Oranges originate from South East Asia, but are now available in most warmer climates.

Varieties
There are three main varieties of oranges are sweet, loose-skinned and bitter.

Sweet oranges are for eating and juicing. The three most popular sweet oranges are, Valencia, Navel and Blood oranges.

Loose-skinned varieties are usually part of the mandarin orange family. They are usually sweet but can be tart.

Bitter oranges are too bitter to eat raw. They need to be cooked and served, for example, as marmalade or bigarade sauce. Bitter oranges are also used to make essential oils and to make candied peel. Two examples of bitter oranges are Seville and Bergamot.

Storage: Oranges can safely be stored on the countertop for 2 - 3 days, but keep for up to 14 days in the refrigerator.

How to Select
Select an orange that is heavy for its size and shows no signs of bruising, or has any shrivelled or mouldy skin. If possible, pick a brilliant coloured orange.

Nutritional Qualities
Oranges have been touted to have extremely high Vitamin C, which helps maintain a healthy immune system. They are also have high fibre and no fat, which means you will be able to lose those extra holiday pounds easier! Oranges also have a fair amount of Folic Acid, Calcium, Potassium and Thiamine. So, not only are oranges good for anyone to eat, but they are particularly healthy for expectant mothers.

Once cut or squeezed, the Vitamin C quickly disappears. After only 8 hours at room temperature (or 24 hours in the refrigerator), approximately 25% of the Vitamin C is lost. That's why canned or bottled orange juice products tend to have lower Vitamin C content unless they are fortified.

Wine Pairings
Depending on how you prepare your oranges and to what you are going to serve your orange-based recipe with, try one of these wines. Chardonnay, Fume Blanc, Grenache Rose, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel or a Syrah.

Spices
Oranges are unique in the fact that if you are making a sweet dish, you can use spices like: cinnamon and nutmeg with it. But oranges, also, go well with garlic, basil and thyme in savoury dishes.

Equivalencies
1 medium orange = 1/3 - 1/2 cup juice = 2 - 3 tbsp. peel = 3/4 cup diced flesh

Preparation
Segment: Peel the entire fruit first. Then, holding the fruit in one hand, cut alongside each side of the membranes. Try to leave as little of the flesh as possible. As you continue around the fruit, continue to cut between the membranes and the segments, folding the membranes back like you were reading a book.

Zesting: Rub the skin on a grater. Use a brush to remove the zest from the grater. Be careful not to get too much pith (white substance between the peel and the flesh) as this is very bitter.

Julienne: Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest off of the orange going lengthwise. Then using a sharp knife, cut these strips into very thin strips lengthwise.

Juicing: Before juicing any citrus fruit, roll the fruit on the counter. This will soften the insides and release more juices. Then, cut the fruit in half. Using a wooden juicer (or a fork), push it into the flesh and twist it around until all the juice has been released.

Peeling: Cut a slice of peel from each end of the orange. Standing the fruit upright, continue to slice the peel away from the flesh without removing too much flesh.

Trivia
In China, orange peels are used to aid indigestion. They believe that citrus fruits are warming, thus very stimulating on the digestive tract.

In Medieval times, oranges and orange blossoms were used on a couple's wedding day. It was believed that the scent of oranges was calming to the couple on their wedding night. They were also thought to be a symbol of fertility.

RECIPES

Basic Orange Sauce
by Jennifer A. Wickes

2 cups orange juice
1 crushed garlic clove
3/4 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup water

Bring the orange juice, garlic mustard, salt and ginger to a boil in a saucepan.

Mix the cornstarch with a 1/4 cup of water, then add to the orange juice mixture. Add the rest of the water and bring to a boil.

Serve with duck!

Yields: 1 serving

Oranges With Sweet Basil Zabaglione

8 lg navel oranges
2 egg yolks
5 basil sprigs
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 cup basil leaves - packed
1/4 cup dry white wine

Using a vegetable peeler, remove a strip of zest from one of the oranges and chop enough to measure 1/4 tsp. Using a knife, peel skin and pith from oranges and cut in between the membranes to remove the sections. Using hands, lightly crush the basil sprigs and toss in a large bowl with the orange sections. Cover and chill 2-6 hours. Mince the ½ cup basil. In a medium bowl combine the egg yolks, sugar, wine and reserved orange zest. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk until the zabaglione is frothy, thick, and doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced basil. Drain the orange sections and remove basil sprigs. Divide among 4 dessert dishes and spoon a heaping tablespoon of zabaglione over each one.

