Florida Oranges
By Kent
Pinkerton 
Americans believe that Ponce de Leon and
his men brought the first orange to Florida in 1513. Since
then, the state has bloomed into the second-largest orange
growing producer in the world, after Brazil in South
America. Although enjoyed as a delicious fruit, around
ninety percent of Florida oranges are used to prepare
orange juice which is consumed all over the world, giving
an annual return of $8 billion to the
state.
Hold a
Florida orange in your hand and you will realize it is
heavier than the other oranges grown outside the state.
This is largely due to the high juice content and very thin
peel.
Growers
do not pick the fruits from the trees until they are ripe.
If plucked raw, the fruit will not ripen further.
Interestingly, the oranges growing on the south side of an
orange tree tastes sweeter than those in any other
location. Fruit growing on the north side of the tree will
give you sodium-free but tasteless fruit.
Health
practitioners heavily recommend including these oranges in
your diet, as Florida oranges are an excellent source of
important minerals like potassium, calcium, folate,
thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorous, magnesium and
copper.
A
medium-sized fruit will give you only seventy calories, and
is fat- and sodium-free. Moreover, this will provide you
with antioxidants, from the vitamin C in the fruit.
Antioxidants help you retain your youthfulness and improve
your immune system.
Storing
your oranges in a plastic bag will deteriorate the quality
of the fruit. In the absence of air, moisture develops
between the rind and the plastic container, leading to
unsightly and harmful mold growth. Ideally, your citrus
should be stored at a temperature between 35 -50 degrees,
which will ensure it remains fresh for a month and can
retain its original sweet taste.
