By Liliana Usvat
Blog 150-365
Orange
is richest source of antioxidants of all fruits, stimulates the
digestion, lowers the cholesterol and protects against cardiovascular
disease – orange is the real king of fruits. - See more at:
http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/orange-king-of-fruits/#sthash.D7bA6Jrl.dpuf
Oranges strangely enough, did not get it's name from its colour but
rather from an ancient Sanskrit word meaning "fragrant". In fact, people
have prized this golden fruit for its beauty and scent for years.
The word entered Late Middle English in the fourteenth century via Old French
orenge (in the phrase
pomme d'orenge).
In other Indo-European languages, the words for
orange allude to the eastern origin of the fruit and can be translated literally as "apple from China".
As Portuguese merchants were presumably the first to introduce the sweet orange in Europe, in several modern Indo-European languages the fruit has been named after them. Some examples are Albanian portokall, Bulgarian портокал (
portokal), Greek πορτοκάλι (
portokali), Persian پرتقال (
porteghal), and Romanian portocală
History
There are no reports of sweet oranges occurring in the wild. In
general, it is believed that sweet orange trees have originated in
Southeast Asia, northeastern India, or southern China, and that they were first cultivated in China around 2500 BC.
In Europe, citrus fruits—among them the bitter orange, introduced to
Italy by the crusaders in the 11th century—were grown widely in the
south for medicinal purposes,
but the sweet orange was unknown until the late 15th century or the
beginnings of the 16th century, when Italian and Portuguese merchants
brought orange trees into the Mediterranean area.
Shortly afterward, the sweet orange quickly was adopted as an edible
fruit.
It also was considered a luxury item and wealthy people grew
oranges in private conservatories, called orangeries. By 1646, the sweet orange was well known throughout Europe
Spanish explorers introduced the sweet orange into the American
continent. On his second voyage in 1493, Christopher Columbus took seeds
of oranges, lemons, and citrons
to Haiti and the Caribbean.
Subsequent expeditions in the mid-1500s
brought sweet oranges to South America and Mexico, and to Florida in
1565, when Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded St Augustine.
Spanish missionaries brought orange trees to Arizona between 1707 and 1710, while the Franciscans did the same in San Diego, California, in 1769.
An orchard was planted at the San Gabriel Mission
around 1804 and a commercial orchard was established in 1841 near
present-day Los Angeles. In Louisiana, oranges probably were introduced
by French explorers.
Propagation
It is possible to grow orange trees directly from seeds, but they may
be infertile or produce fruit that may be different from its parent.
For the seed of a commercial orange to grow, it must be kept moist at
all times. One approach is placing the seeds between two sheets of damp
paper towel until they germinate and then planting them, although many
cultivators just set the seeds straight into the soil.
Commercially grown orange trees are propagated asexually by grafting a mature cultivar onto a suitable seedling rootstock to ensure the same yield,
identical fruit characteristics, and resistance to diseases throughout
the years.
Propagation involves two stages: first, a rootstock is grown
from seed. Then, when it is approximately one year old, the leafy top is
cut off and a bud taken from a specific scion
variety, is grafted into its bark. The scion is what determines the
variety of orange, while the rootstock makes the tree resistant to pests
and diseases and adaptable to specific soil and climatic conditions.
Thus, rootstocks influence the rate of growth and have an effect on fruit yield and quality.
Production
Brazil is the world's leading orange producer, with an output almost as
high as that of the next three countries combined (the United States,
India, and China). Orange groves are located mainly in the state of São Paulo, in the southeastern region of Brazil, and account for approximately 80% of the national production.
Uses
- The orange blossom, which is the state flower of Florida,
is highly fragrant and traditionally associated with good fortune. It
has long been popular in bridal bouquets and head wreaths.
- Orange blossom essence is an important component in the making of perfume.
- Orange blossom petals can also be made into a delicately citrus-scented version of rosewater,
known as "orange blossom water" or "orange flower water". It is a
common ingredient in French and Middle Eastern cuisines, especially in
desserts and baked goods. In some Middle Eastern countries, drops of
orange flower water are added to disguise the unpleasant taste of hard water drawn from wells or stored in qullahs
(traditional Egyptian water pitchers made of porous clay). In the
United States, orange flower water is used to make orange blossom scones and marshmallows.
- In Spain, fallen blossoms are dried and used to make tea.
- Orange blossom honey (or citrus honey) is obtained by putting beehives in the citrus groves while trees bloom. By this method, bees also pollinate seeded citrus varieties. This type of honey has an orangey taste and is highly prized.
- Marmalade usually is made with Seville oranges.
All parts of the fruit are used: the pith and pips (separated and
placed in a muslin bag) are boiled in a mixture of juice, slivered peel,
sliced-up flesh, sugar, and water to extract their pectin, which helps
the conserve to set.
- Orange peel is used by gardeners as a slug repellent.
- Orange leaves can be boiled to make tea.
- Orangewood sticks are used as cuticle pushers in manicures and pedicures, and as spudgers for manipulating slender electronic wires.
- Orangewood is used in the same way as mesquite, oak, and hickory for seasoning grilled meat.
