By Leslie Shallcross
Make it sweet, tart, juicy and nutritious, make it citrus! November through March are peak months for all citrus fruits. Fresh produce displays offer everything from tiny, tart orange kumquats to jumbo pale green pomelos and burgundy-fleshed blood oranges.
Originating in Asia and later Australia, these once-exotic fruits are now found on every continent. They grow especially well in warm and tropical regions; Florida and California grow most of the oranges and other citrus cultivated in the United States. The development of techniques to concentrate and freeze orange juice in the 1940s and the rapid adoption of modern home refrigeration and freezers, allowed oranges to become widely consumed and a glass of Florida sunshine, a defining component of breakfast.
Aside from the flavor, why the excitement about these seasonal fruits? For starters, all citrus — lemons, limes, tangerines, tangelos, clementines, oranges and grapefruits — are great sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C may not be a cure all, but it is vital to human health with a very long list of critical roles, including supporting a strong immune system and maintaining the health of gums, skin, joints, blood vessels.
Higher intakes of vitamin C are associated with better heart, eye, brain, neurological and emotional health. Poor intake and even mild deficiencies of vitamin C are associated with fatigue, depression and poor cognition. Vitamin C needs to be replenished daily, so the morning O.J. habit is an easy to swallow vitamin pill.
Vitamin C is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables with the notable amounts in citrus fruits, berries, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and spinach. With many options for getting a daily vitamin C dose, we might expect that very few in the U.S. could be under-consuming, but as much as 40 percent of the U.S. population is vitamin C deficient (most of us need to work on eating more fruits and vegetables).
Seasonal citrus and especially oranges are an easy way to get vitamin C, other nutrients and beneficial bioactive compounds. Oranges contain magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, folate, fiber and the bioflavonoids hesperidin and naringenin. Some of the health benefits are attributed to the anti-inflammatory bioflavonoids and many experts promote regular citrus consumption.
All parts of the fruit-juice, pulp, skins, membranes, even frozen concentrated juice — contain the beneficial compounds. Don’t be afraid of the natural sweetness and carbohydrate in oranges. Although the jury is still out on this one, some research shows that eating oranges and drinking juice may have a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels and body weight. Just keep juice to no more than one cup per day.
Eating oranges, tangerines, tangelos and clementines requires very little work. Rinse, peel and pop the segments in your mouth. Getting a little more complicated, take several types of citrus (i.e. blood orange, pink grapefruit, navel orange) use a sharp paring knife and carefully peel the fruit, removing the peel and membrane but keeping the fruit whole. Slice into rounds and arrange the colorful slices on a plate of spinach, radicchio or lettuce. Garnish with small pieces of your favorite cheese and some toasted nuts or pumpkin seed – mozzarella or soft goat cheese are delicious. To round out the citrus salad, use a micro plane, grater or knife and make some orange or lemon zest. Juice the lemon or orange and mix zest, juice, a couple tablespoons of honey (sugar also works), salt/pepper and olive oil or salad oil in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Pour over your salad.
Oranges and other citrus will keep best if refrigerated around 40°F and kept loosely packed in a porous plastic bag — humid but not too humid. Citrus fruit is very susceptible to mold so keep your eye on it and move it a bit so that condensation does not accumulate underneath the fruit.
Call Cooperative Extension for more information and ideas for using citrus, citrus health benefits and preserving citrus. Take advantage of seasonal fruit and make it sweet, tart, juicy and nutritious with citrus.
Leslie Shallcross is a registered dietitian and the Cooperative Extension Service Tanana District’s Health, Home and Family Development Agent.
