Understanding Organic Citrus

When it comes to citrus fruits “organic” refers to how the fruit is grown.  Organic farming uses only natural pest control and fertilizers and never uses chemical weedkillers or pest killers on the citrus trees as they are growing. 

Fertilizers are usually mixed right on the premises and consist of potting soil, compost, hay, and other natural materials.  Growing citrus organically presents some unique challenges to citrus farmers because of the processes that they need to use in order to control pests and fertilize their citrus trees.

When people think of a citrus grove they usually think of a commercially managed grove full of well manicured citrus trees, but an organic citrus grove is a little more chaotic looking than a traditional commercial grove. 

An organic citrus grove will usually have some type of ground cover plant hovering near the trees and there will be weeds everywhere. Weeds and ground cover encourage insects which are the natural predators of insects that destroy citrus trees to make their homes in the grove. Then those insects keep the pests that would ruin the citrus trees under control which eliminates the need for commercial pest control.  The ground cover plants also help insulate the citrus trees in case there is a cold snap or some other inclement weather that could damage the trees.
Another problem that organic citrus farmers face is the issue of how their final products look. 

Commercially grown fruit is treated with preservatives and often covered with a thin layer of wax to prevent damage and to make it look more attractive. Organic fruit doesn’t have those cosmetic touches. Some buyers are put off by citrus fruit that can have dents or minor cosmetic flaws even though the organic fruit is healthier for consumers to eat.  Without preservatives organic fruit also must be rushed from the field to the market, which increases the cost of the fruit.  Even though organic farming is more time intensive and more expensive, which means the final product is more expensive, many farmers are switching to organic farming methods.

The Tangerine is a Healthy Seasonal Delight With a Global History

The ever popular little fruit known as the tangerine is rich in history and tradition as well as being one of the tastiest, most nutritional and convenient-to-eat foods around.  The tangerine is actually a member of the mandarin family of oranges and is known to have been cultivated in China and Japan more than 3,000 years before being introduced to the West two centuries ago.  The tangerine is an important food source which contains essential nutrients and minerals such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium and many others.  Tangerine oil, which is extracted from the peel, is used for both cooking and for medicinal purposes. 

Tangerines are smaller than oranges, have a deeper orange skin, and the flesh inside is very juicy, usually with a mild, sweet taste.  Most varieties of tangerines have few or no seeds.  In the United States, the best time to eat tangerines is November through January, although when juiced at the right time, tangerine juice holds up to freezing very well.  Otherwise, they should stay in the refrigerator no longer than seven days to maintain their great taste and nutritional value.  The best tangerine to buy will be soft and puffy with a loose-fitting skin and feel heavy for its size.  It should also be glossy and pebbly-skinned, but don’t worry if there are small green patches near the stem.

To get the most of its nutritional value, the best way to eat a tangerine is to peel it raw and eat its luscious juicy wedges right off the skin.  Fresh tangerine wedges are also important ingredients to many healthful, nutritious recipes for meals and snacks at any time of day or night.  The tangerine peel is also used not only as a decorative garnish or grating, but when dried and cured properly can also be eaten as a glaze or preserve, like marmalade or jelly.  Many great recipes like tangerine peel beef or chicken or radish soup with dried tangerine peel can found with an easy online search.

Tangerine oil is extracted by a process of cold-pressing tangerine peel.  The use of the tangerine oil for medicinal applications came from China and is now used the world over for natural healing of all sorts of conditions, both internal and external.  It is perhaps most popular in the United States for aromatherapy benefits in cream, bath lotion or vapor form as the fragrance of tangerine oil has been shown to help soothe the nervous system and reduce tension and stress at the same time it boosts the digestive system.

Have You Ever Heard of a Robinson Tangerine?

Robinson Tangerines

are one of the most popular of the citrus fruits on the market today. The hybrid mix that created them contains ¾ of the tangerine and ¼ of the grapefruit.

It was created in 1959 by Reece Gardner. The average size for the Robinson looks more like a tangerine, averaging in sizes between 2 ½ to 3 inches in diameter. The shape of it is flattened and has a small neck at the stem. The skin of Robinson tangerines is quite thin, making it an easy fruit to peel.

On average, the tangerine has up to 20+ seeds per fruit.. Cross pollination is used to cultivate these tangerines, so pollenizer trees are used, such as the Orlando, Temple, Sunburst or Lee. Those that aren’t planted through this method produce fewer seeds, fewer amounts of tangerines and are smaller in size. Cross pollination is used to increase productivity of the crops.

You will find Robinson tangerines harvesting between the months of October and December, so you can find them fresh during the fall and early winter. After sitting in the sun for a while, they tend to crack and the skin splits, which is a major problem farmers have.

The tree of Robinson tangerines grows upright and spreads and has brittle wood and dense foliage. The tree can withstand cold temperatures, but the tangerines cannot because they have thin skin. They perform well on most commercial rootstocks.

