Monday 8 March 2010

In brief season: blood oranges



In season around now, blood oranges are the most elusive of citrus fruits. They appear briefly for a few weeks each year with unpredictable timing.

The fruit’s name comes from its garnet flesh and scarlet juices. It derives its colour from anthocyanin, a pigment more common in red fruits and flowers. Fuji and Red Delicious Apples, for example, owe their dark red skins to the pigment.

The most popular varieties are Tarocco (grown in Sicily), Sanguinello (Spain) and Moro (US). Blood oranges have a sweet taste with a hint of summer berries. They are best enjoyed eaten alone, freshly squeezed in juices and in desserts, bearing in mind that the colour dims when baked or heated.

Alternatively, a few segments add a rosy hue to a salad of grilled tuna, chicory or fennel, finely sliced purple onion and a strong vinaigrette or serve alongside warm cooked beetroot with a sherry-inspired dressing. For a simple finale plate try slices of blood oranges with Manchego and toasted almonds.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

They really are beautiful, aren't they? I baked with them yesterday (tahini brownies with the juice of blood oranges), and loved their gentle, but bitter flavour. Berry describes it well.

Ozoz said...

Last week, food52 had a blood orange and feta cheese, with mint contest. I spent the whole week making blood orange delights, which included carpaccio, shortbreads, brioche and more. Two discoveries - blood oranges make the best citrus candied peels ever and the best citrus dust (oven dried till crisp, ground/blended with sea salt to which some dried chilli is added). Heaven! kitchenbutterfly.com

El said...

Thank you for the tips on how to use these oranges. They're beautiful.

Deeba PAB said...

I do wish we got these beauties here in India. They're popping up all over the blogs and are delightful little things. Your post is a great 'virtual' introdcution to them.Hope to lay my hands on some one day!!

The Curious Cat said...

I love blood oranges - I always look for the juice in the supermarkets but you can't always find it - nice tips on putting it with fish and in salads... xxx

Nic said...

Super photo, will keep my eye out for them!

Kristen said...

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Melange a Trois said...

I love blood oranges. I like to add the juice to cream cheese frosting on my carrot cake!

gastroanthropologist said...

They really are gorgeous - I love a glass of blood orange juice. I used some a few weeks ago in a blood orange loaf (same as lemon, just changed up the zest and glaze with blood oranges) and a blood orange marmalade tart with almond frangipane.

I love your idea of having it with grilled tuna...

Kris Ngoei said...

I love these blood oranges. The color is simply beautiful when we use it right :-)

Sawadee from Bangkok,
Kris

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Unknown said...

Ugh my favorite!!!

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Jeanne said...

Oh, look at the colour on those!! Somebody needs to explain to me how these are available in every grocer in Italy/France/Spain during their short season, but remain an expensive luxury item here in the UK :( Locals keeping the good stuff for themselves? And who can blame them!

Samantha said...

They are gorgeous. Could eat an entire pound, but they should be in a salad in my opinion, making other things better!

Unknown said...

Congratulations on making the top 50 food blogs!

Rita
Hawthorne, NJ

Anonymous said...

Red oranges are absolutely delicious in taste and are intriguing to look at.

I love to use them to make fresh red orange juice, and and as fun fruit slices in rum punch.

Unknown said...

Blood oranges RULE! Congratulations on making one of the top blogs!

Jonathan
Great Gifts

Unknown said...

I love blood oranges. At Trader Joe's they have a blood orange soda that is delicious when you mix it with rum or champagne/prosecco. Also if you mix it with rum, you can mix in a little 7-up or sprite and it tastes like a blood orange creamsicle. Absolutely delicious.

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Unknown said...

blood orange is beautiful, one day rent in singapore i will plant it in my garden. thanks

Anonymous said...

they're wonderful aren't they! some popped up in my veg box this morning, i love how elusive they are... i think i'm going to marinate them in a delicious spiced syrup.

The Rock Junkie said...

I really see the blood orange spiking in popularity. I just hope it doesn't become as played out as red velvet. :( Here's my blog on culinary tips: http://www.culinaryschoolguide.net/

German said...

I love it the recipie, Where they are inseason I have for breakfast. Slice in half, sprinke with sugar and grill until caramelised.
Or crush a few seeds from a cardamom pot, mix with caster sugar and sprinkle over a halved grapefruit.
http://kitchenvoyage.blogspot.com/

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Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your tips on oranges. Beautiful photography too.

John Nicoll said...

You may just have cured my aversion to blood oranges!!!

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