|
| To purchase
hard-to-find citrus varieties, go to
Frieda's Produce, owned by
my friend, Karen Caplan. |
Citrus fruits include lemon, lime,
orange, tangerine, key lime, clementine, grapefruit,
kumquat and others.
Citrus fruits are native to the
southern and southeastern mainland of Asia and the bordering Malayan islands.
Their flowers smell sweet and they have five petals that are white and some
kinds have purple staining the outer surfaces. The fruits are spherical or
egg-shaped and have 8-14 juicy sections containing large, white or greenish seed
leaves (cotyledons). These trees are cultivated in orchards or groves and in
gardens where the climate and soil are suitable and as greenhouse plants.
Florida and California produce an
abundant supply of Citrus fruits. Citrus trees require a minimum winter
temperature of 45-50 degrees. I remember growing up in Southern California where
we had a wide variety of citrus trees in our yard. This is where I learned about
how much flavor and color citrus fruits add to any homemade dessert recipe !!
Today, I still add their peels and/or juice to as many as I can.
Low in calories and sodium, and high
in vitamin C, these popular fruits were once very rare, given as luxurious gifts
on special occasions. Today, buyers source the pick of the crop from Florida,
California, Spain and Australia.
When selecting the best
quality citrus, remember the "Three T’s"
-
They’re an indicator of the juicy,
sweet taste of citrus.
 | Touch:
Always select citrus that feels firm and is heavy for its size—that
means it is juicy! |
| Timing:
Once citrus arrives at the supermarket, it is ready and ripe to eat.
Although citrus is available all year, the best season for the fresh
fruit is January - April. |
| Texture:
Look for fruit without marks and dents on the peel. |
|
|
Storage:
Sometimes the citrus you buy will have a hint of green on the
outside. Even so, there is no reason to doubt the ripeness of Florida
citrus, which is never picked unless it is perfectly ripe.
The greenish tinge is caused in two ways:
Temperature is one controlling factor in the appearance of citrus. Warm
days and cool nights are necessary for the fruit to turn a bright color.
But sometimes the nights remain warm, depriving the crop of the cool
temperatures that contribute to the orange or yellow color. As the fruit
ripens, it remains slightly green on the outside, while developing
perfectly on the inside.
The second factor is a natural process
called "regreening." In the spring, trees have an extra supply of
chlorophyll to help form the new fruit. The trees can bear both ripe fruit
and blossoms at the same time. As the chlorophyll shoots up to the new
growth, it is also absorbed by the skin of the ripe fruit, giving it an
extra dose of green. Despite its greenish skin, the mature fruit is still
luscious and delicious on the inside.
Citrus will last much
longer under refrigeration. Temperatures from 35 to 50 degrees F are best.
For grapefruit, a temperature between 45 and 48 degrees is recommended. If
refrigerator storage space is a problem, citrus can be stored in any cool,
dry place.
Plastic bags or film-wrapped trays should
not be used for storing citrus. When airtight, drops of moisture will form
between the film and the citrus peel, promoting mold growth. |
History: Citrus fruits are
native to Southern China and Southeast Asia where they have been cultivated for
approximately 4,000 years. In fact, the oldest Oriental literature includes
stories about these fruits. The citron was carried to the Middle East sometime
between 400 and 600 BC. Arab traders in Asia carried lemons, limes, and oranges
to eastern Africa and the Middle East between AD 100 and 700. During the Arab
occupation of Spain, citrus fruits arrived in southern Europe. From Europe they
were carried to the New World by Christopher Columbus and Portuguese and Spanish
explorers and were well known in Florida and Brazil by the 16th century.
Superior varieties from Southeast Asia also arrived in Europe with the
Portuguese traders in the 16th century
|
FRUIT AVAILABILITY: |
Valencia oranges:
Spring and summer oranges, available late February through November.
Navel oranges: Winter oranges,
available November through May.
Lemons: Available year 'round.
Grapefruit: Honey white and ruby red;
available year 'round.
Desert Grapefruit: October into July.
Summer Grapefruit: June into
September.