Why a Navel Orange is a Citrus Fruit For Many Choices

The Navel Orange is one of the most popular of the orange tree varietals and also one of the most unique and versatile.  Most people know that oranges have many important health benefits to humans.  Millions of people drink orange juice from navel oranges daily as a source of vitamin C, a main nutritional ingredient of navel oranges.  Vitamin C helps keep the human immune system strong, works to absorb iron in the body, helps heal wounds, and can even aid in preventing heart disease. 

Other important nutrients in navel oranges are beta-carotene, which prevents cell damage, calcium for strong, healthy bones, magnesium to maintain healthy blood pressure and potassium for cell electrolytes in balance.  The high fiber content in navel oranges can help improve cholesterol ratios in the body, which is important in controlling diabetes.  Other nutrients in navel oranges are also known to help to prevent other types of cancer as well, including stomach and esophagus cancer.  One of the best ways to get the right amount of these essential nutrients and others is to drink a fresh squeezed juice from a navel orange or to eat it right off the peel!

The navel orange is also a favorite addition to fruit salads or is used to make preserves or jams, such as the ever popular orange marmalade.  Orange oil from naval oranges is a byproduct of the orange peel which is used to flavor food and drink as well as an important ingredient for fragrance in perfumes and aromatherapy.  Orange blossoms can be dried and then used to make a delicious, aromatic tea.  Gardeners often use orange peels to repel slugs and other garden pests. 

Navel oranges are seedless, and the flesh inside is naturally very sweet and juicy, and its taste is very refreshing.  The blossom end of a navel orange looks like a human navel from the outside, which is how the fruit acquired its name.  When a neval orange is peeled, on the inside of the blossom end there is a partially formed, undeveloped conjoined “twin” fruit.  Although navel oranges are clones of a tree originally from Brazil, today they are a very important industry in the United States and grown primarily in Florida, Arizona and California.  Depending on your region of the country, fresh navel oranges are available from winter through late spring.  The kind of navel orange you should buy at the market is one that feels heavy for its size and has no soft spots, outward pitting or mold.

Health Benefits: The Fascinating History of Navel Oranges

Oranges are among the most popular fruits worldwide because of their unique, sweet and refreshing taste.  Also, because not only can they be found in great abundance and varieties, oranges have many important health benefits to the human body.  The navel orange, also known by its scientific term citrus sinensis, is one of the most popular of the orange tree varietals and also one of the most unique. 

Navel oranges are seedless, and once the peel is broken, the flesh inside is naturally very sweet and juicy.  From the outside, the blossom end of a navel orange looks like a human navel, which is how it acquired its name.  Inside, when a naval orange is broken or peeled, you can see a partially formed, undeveloped conjoined “twin” fruit on the blossom end. 

The antioxidant vitamin C is a main nutritional ingredient of navel oranges.  Millions of people drink orange juice from navel oranges daily as a source of vitamin C.  Vitamin C not only helps keep the human immune system strong, but it also helps the body absorb iron, works to heal wounds, and can even help prevent heart disease.  The human body does not naturally produce vitamin C on its own, so one of the best ways to get the right amount of this essential nutrient is to drink a fresh squeezed juice from a navel orange or to eat it right off the peel.

Other nutrients in navel oranges are also known to help to prevent cancer as well, such as stomach and esophagus cancer.  The high fiber content in navel oranges can help improve cholesterol ratios in the body, which is important in controlling diabetes. 

Beta-carotene is another antioxidant found in navel oranges which helps prevent cell damage.  Navel oranges also contain calcium, which promotes strong, healthy bones and vitamin B6 to boost production of hemoglobin in the bloodstream. The high potassium content in navel oranges helps maintain the balance of electrolytes in cells, and its magnesium helps keep blood pressure at an acceptable level.

But one of the most unique things about the naval orange is its history.  To this day, all navel oranges are clones which still originate from a tree in Brazil from almost 200 years ago.  This single tree propagated spontaneous clones and led to being grown in other regions. 

These mutations can only be cultivated through tree cuttings and being grafted onto other trees.  Producing navel oranges is considered a very big industry in the United States and economically important to California, Florida and Arizona where they are primarily grown.

Who Else Loves Valencia Oranges?

Known as a sweet orange, Valencia Oranges are on average, 2 3/4 to 3 inches in diameter. Valencia’s have a bright orange color and product o to 6 seeds in each fruit.

You can find Valencia Oranges blossoming in the months between March and June. Valencia oranges are able to adapt in various climates, so they can be grown in many different states and countries. Some types that are available for planting are the Rohde Red Valencia, which has a superior peel that is internally flesh colored.

About 50% of this citrus fruit that are produced in the crops are Valencia oranges. It is also the main variety being produced in Florida today.

There are usually two crops after blossoming on the tree - old and new. Its best quality is internally, which is very juicy and sweet, making it a great option for both processed markets and fresh markets. You will rarely find Valencia being harvested before a freeze hit, since it is a late variety.

Most of the hedging is done before or after the harvesting of the crop, but must be done frequently during the same time annually - this helps to prevent having to remove a lot of fruit and wood.

