Q: Other then fighting scurvy what are citrus fruits good for?
The citrus industry is one of the most important horticultural industries in Australia producing approximately 600,000 tonnes of fruit each year. In fact the citrus fruit industry is our largest fresh fruit exporter, generating over $200 million annually for our economy. If you’re a little closer to home and looking to add vibrant colour and flavour to your winter menu- you’re in luck- as our citrus farmers have a wonderful array of fruits that will get the juices flowing. Beyond the delicious and much-loved Navel Oranges and Mandarins, the winter chill also brings out the bitter-sweet goodness in blood oranges, pomelos, grapefruit, lemons, tangelos or for those adventurous few – Buddha hands.
NAVEL ORANGES:
Main Growing Areas: Murray Valley, Riverina and Riverland
Availability: Apr – Nov, best May – Sept
Appearance: round, seedless fruit with a thick orange rind and belly-button formation at the blossom end
Flesh: orange, segmented flesh with distinct section at the blossom end – full of flavour
Flavour: juicy, sweet- excellent eating
Selection: look for bright, plump fruit that is heavy for size
Inspiration: Orange and salt cod salad – Vogue Entertaining + Travel
BLOOD ORANGES:
Availability: Jun – Aug
Appearance: medium sized fruit with orange skin and red blush
Flesh: orange- red flesh (contains anthocyanins- which produce the rich colour)
Flavour: sweet, juicy and less acidic that regular oranges
Selection: look for bright, plump fruit that is heavy for size
Inspiration: Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Blood Orange Confit Panna Cotta – LA Mag
MANDARINS:
Main Growing Areas: QLD (65% of total Aussie production), Griffith, Sunraysia
Availability: Apr – Aug
Selection: look for plump, bright fruit, heavy for size
Main varieties: Imperial, Murcott, Ellendale, Hickson & Taylor-Lee
Imperial: Apr – Jun
Appearance: yellow-orange slightly bumpy skin, medium size (easy peel & low seed)
Flavour: very sweet, balanced flavour and lovely perfume
Murcot (Honey Murcott): July to late Aug/Sept
Appearance: medium-large fruit with smooth, orange, thin skin
Flavour: sweet and juicy- good eating
Ellendale: Jun – Jul
Appearance: rich orange, medium-large, smooth skin
Flavour: very tangy- (high sugar and acid levels)
Hickson: late May – late Jul
Appearance: medium-large with a slight neck, wrinkled, orange skin with a reddish tinge (easy peel)
Flavour: sweet and very juicy – good eating
Taylor-Lee: Jun – Jul/Aug
Appearance: medium-large with a slight neck, tight orange skin with a reddish tinge (easy peel)
Flavour: rich, sweet – top quality eating
Inspiration: Spanner crab kinilaw recipe – Peter Kuruvita via SBSFood
LEMONS:
Availability: all year, at best Mar – Oct
Appearance: oval, light green to yellow fruit (some have distinct point)
Flesh: pale yellow
Flavour: acidic, tangy fruit
Varieties: Lisbon (most common variety) is smooth skinned and tangy, while the Eureka variety has bumpy skin, an obvious neck and is tart in flavour
Selection: look for plump, bright fruit, heavy for size
Inspiration: Lemon parfait, fennel pollen ice cream, fennel granita, and olive oil jelly – Adam Simmonds via Great British Chefs
TANGELO:
Availability: Jul- Nov
Appearance: large fruit with thin, orange skin and a distinct neck (easy peel and segment)
Flesh: very juicy, segmented flesh that is virtually seedless
Flavour: a cross between a grapefruit and a mandarin the tangelo is tangy and very juicy (still sweet but slightly more tart than a mandarin)
Selection: look for bright, undamaged skin, plump fruit that is heavy for size
Inspiration: Grilled tangelos with pistachio brittle – Sydney Morning Herald
POMELO: aka pummelo
Availability: White variety: Mar – Nov, Pink variety: Jun – Nov
Appearance: large fruit with a very thick skin that is light green-yellow (thick skin means a good shelf life)
Flesh: segmented like a mandarin, flesh is juicy and varies in colour from yellow to pink
Flavour: sweet and tangy- lacks the bitterness of grapefruit and is great for juicing, salads, desserts or even preserving
Selection: look for bright, undamaged skin, plump fruit that is heavy for size
Inspiration: Pomelo, banana blossom and roast pork salad – Geoff Lindsay via Gourmet Traveller
GRAPEFRUIT:
Availability: available all year, at best Apr – Nov
Selection: look for plump, bright fruit, heavy for size
Marsh Seedless:
Appearance: yellow skin
Flesh: pale yellow flesh, no seeds
Flavour: mildly tangy and sweet- great for marinades
Pink Marsh: aka Thompson
Appearance: yellow skin
Flesh: light pink flesh with no seeds
Flavour: sweet when ripe
Ruby: aka Red Blush, Ruby Red
Appearance: smooth skin with a strong red blush
Flesh: juicy, dark orange–red segmented flesh
Flavour: sweeter than yellow brethren- wonderful fresh, juiced or in salads
Inspiration: Swordfish carpaccio with pink grapefruit and pink peppercorns – Gourmet Traveller
BUDDHA HANDS: aka Fingered Citron
Availability: Jun – Oct
Appearance: has a thick yellow skin (rind) and finger like tendrils coming from the stem end
Flesh: none to speak of
Flavour: fragrant, lemon- skin is bitter but pith underneath is quite sweet
Selection: look for bright, undamaged fruit with a good aroma
Inspiration: Grilled coral trout with pickled Buddha’s hands – Gourmet Traveller
MARUMI CUMQUATS: aka Kumquat, Kinkan
Availability: autumn/winter
Appearance: small orange fruits with a thin peel that are round-oval in shape
Flesh: segmented yellow-orange flesh
Flavour: intense, sweet-sour flavour,- most often candied, glazed or preserved though can be eaten fresh or even in liquer
Selection: start to deteriorate once picked so look for robust, bright fruit with no obvious damage on skin
Inspiration: Grilled chicken with late-picked wine and cumquats – Stephanie Alexander via Sydney Morning Herald
A: While you’d be hard pressed to develop scurvy these days, strokes are our second single greatest killer and on the rise due to an aging population. Which is why a recent study by Norwich Medical School (UK) finding women who consumed higher levels of citrus fruit (especially grapefruit and oranges) had a 19% less chance of suffering a ischemic (blood-clot related) stroke is so exciting. It is believed the high levels of vitamin C/flavonoids (antioxidant) present in citrus fruits and juices, help prevent stroke by improving blood vessel function and acting as an anti-inflammatory agent on the body.