Yields: 4 servings

Orange French Toast
by Jennifer A. Wickes

4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. Grand Marnier
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
8 1-inch-thick slices of French bread

Garnish:
Unsalted butter
Maple syrup
Powdered sugar
Four cooked sausage links

In a shallow bowl beat together eggs, Grand Marnier, milk, orange peel, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Dip bread into egg mixture, coating both sides. (Soak for 30 seconds on each side). In a skillet melt 1 tablespoon butter and cook the bread on both sides over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve with butter, syrup, powdered sugar and sausage.

Yields: 4 servings

Granny Leisegang's Marmalade

Use 3 oranges and 1 lemon, this should weigh approximately 1 lb (0.4536kg). For each pound of fruit you will need to use 1 lb of sugar.

Method

Slice fruit and remove the seeds then weigh.

Soak overnight using 2 cups of water for each pound of fruit.

The following day, boil till peel is soft, this takes about one hour.

Weigh fruit and calculate sugar.

If possible warm sugar in the oven taking care not to burn, this improves the quality of the marmalade.

Add warm sugar to fruit and boil rapidly till fruit is tender and clear.

Test the mixture by allowing a little to cool in a spoon, then when pouring it from the spoon it should hold together without falling as separate drops.

Allow the mixture to stand for 2-3 minutes so that the fruit can be evenly distributed in the jelly.

Pour into sterilized glass jars and seal.

Times, The (London, England) - June 4, 2008
Author: Stefanie Marsh
ORANGES ARE SUPPOSEDLY LOSING POPULARITY BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN'T PEEL THEM. STEFANIE MARSH TELLS THE FAST-FOOD GENERATION TO GET A GRIP

This is not usually a campaigning sort of section, but news that Britons are now too busy, lazy, tired or thick to peel oranges has forced us to come out in support of the unwieldy dinosaur of the citrus world.

Several reports have alerted us to that fact that sales of oranges have plummeted for the third year running because peeling an orange is now considered too time-consuming. And because they drip all over your keyboard, and make your hands sticky, and give off such a powerful scent that someone asks "Who's been eating an orange?" and you end up justifying to a colleague, neighbour or spouse an act that should in ideal circumstances be private.

A survey that we dug up from three years ago also revealed that 7 per cent of children between the ages of 9 and 13 are clueless about how to eat an orange. Their parents are too busy to peel them and too busy to pass on the craft of orange - peeling to the next generation. As a result, sales of oranges fell by two per cent over the past 12 months - the third year of decline in a row - to 598million. Over the same period, consumption of easy-to-peel fruit such as satsumas and tangerines rose by 35 per cent and 60 per cent respectively.

"I think the reason for the change is to do with the size and weight of oranges ," says Marius du Plessis, of the fruit importer Mehadrin Tnuport Marketing. "You can pick up an 800g bag of clementines and it is enough to last you a few days, whereas oranges are more bulky." Other commentators have pointed to the invincible rise in popularity of the banana and that, on average, people in Britain take no longer than 15 minutes for lunch.

In the interest of preserving the orange from further decline, here is our foolproof guide to peeling them.

Peeling an orange quickly yet pretentiously

Equipment: one orange, one sharp knife, one metal tablespoon

1. Have an orange of your choice ready for peeling.
2. Briskly roll it around on a flat surface to loosen the skin and make it easier to peel.
3. Make a small incision into the side of the orange with your sharp knife. Do not pierce the flesh, as you'll get juice everywhere and become a tangerine or blueberry convert.
4. Insert a metal spoon beneath the peel through the gap made by the knife.
5. Slide the spoon around under the peel and remove the peel in several large sections.
6. Eat orange

Peeling an orange in one piece

Equipment: one orange , one relatively sharp thumbnail

1. and
2. As before.
3. Dig your thumb about an inch below the little button where the stalk used to be. When it has penetrated beneath the peel, rotate your thumb in a counterclockwise downward spiral.
4. Don't rush, or you'll botch it.
5. Think of your thumb as a crank-operated potato peeler.
6. Continue until the bottom of the orange then pop the flesh out from the peel.
7. Eat orange.

(Use your peel as a decorative item only if it is Christmas time and you are Amish.)

Peeling an orange (traditional)
Equipment: one orange , one sharp knife

1. and 2. As before.
3. Score the orange into quarters with a small sharp knife, just through the skin. Then peel off the quarters. (If you've been to finishing school and want the world to know, prepare for step three by ostentatiously chopping off your orange 's "nipple" and "navel" with your knife.
4. Eat orange.

Quartering an orange

Equipment: one orange ,one football match

1. Buy an orange.
2. Cut it in half with a penknife that you haven't had confiscated by security. Then cut it in half again.
3. Wait for half-time.
4. Eat orange.

Alternatively, go to a Chinese restaurant. They'll do it for you.