Medicinal Uses
- Orange Juice Improves "Good" Cholesterol
- Boost you immune system
- Fights Against Viral Infections
- An infusion of the immature fruit is taken to relieve stomach and intestinal complaints.
- Prevents Kidney Diseases -Drinking orange juice regularly prevents kidney diseases and reduces the risk of kidney stones.
Studies show that the abundance of polyphenols in oranges protects against viral infections.
- Relieves Constipation -Oranges are full of dietary fiber which stimulates digestive juices and relieves constipation.
- Helps Create Good Vision - Oranges are rich in carotenoid compounds which are converted to vitamin A and help prevent macular degeneration.
- Regulates High Blood Pressure-The flavonoid hesperidin found in oranges helps regulate high blood
pressure and the magnesium in oranges helps maintain blood pressure.
- Protects Skin -Oranges are full of beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant protecting
the cells from being damage which also protects the skin from free
radicals and prevents the signs of aging.
- Oranges Alkalize the Body -Although oranges are acidic before you digest them, they contain many alkaline
minerals that help to balance out the body after they are digested. In
this respect, they are similar to lemons which are one of the most
alkaline foods available.
- Provides Smart Carbs Oranges like all fruits have simple sugars in them, but the orange has a
glycemic index of 40. Anything under 55 is considered low. This means
as long as you don’t eat a lot of oranges at one time, they won’t spike
your blood sugar and cause problems with insulin or weight gain.
- One study said that you can lower your anxiety level just by peeling an orange and sniffing it.
- Orange Juice Boosts Bone Health
- Oranges are rich in citrus limonoids, proven to help fight a number of varieties of cancer including that of the skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon.
- Aromatherapists say that the sweet orange can help fight colds and the flu.
- Orange Juice (mixed with Blackcurrant Juice) Reduces Inflammation
- Orange Juice Boosts Weight Loss
- Orange Juice May Dissolve Kidney Stones
- Orange Juice Extract Suppresses Prostate Proliferation
- Some people use bitter orange flower and its oil for general feebleness, “tired blood” (anemia), impurities of the skin, hair loss, cancer, frostbite, and as a tonic
- The bitter orange flower and bitter orange oil are used for gastrointestinal (GI) disorders including ulcers in the intestine, constipation, diarrhea, blood in feces, drooping (prolapsed) anus or rectum, and intestinal gas.
- Bitter orange peel is applied to the skin for swelling (inflammation) of
the eyelid and its lining, as well as the retina in the eye. It is also used for bleeding from the retina, exhaustion accompanying colds, headaches, nerve pain, muscular pain, joint pain, bruises, swelling of the veins (phlebitis), and bed sores.
- Orange flower water, made in Italy and France as a cologne, is bitter and considered antispasmodic and sedative.
- A decoction of the dried leaves and
flowers is given in Italy as an antispasmodic, cardiac sedative,
antiemetic, digestive and remedy for flatulence.
- The inner bark, macerated and infused in wine, is taken as a tonic and carminative
- A vinous decoction of husked orange seeds
is prescribed for urinary ailments in China and the juice of fresh
orange leaves or a decoction of the dried leaves may be taken as a
carminative or emmenagogue or applied on sores and ulcers.
- An orange seed extract is given as a
treatment for malaria in Ecuador but it is known to cause respiratory
depression and a strong contraction of the spleen.
- Banishes pneumonia. -That's three oranges or less than two glasses of orange juice a day.
Soil Type
Citrus will grow in most soils from sandy to adobe clay, provided it
drains well. Sandy soils must be watered and fertilized more frequently
than soils with a higher clay content and growers can add organic matter
such as manure or compost to improve water and nutrient holding
abilities.
Irrigating and Fertilizing
Water quality is very important. Water high in salt content, common
in some desert regions, can cause injury to leaves, burning leaf tips
and margins. Lower levels of salts can cause the tree to grow poorly or
to produce fewer or smaller fruit.
Nutrients that citrus needs in relatively large amounts are nitrogen,
phosphorous, potassium, sulfur and calcium. In lesser amounts, citrus
requires iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, boron and
chlorine. In California and Arizona soils, usually only nitrogen must
be added, most often in late winter to meet the demands of spring bloom.
Pruning
Unlike most other fruit trees, citrus trees don't require regular
pruning. Commercial growers trim tree tops to keep them smaller so they
are easier, safer and less expensive to pick, and "hedge" the sides to
let more sunlight into the trees to improve yields. Hand pruning opens
up the trees to allow more sunlight into the center.
Orange Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 pound fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- few drops of stevia
- Tamari or Braggs to taste
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, roasted till golden
- 2 mandarin orange sections
Directions:
1. Wash and trim spinach; pat dry with paper towels.
2. Combine lemon juice, oil, stevia and Tamari or Braggs in large bowl; add avocado cubes, coating well with the dressing.
3. Toss spinach and walnuts with avocado and dressing.
4. Add mandarin orange sections and toss spinach salad again.
Pleasure and meaning are basic human needs, and “the mental sense of connection with nature is a basic human satisfaction, the most profound aspect of sensibility
