Properties / Health
of Orange

Varieties / Season
of Orange

Orange Recipes

Orange contains:

• Vitamins C, A
• Low saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium
• Fiber
• Calcium
• Potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus
• See table below for more details.

Properties and benefits. Recommended for:

• Orange is the fruit par excellence in cases of colds due to its high vitamin C content. It is consumed naturally or in juices. See Against the cold
• Due to its high vitamin C content, it is one of the best antioxidants
• Vitamin C also helps burn fat.
• It helps prevent arteriosclerosis.

- It is NOT recommended for those with digestive problems: gastritis, hiatal hernia, acidity, ulcers.

There are three basic varieties of oranges: sweet orange, the best known and the one we normally buy in markets; bitter orange, mainly used for making bitter orange marmalade; and sanguinelli, with a red-orange color popular for juices.

Regarding the most important varieties for purchase:

• Persian orange is currently the most commonly cultivated variety in southern Europe since the 11th century and is the orange that Christopher Columbus took to Haiti and the Caribbean in 1493.
• Navel orange (California orange)
  Product of a mutation that occurred in 1820 in a monastery in Brazil, from which others have been derived, such as the navelina, a hybrid with easy-to-peel skin, and the navelate or late navel.
• Valencian orange (late Valencia, or late Valencia), is one of the sweet varieties for juice. It is the predominant variety in markets after the navel season. This variety, despite its name, has no origin relationship with Valencia.
• Blood orange (sanguine)
  Blood orange has red stripes on the skin, and the juice is often a dark reddish color.

It is the quintessential juice for breakfast. Do not forget to have breakfast and frequently drink a glass of orange juice.

Citrus fruits are advisable to consume in the mornings. If orange juice is consumed on an empty stomach, it eliminates toxic substances and prevents us from many diseases.

However, oranges are part of a large number of preparations and traditional recipes in Spain and other countries.

Best time: The orange season is from January to May. It is when oranges can be obtained in Spain at a very reasonable price. Oranges for juice (cheaper during the season, rich in juice) and table oranges (aesthetically larger and prettier) are distinguished.

Storage: Fresh oranges can last for more than three weeks in the fridge, although if stored at room temperature, more juice can be extracted from them.