweet orange seed and seedlings with them to the New World. By 1820 there were groves in St Augustine, Florida, and by the end of the Civil War oranges were being shipped north in groves. A freeze produced a major set back in production in 1895, but by 1910 crops in Florida had been reestablished.
Florida is the number one citrus producer, producing 70% of the U.S. crop, with 90% of that going into juice. However, Arizona, Texas, and California also produce small amounts, with variations in color and peel. (Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition, 1992).

Selection

All varieties should be firm, heavy for size, and have fine-textured skin. Look for fruit that is firm and heavy for its size, with bright, colorful skins. Skin color is not a good guide to quality. Fruits may be ripe even though they may have green spots. Avoid fruit with bruised, wrinkled or discolored skins; this indicates the fruit is old or has been stored incorrectly. Citrus fruit peel may vary in thickness, depending on weather conditions during the growing season. Thinner skins tend to be juicier than thick skin fruits.

Storage

Oranges can be stored at room temperature, in the refrigerator without plastic bags or in the crisper drawer for up to 2 weeks. They do not ripen further after harvest. Fresh-squeezed juice and grated peel or zest may be refrigerated or frozen, but whole citrus fruit should not be frozen.

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 brushed young fruit against the tree.

Varieties

Varieties include the sweet orange, the sour orange, and the mandarin orange, or tangerine. The United States produces the sweet variety. Spain produces the sour variety, Seville, which is used in marmalades and liqueurs. Most all oranges have a yellow orange color with sizes ranging from small to large. The inside of an orange is plump and juicy. Sweet favorites include the Blood, Hamlin, Jaffa, Navel, Pineapple and Valencia. The color 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.

The principal varieties of the sweet orange cultivated by orange growers of the eastern United States are the Hamlin and Parson Brown, both early-maturing, seedy varieties with thin, russet skin and juicy pulp. Both eastern and western growers 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 Moro orange (a type of blood orange) and the red Cara Navel are two western-grown seasonal varieties. The Navel orange is a seedless orange, with medium-thick rind, in which a second small, orange grows. A variety of the Washington Navel orange is the principal orange product of Texas.

Recipes

Orange Sorbet
Makes 8 (½ cup) servings.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. light-colored corn syrup
3 cups fresh orange juice
¼ tsp orange zest

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 45 seconds or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; cool completely. Stir in orange juice. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 1 hour or until firm. Serve with orange zest on top.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 154, Total Fat 0.1g  (sat 0g, mono 0g, poly 0g), Protein 0.6g, Carbohydrates 38.8g, Fiber 0.2g, Cholesterol 0mg, Iron 0.1mg, Sodium 7mg, Calcium 9mg.

Orange-Soy Vinaigrette
Yields 11/3 cups (serving size: 2 Tbsp.)

Ingredients

½ cup orange juice
½ cup pineapple juice
1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. Teriyaki sauce
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 43, Fat 2.7g (sat 0.4g, mono 1.5g, poly 0.7g), Calories from Fat 57%, Protein 0.2g, Carbohydrates 4.3g, Cholesterol 0mg, Fiber 0.1g, Sodium 79mg, Iron 0.1mg, Calcium 5mg.

Confetti Appleslaw
Makes 7 servings.
Source: PBH

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Orange or apple juice concentrate, defrosted
1 Red apple, unpeeled, cored, and diced
4 cups Cabbage, shredded
2 Small red onions, finely shredded
1 Red or green sweet pepper, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp  Raisins
1 Tbsp  Calorie-reduced mayonnaise
½ cup Plain low-fat yogurt
½ tsp Dry mustard
Paprika to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, stir together juice concentrate and diced apple. Add cabbage, onion, pepper and raisins. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, paprika, and pepper. Add to vegetable mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 82, Calories from Fat 9%, Cholesterol 1 mg, Fiber1 g, Sodium 17 mg.