When you’re picking out a selection of Valencia oranges, make sure that they are firm and heavy. It is best to get those that are thin-skinned and smooth. Make sure there are no bruises, mold or other irregularities on them. As Valencia oranges begin to fully ripen, they become a golden color.

During the warm seasons, while the oranges are still in the tree, their skin reabsorbs chlorophyll from the leaves, which causes them to turn green again - this begins at the stem. At this point, the oranges are actually ready, sweet and juicy.

All About Temple Oranges

Temple oranges, also known as tangor, are hybrid citrus fruits. They’re hybrids of the mandarin orange and the sweet orange.

The mandarin orange is a tangerine - this is how tangor came into play. The name tangor is a combo of tangerine and orange. There are all sorts of varieties of the temple oranges, there’s

• King, or King of Siam
• Murcott, or Honey Murcott, Murcott Honey Orange, Red, Big Red
• Ortanique, which are found in Jamaica - comes from orange, tangerine and unique
  Umatilla or Umatilla Tangelo

Then there are the Temple oranges from Japan, including:

• Iyokan, also known as sweet oranges
• Miyauchi Iyo, has an early ripening
• Othani Iyo, has a later ripening
• Kiyomi, Trovita navel orange
• Setom, Trovita navel orange

Temple oranges are from the class of Eudicots and the Rutaceae family.

Temple oranges are thought to be identical to the Magnet orange in Japan. The seed of the temple orange was believed to be discovered by a fruit buyer by the name of Boyce. He went to Jamaica in 1896 to buy oranges - this was after a really cold winter in Florida. After finding it, he sent the budwood to Winter Park, Florida. Word began to spread quickly about the new find. One was planted in the grove of L.A. Hakes, who then spread the word to W.C. Temple. Temple then recommended it to H.E. Gillett, the owner of Buckeye Nurseries. The orange was then named, propagated and marketed in 1919. It wasn’t until after 1940 when it began to be planted extensively.

The peel of the temple oranges are between deep orange and deep red. The peel is glossy and a bit rough and thick, almost like leather. You can find about 20 seeds in temple oranges. The tree it blossoms in it thorny and bushy - it grows better in Florida than Texas and California. Temples are medium to large, between 2 5/8 and 31/4 inches in wide and 2 ¼ and 2 ½ in height. It is usually round or oblate. About 25 percent of the temple oranges are under-developed and have a green inside.

They are very juicy and sweet, making them a great treat or snack throughout the day. The oranges have nitrogen and potassium excessively applied to them, which produces the acidity of the juice. Those with low acid juice have lower rates of nitrogen and potassium, but high rates of phosphorous.

Citrus Fruit Baskets: The Great, Healthy Gift All Year Long

Almost everyone loves citrus fruits of some kind, and one of the most popular and practical gift options, especially in today’s health conscious society, is the citrus fruit basket.  Citrus fruits contain essential vitamins, such as Vitamin C and many others, and are an important food source.  Among the most common and delicious citrus fruits that go into a citrus fruit basket are grapefruit, orange, clementine, tangerine, mandarin, lemon, lime, and kumquat, as well as other fruits that are fresh and available in the United States all year long.

Many gourmet citrus baskets also include pears, figs, apples or grapes as well as nuts, crackers and cheese to add a variety of taste as well as aroma and an elegant look.  Attractively decorated citrus baskets filled with delicious fine fruits and other goodies can be found for anywhere from US$20 to $100 with an easy search on the Internet.  But it’s easy to make and customize your own citrus fruit baskets.

Citrus fruit baskets make excellent gifts for almost any special occasion or event.  The most popular times to send citrus fruit baskets are Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah because they are not only a celebration of life but great for responsibly feeding visitors who drop by your home or office.

A citrus fruit basket can also be enjoyed on more personal holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.  A citrus fruit basket in the lunchroom on Secretary’s Day is a sight that will bring a smile of appreciation to every office worker’s face and make him or her feel truly valued by their company.

Other appropriate times to send a delicious, nutritious citrus basket are a birthday, wedding or anniversary, graduation, or the birth of a baby.  The gift of a citrus fruit basket as condolence and sympathy in a time of grieving is more practical than sending flowers. Sending a citrus basket to a mourner allows him or her to focus more on grieving rather than having to provide food and snacks for visitors paying respects.

The gift of a citrus fruit basket is thoughtful, smart and economic and can lead to years of return on your investment, whether you send it to a business or to a family.

Many guides are available online for creating your own citrus fruit basket.  It’s not at all difficult to find the main citrus fruit ingredients, and many people who do it themselves find that it’s and interesting and fulfilling task.  In fact, some of them have enjoyed it so much that they have gone on to start their own citrus basket making companies.

You’re limited only by your imagination!

A Fruitful Diet: The Many Benefits of Fresh Citrus & Fruit

Visit MyOnlineHealthArticles.com for a vitamin C fact sheet and many other natural health articles.