Tangerines: Several varieties;
available November through May. |
|
STORAGE: |
|
Most citrus fruit will keep at room temperature for about a week to ten
days. Tangerines may not last as long. Store away from heat in
a well ventilated room. In the refrigerator, store in the covered
vegetable crisper where temperatures are warmer. The best temperature
range for oranges and tangerines is 45 degrees to 48 degrees F. For
lemons, grapefruit and limes 55 degrees to 58 degrees F, is optimum. since
it is impractical to store fruit at different temperatures, you can keep
the latter fruits longer by storing in sealed plastic bags. In the
refrigerator, citrus should last for two to three weeks. |
|
An aluminum pan should not be used to prepare
lemon curd
because it will react with the egg yolks, turning them chartreuse. |
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C):
With just a touch of
ascorbic acid in your Artisan breads
and other bread recipes, the yeast
will work longer and faster. You can also grind up a Vitamin C tablet and use it
instead; 1,500 milligrams of crushed Vitamin C tablets =
1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid.
French bakers add ascorbic acid to their French bread, baguette or boule recipe.
I add some if I want an especially light loaf because it
makes the bread less dense. The acidity in ascorbic acid also acts as a
preservative & deters mold and bacterial growth in the loaf.
Some bread flour has ascorbic acid added, some
doesn't; unbleached and in some cases conditioned with
ascorbic acid, this type of bread flour is milled primarily for commercial
bakers, but is available at most grocery stores.
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is also
commonly used to oxidize and preserve flour instead of potassium bromate.
In addition, RapidRise
and Bread Machine Yeast contain ascorbic acid resulting in increased
loaf volumes. But, adding a little ascorbic acid gives your bread an extra
boost, even if there's already some in the flour or yeast.
(Purchase). Best of all it is natural and are perfectly safe to add to
your bread.
Citron:
(SIHT-ron) - (1) Citron is a semi-tropical citrus fruit like a lemon, but larger
and less acidic. It grows as an irregular, open-headed shrub or small tree with
large, light green leaves. The flowers are purple on the outside and are
followed by large, oblong or ellipsoid fruits. The peel is very thick and is
rough and yellow on the outside and white inside. They were originally grown in
Europe out of interest for its fragrant fruits, but later, the white pulp was
used raw, being served as a salad or with fish. A method of candying the peel
was developed and candied peel is now the main Citron product. This plant is
never eaten raw but is harvested for usage of its peel. The plant is soaked in a
brine solution to extract the oil, which is used in liqueurs. The peel is then
candied. This product is used in many baking dishes and desserts.
(2) Citron (see-TRAWN) - Citron is
also the French word for "lemon."
History: This was the first
Citrus fruit that was introduced to Europe by the armies of Alexander the Great
about 300 BC. It found a suitable home in the Mediterranean region where it has
been cultivated from that time to the present. Southern Italy, the island of
Corsica and some Greek islands grow nearly all the Citrons.
Citrus Juice:
Can fresh orange and lemon juice be frozen at home?
Fresh squeezed lemon and Valencia "summer" orange juice may be frozen for up to
four months. Navel oranges contain a component that turns the juice bitter when
frozen, so it is not recommended.
Citrus
Peel and Zest:
Is minced citrus peel, without the white pith. Use the small grater holes in
the grater or a microplane to make citrus zest. Whenever I
get my hands on good organic citrus I "harvest" the rind with my microplane and
freeze it, with the juice in a separate container. While frozen, the peel does
seem to lose some of its oils (I just use about 10-20% more) they still work
well.
Citrus Oils:
When I don't have fresh citrus handy, I use pure
citrus oils from Boyajian instead. (There are
flavorings available for candymaking that work well, too). These are
powerful natural essences cold pressed from citrus rinds and are dispersed in
oil. They come in orange, lime or lemon flavors, and others, such as
tangerine ! Don't confuse them with citrus-flavored salad oils.
|
 To
get more juice from citrus fruits, such as lemons or oranges, microwave them
on high power for a 10 seconds. Remove and lightly roll the fruit on the
counter while pressing down. This loosens up the juice and you will get more
from it. |
I often substitute the citrus peel
or zest called for with a total of 1/8 teaspoon pure citrus oil PER recipe (you
can always add more after tasting, but no more than 1/4 teaspoon in total).