Cous Cous with Chicken, Citrus, & Scallions
Makes 2 servings.
Recipe source: PBH

Ingredients

1 tsp. olive or vegetable oil
½ pound chicken breast, sliced
4 scallions (green onions), diced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup canned mandarin oranges, drained and rinsed
½ grapefruit, peeled and sliced into small pieces, with pith removed
1 5.7 ozs. box cous cous, cooked (follow instructions on box)
1 tbsp. sliced almonds, toasted*

In a large pan on medium-high heat, heat oil and then add chicken slices. Brown them lightly on all sides. Making sure they are cooked throughout, remove them, and set aside. Add scallions to pan and sautè them for 5-10 minutes until tender. Stir in broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in orange segments, grapefruit segments, and chicken, and simmer for 5 minutes until all ingredients are heated throughout. Add cooked cous cous and stir well. Sprinkle with toasted almonds, and serve.

*To toast almonds, spread them in a small pan and bake them at 350° F for 5-6 minutes, stirring once, until they have developed a pale brown color.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 550 Kcal, Fat 7.1g, Calories from Fat 12%, Cholesterol 67mg, Fiber 6.1g, Sodium 123mg.

Sweet & Sour Shrimp With Oranges
Makes 4 servings.
Recipe provided by Sunkist Growers.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup ketchup (no salt added)
1/2 Sunkist lemon, peeled and juiced
1 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsps. brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh squeeze orange juice
1/4 tsp. ground ginger or 2 tsps. fresh grated ginger root
3 Sunkist oranges, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
20 small to medium cook shrimp, with tails and shells removed (about 7 ozs.)
3 cups cooked rice (no salt added)
Chopped cilantro or parsley

In large non-stick skillet, spray with no-stick cooking spray, cook onion and green pepper over medium-high heat until tender but not browned. Add ketchup, lemon peels, and lemon juice. Blend cornstarch and sugar with orange juice and ginger; add to sauce. Cook, stirring until thickened. Add orange pieces and shrimp; heat. Serve over hot-cooked rice. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 365, Fat 1g, Calories from Fat 3%, Carbohydrates 77g, Cholesterol 81mg, Fiber 4g, Sodium 110mg, Protein 14g, Potassium 691mg.

Citrus Tossed Salad and Vinaigrette Dressings
Makes 6 servings.
Recipe provided by the Florida Department of Citrus.

Ingredients

6 torn mixed salad greens
3 oranges or 2 grapefruit, peeled, sectioned, and seeded
1 1/2 cups peeled jicama cut into thin strips
1 medium red onion, sliced and separated into ring 1/3 cup
Citrus Vinaigrette or another flavor vinaigrette

Choose from four fabulous flavors of vinaigrette to add a gourmet touch to this salad. Because orange juice concentrate replaces part of the oil included in a vinaigrette, these vinaigrettes have only 2 g of fat and 34 calories per tbsp. instead of 6 g of fat and calories. In a large salad bowl combine torn mixed greens, orange or grapefruit sections, jicama, and onion ring. Drizzle with the vinaigrette (see below); toss. Serve at once.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 83, Fat 3g, Cholesterol 0mg, Fiber 2g, Sodium 26mg, Carbohydrates 14g, Protein 2g.

Citrus Vinaigrette:
In a screw-top jar combine 3/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed; 1/4 cup vinegar; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup water; and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Shake well to mix. Cover and chill for up to 1 week. Before using, let stand at room temperature about 15 minutes, then shake well. Makes 1 1/2 cups dressing.

Garlic-Citrus Vinaigrette:
To 1/3 cup Citrus Vinaigrette, add 1 medium clove garlic, crushed.

Ginger-Citrus Vinaigrette:
To 1/3 cup Citrus Vinaigrette, add 1/2 tsp. grated gingerroot.

Herb-Citrus Vinaigrette:
To 1/3 cup Citrus Vinaigrette, add 1 tsp. snipped fresh thyme or basil or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme or basil crushed.