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Ingredient of the
Month
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August
2006 |
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 Oranges
belong to the Citrus family which includes other fruit such as lemons,
grapefruit, tangerines, mandarins and kumquats. They are popular in many parts
of the world both for eating and as an ingredient in recipes, with all parts of
the fruit being used in various ways.
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Origin and History
There are two main types of oranges: Sweet and Bitter. Citrus
aurantium the bitter orange, originated in China where it was well documented in
writings by 300BC and by 100BC bitter orange seeds had made their way to Europe.
The sweet orange, Citrus sinensis, is also believed to have originated in South
East Asia (India, China and Indo-China). They had certainly been cultivated in
China for centuries although the name "orange" comes from the Sanskrit word "
narangah " which means fragrant.
The spread of the sweet orange to Europe via North Africa was relatively slow
and although there is speculation that they were depicted in tile mosaics found
at Pompeii dating back to 79AD, it is more likely that these were the sour
variety. By the Middle Ages that we see evidence of them being widely
distributed and eaten throughout much of western and southern regions, having
been brought over by traders. Indeed, Portuguese, Spanish, Arab, and Dutch
sailors are known to have planted citrus trees along trade routes to prevent
scurvy.
Columbus is credited for taking first seeds to the New World in 1493 and for
having established plantings in Hispaniola. The first plantings of sweet orange
in what is now the United States were established in Florida between 1513 and
1565.
Types and
Cultivation
Of the
bitter varieties, Seville oranges are possibly the best known and most widely
available. These are not really suitable for eating raw and are often used in
the making of preserves, in particular marmalade.
Sweet oranges are easily categorized into four groups: round, navel, blood and
acidless oranges. There are many varieties of Round orange and these are the
ones most of us can buy readily from supermarkets and greengrocers. Navel
oranges were so named because of the small secondary fruit embedded in the end
of the fruit which often resembles a navel (belly button). Blood oranges are so
called because of red colouring in the flesh, the intensity of which varies from
a few streaks to almost complete. Acidless oranges are characterised by a sweet,
but bland flavour.
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| Navel Orange |
Blood Orange |
Orange trees grow to 7 metres/22 feet in commercial orchards although they can
be larger if not pruned. Even though orange trees will often come true from
seed, as it takes between 8 and 15 years for the tree to start bearing fruit,
the most common practise for commercial growers is by budding or grafting onto
desirable rootstocks, which start bearing fruit within three years. Most
cultivated varieties are self-pollinating however.
Commercially, much of the harvesting is still done manually by hand. Once the
fruit have been picked they sent to packing houses where they are washed and
graded before being shipped for market.
Because most of the fruit you buy has come from budded or grafted
trees as described above, their seed will probably not produce fruit of the same
quality. Therefore if you want to grow oranges at home it’s best to buy citrus
plants and only grow oranges from seed for ornamental purposes. Orange plants
cannot tolerate frosts so unless you life in a frost free area, they will have
to be grown indoors preferably in a conservatory or greenhouse.
Buying and Storing
Select
fruit which are firm, well-coloured and feel heavy. Store oranges at room
temperature to keep them at their juiciest. They should keep well for close to
two weeks. Alternatively, store unwrapped in the refrigerator. When buying navel
oranges, select those with small sized navels as larger navels indicate that
they were overripe when picked.
Oranges
in Cooking
Oranges are a versatile fruit which can be incorporated into
sweet and savoury dishes. The favour goes well with cinnamon, mint,
chocolate and almonds as well as many fish, meats and poultry. Al parts of the
orange are used in cooking: the juice, flesh and rind, all together or
separately.
When using the rind, try to pare it thinly to avoid
incorporating the white pith which can sometimes give a slightly bitter taste.
When juicing oranges, more juice can be extracted if the
oranges are at room temperature. If they are cold, pierce the skins with a fork
in several places then place in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Alternatively,
place in a bowl of boiling water for 30 seconds.
Below
are just a few sweet and savoury recipes using oranges. To find more recipes
using oranges use the Search form.
Happy Cooking!
Soups and Hors d'oeuvre
Oranges with Red Onion Appetiser Veg CD HD
10mins
Oranges with Anchovy CD HD 10mins plus
chilling
Salmon Ceviche CD MC HD Peruvian 10mins plus marinating
Orange Blueberry Soup Veg CD SP 25mins
Beetroot
and Orange Soup CD HT SP 35mins
Chilled
Carrot and Orange Soup Veg CD 55mins plus chilling
Main Courses
Braised Liver with Orange HT MC 25mins
Citrus Stuffed Monkfish HT MC BBQ
35mins plus marinating
Baked Halibut with Oranges HT MC
40mins
Citrus and Cheese Salad Veg CD MC 45mins
Duck with Cumberland Sauce HT MC
75mins
Beef with Orange HT MC 80mins
Osso Buco with Orange HT MC Italian
120mins
Lamb
Stuffed with Orange and Dates HT MC
Middle East 135mins
Accompaniments/Misc
Orange-Honey Marinade Veg CD
ACC 5mins plus standing
Orange Dressing Veg CD ACC
10mins
Coriander Kiwi Salsa Veg CD ACC
10mins
Beetroot and Orange Salad Veg CD
ACC 15mins
Brussels Sprouts with Sesame Veg
HT ACC 20mins
Orange Rice Veg HT ACC
25mins plus soaking
Potato Pancakes With Juniper1 Veg
HT ACC 45mins
Sweet Potato Rosettes in Shells Veg HT
ACC 50mins
Desserts, Cakes & Bakes
Oranges with Grand Marnier Veg CD DP 10mins plus marinating
Barbecued Oranges Veg HT BBQ DP 25mins
Flamed Fruit Salad Veg HT DP
30mins
Orange Biscuits Veg CD CBF 45mins
Florentines Veg CD CBF
Italian 50mins
Ipswich Almond Pudding HT DP English
50mins
Orange Caramel Custard CD DP 70mins
Tahitian Sweet Bread Veg CD CBF Tahitian 75mins
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