Do not increase the amounts because the flavors are intense. When mixing drinks,
you can also use a drop instead of using a squeeze of citrus juice. I use them
for cooking, as well; use a drop to flavor sauces for poultry or in dips.
To store the oil, wrap the bottle in
aluminum foil and refrigerate it, where they will keep indefinitely. Sunlight
and warm temperatures can reduce the oil's flavor. (Available
from
http://www.williams-sonoma.com or
http://www.kingarthurflour.com).
 Lemon
juice serves an important purpose in making
lemon curd.
Sugar raises the coagulation point of the egg yolk. It
also protects it from premature coagulation during the addition of the lemon
juice. If the juice were added directly to the unprotected yolk, the yolk
would partially coagulate and, when strained, a large percentage of it would
be left behind in the strainer. Be sure to mix the sugar well with the egg
yolks before adding the juice. |
Clementine:
Small, thin skinned oranges. Easy to peel, with neat, separate sections, and few
or no seeds, making it ideal for quick and easy snacking. Noted for exceptional
sweetness and juicy pulp. Loaded with vitamin C. Eat as a snack or sprinkle
sections over fruit or green salads. Nice accompaniment for a tray of Spanish
cheeses. Originally from Spain, though now cultivated in Morocco and Algeria.
Season: November through January.
| Do not
substitute lemon juice with grapefruit juice in a baking recipe. Grapefruit
is not as acidic. Use orange juice, instead. |
Grapefruit:
In the United States today, most grapefruit is grown
in Florida. Grapefruit was discovered in the West Indies in the early 1700s and
first introduced to Florida in the1820s. The grapefruit got its funny name from
the way it grows in clusters (like grapes) on the tree.
While grapefruit lasts longer when
refrigerated—up to eight weeks, they can still be left out. In fact, grapefruit
are juicer at room temperature.
To section a grapefruit:
-
Cut off the top deep enough to
reveal the pulp;
-
Cut off the bottom;
-
Cut down sides being careful to
follow the contour of the internal pulp but deep enough to remove all of the
white membrane;
-
Turn the grapefruit as you cut;
-
Carefully cut on each side of one
section and remove it;
-
Next cut on the opposite side of
the next membrane. When knife reaches the core turn knife away from your hand
and "scrape" the section out leaving the next membrane exposed; and,
-
Proceed one section at a time
around the fruit. floridajuice.com
Key Limes:
Also known as the Mexican or West Indies
Lime, is a small, yellow-green, aromatic fruit grown year round in warm
climates. Juicier and less acidic than the more ubiquitous large green lime, Key
Lime is also an excellent source of vitamin C. Its juice is used in two of my
most favorite recipes, the Key Lime Pie
and the Florida Lime Bar Recipes.
It is available in the supermarkets from early winter to the late summer months,
sometimes seen year-round. Bottled is available year round, but it's not my
favorite choice. Can also use limes from the grocery store, preferably the
Tahiti or Persian varieties. I like to enhance the lime juice flavor with 1/4
teaspoon lime oil (see above).
Kumquat:
This
smallest fruit of the citrus family boasts a sweet, edible rind and a juicy,
slightly tart flesh. A wonderful addition to salads (use whole). Also used in
preserves and jams, or candied. Native to China, though now grown in the United
States and Japan. Season: Winter.
|
1 lemon = 3
TBSPS juice
1 lemon = 1 tablespoon
lemon zest (peel) |
Lemons:
Fresh lemons from California and Arizona
are available all year. These two states produce approximately 95 percent of the
U.S. crop. Bright yellow, tart and tangy, lemons are a versatile element of
today's healthy diet. The two major varieties of lemons are the Lisbon and the
Eureka; they are so similar that even the experts can't always tell them apart!
The Meyer lemon, a thin-skinned, slightly less acidic variety that provides lots
of juice, is grown in many Western states.
