|  | Diet Nutrition | Healthy Eating

Properties of Oranges

Oranges are citrus fruits that grow on trees. They appear to be native to Asia, though they no longer exist in the wild. They did not appear in the Mediterranean until the mid-13th or early 14th century. Sometime in the mid-15th century, oranges came to the Americas. Since that time, oranges have become the most popular orchard fruit in the world.

  1. Color and Shape

    • The shape of oranges is typically spherical or oval. They get their names from their ripe color --- orange. Blood oranges are red in color. Before they fully mature, oranges are green. Sometimes they regreen --- become green again after ripening --- or retain some green, despite their ripeness. Oranges that are ripe, but still are partly green go through a process called regreening. Regreening is keeping oranges at a temperature between 82 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, at 92 to 95 percent humidity with a maximum of 5 parts per million of ethylene. This causes oranges to lose their green.

    Flavor

    • Different varieties of oranges have slightly different flavors. However, oranges are typically sweet. The pith --- the white coating beneath the skin --- is bitter. Some oranges are sour, depending on ripeness, growing conditions and variety of the oranges.

    Skin

    • The skins of oranges have the texture of leather. It is porous, allowing air to reach the fruit. Some orange varieties, such as pineapple and Marrs oranges, have thick skin. Others orange varieties, such as Hamlin and Jaffa oranges, have thin skin. The toughness of the skin, rather than the thickness, determines how easily oranges peel.

    Seeds

    • Oranges may have seeds or be deemed seedless, despite the fact that seedless oranges may have anywhere between zero and six seeds in them. The seeds are in the meat of the fruit. Seedless varieties of oranges include navel and Hamlin oranges.

    Nutrition

    • Oranges are a significant source of vitamin C. One large orange --- 180 grams --- contains 160 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C intake. Severe lack of this vitamin causes a disease known as scurvy. Scurvy was once a problem among sailors whose diets typically lacked vitamin C. In the 18th century, oranges and other citrus fruits became the cure for scurvy. Vitamin C is not the only healthy property of oranges; they also contain fiber, vitamin A and calcium. They contain no fat and no carbohydrates. However, they do contain 17 grams of sugar per serving.

Healthy Eating - Related Articles