 Q:
I have made lemon bars for some time now, and lately, they have not had much
of a lemon flavor and seem to be a "muddy" yellow instead of a "clear"
yellow. My recipe simply is just mixing the eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice,
etc. and then baking. Can lemons have less flavor than others? And, how do
you adjust that each time? Or, could one of my other ingredients be
effecting the outcome?A:
Depending on the time of the season, the weather, the variety of lemon...
lemons can vary in citric acid from as low as 2.5% to as much as 4.5%. The
citric acid is what is perceived as "lemon." Commercially available lemon
juice is standardized to 4.0% citric acid. Most natural ingredients will
vary so you may need to add a little more lemon juice... or just make sure
the lemons you are using will give you the flavor you are looking for ... or
add a dash of the commercially standardized lemon juice to boost the citric
acid which will give it the lemon flavor. |
The science of lemon juice in lemon curd:
Lemon juice is a
multifunctional ingredient in lemon curd recipes. It flavors, denature proteins,
and act as an acidulant. As a source of flavor, lemon juice provides most of the
tartness and characteristic lemon flavor. In addition, the citric acid in the
lemon juice denatures proteins, providing the typical texture and mouth feel
characteristics of the lemon curd (Schmidt, 1983). By denaturing the egg's
protein, the emulsion stability of the lemon curd is increased. As an acidulant,
citric acid lowers the pH of the lemon curd. By lowering the pH, it prevents the
growth of many microorganisms such as Salmonella species usually found in eggs,
a major ingredient in the lemon curd. Finally, citric acid also serves as a
sequestering agent, sequestering metal ions present in the product that could
potentially accelerate oxidation or browning.
|
LEMON TIPS:
|
A bowl of fresh lemons
will add fragrance and color to a room for days. |
|
|
Add a slice or two of
fresh lemon to a glass of water. It has visual appeal and makes the
water taste and smell better. |
|
|
If you are reducing your
sodium or fat intake, try squeezing a wedge of fresh lemon on
salads, steamed vegetables, soups and stews. You'll never miss the
salt or butter! |
|
|
Roll a room temperature
lemon on the counter a few times to maximize the amount of juice.
|
|
|
Add the grated zest of
fresh lemon to recipes for added intensity in cakes and cookies.
|
|
|
Meyer Lemons:
Though it has an exceptionally thin skin, the Meyer can withstand some pretty
cold weather. It grows into a compact, attractive tree and is a prolific
producer. Andy Powning of Greenleaf Produce, who personally tends and harvests
15 Meyer trees, says a well-cared-for 12-foot tree can produce 500 to 600 pounds
of fruit a year.
Not surprisingly, the Meyer quickly became popular in California, especially
with home gardeners. The fate of the sturdy little immigrant seemed secure until
the 1940s, when a virus threatened the state's whole citrus industry. The Meyers
could survive the virus, but they were prime carriers of the disease, and so a
government-mandated crusade was mounted against them. Trees were mercilessly
destroyed, with only a few surviving, mostly in Northern California.
To this day, some Southern and Central California counties ban or restrict
the commercial growing of the fruit. However, scientists at UC Riverside, were
able to develop a disease-resistant plant, the Meyer Improved, and the fruit is
once again a favorite of amateur and some commercial growers. Ferbuary is the
prime season for Meyers, they're harvested almost year round. One of the Meyers'
endearing qualities is that they can have blossoms, developing fruit and ripe
fruit, all at the same time. Meyer Lemon information from the
San Francisco Chronicle, 2-9-2005
 Oranges:
originated in the Far East some 3,000 years ago. They were widely cultivated in
the Mediterranean area
|
1 medium-size orange = 1/3 cup juice |
in the Middle Ages after their
introduction by traders from the East. This fruit became a sign of great wealth.
It is said that the richer the person, the more oranges he used in
his food. Baths and make-up were also scented with orange flowers. Oranges take
their name from the French town of Orange - a major growing area of this fruit -
during the Middle Ages.
|
Orange zest Orange
zest has a lot of flavor dispersed in its oil. Wash and dry the fruit first.
When grating th the peel, avoid the white part which is bitter. |
|
 Q:
Can whole oranges be frozen?
A: Not with good results. As the fruit
freezes, the juice sacs burst, and after the fruit thaws, the pulp will be
dry and the peel mushy. |
Orange peel can contain more Vitamin
C than any other part of the fruit. However, even without its peel, one medium
orange supplies about 66mg of vitamin C, 110 per cent of the daily dietary
requirement for adults. Orange juice is a source of folic acid (folacin), a
compound important in the diet of pregnant women and those taking oral
contraceptives. A six-ounce serving daily helps to combat the anemia associated
with folic acid deficiency. Oranges are also a good folic acid source when
children won't eat their greens.
Oranges come in many varieties.
Navels are the main eating orange while Valencia's are excellent for juicing.
Oranges do not ripen after they are picked, but lemons do.
|
|
Blood
Orange: The orange rind of this Mediterranean favorite hides
beautiful deep red flesh, with an addictive sweetness that hints of
raspberry. It was most likely the result of a mutation that occurred in
17th century Sicily. In most varieties of blood orange even the pulp and
skin are slightly sweet, and not bitter. Makes a beautiful presentation on
cheese platters and fruit salads. Season:
November through early spring. If you can't find blood oranges locally,
contact The Orange
Store. They are happy to ship blood oranges directly to you.
|
|
|
|
Navel
Orange: large, thick-skinned and best of all seedless, this
very juicy, sweet orange is favored for eating out of hand. Season:
Fall through spring. |
|
Navel Orange Tips
|
For the best
nutritional value and taste, juice only enough navel oranges to
drink and enjoy right away! |
|
|
Navel orange
segments are healthy and fun kid foods for snacks and lunches,
that pack and travel well. Peel the orange, then gently separate
the fruit along the natural divisions. |
|
|
Try this guilt-free
treat: swirled cut navel orange segments into low- or nonfat
chocolate yogurt. |
|
|
Toss some navel
orange sections on your favorite cereal, pancakes and waffles.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Valencia: Thin skinned orange of extremely high juice content
and few seeds. favorite pick for home-juicers. Season: Year-round.
|
|
Orange
Water: You can find it in your cake decorating store, or in Middle
Eastern specialty stores. It's a pungent flavor, but you can leave it out if you
want or use orange zest as a substitute,
but the flower water has a more pungent flavor.
Ortanique:
The delectably sweet cross of a tangerine and unique fruit, this Jamaican
gem has a sadly short season. A favorite for juicing, or eat fresh, as long as
one is prepared with bib or extra napkins. Season: February/March.
Pomelo:
The largest of all citrus fruits, this huge pear-shaped relative of the
grapefruit has an orangish-yellow rind and can be eaten like grapefruit. remove
the white pith before eating. Season: January/February.
Satsuma:
This large, Japanese seedless mandarin is thin-skinned and easy to peel.
Mild flavored with light orange-green rind. Season: Winter and spring.
Tangelo:
A cross between grapefruit and tangerines, the tangelo has a distinctive tart
taste that compliments other fruits. Its juice is well suited to salad dressings
and sauces for meats. Season: Winter through spring.
Tangerine:
There are at least twelve varieties of "tangerines" grown in California
and Arizona. Because the seasons overlap, they have all, through custom, been
called tangerine. There are actually four categories:
|
Mandarins:
Light orange color, with a mild sweet flavor and few seeds. Included in
this group are Satsuma and Kinnow.
Tangerines: Deep orange color,
slightly pebbled skin, very sweet. This intensely flavorful, sweet citrus
is squat and has a bright orange rind. Easily peeled and sectioned. Be
sure to remove the bitter white membranes. Algerian, Dancy and Fairchild
are included in this group.
Tangelos: Cross between a tangerine
and a grapefruit. Minneola is easily recognized by elongated neck and
sweet-tart flavor. Orlando is less sweet and has a tight skin.
Temple:
Cross between an orange and a tangerine (tangor). Resembles an orange,
with a pleasant blend of the two flavors. |
Unique Fruit:
Its ugly, mottled skin belies one of the juiciest and sweetest treats available.
Great for juicing or eating out of hand. Season: January/February.
some information floriajuice.com
|
| |
