The world of winter citrus
This article was originally published in January 2011
Packed with vitamin C, citrus adds a sweet, healthy zing to your winter. In addition to the classic navel or tangerine, PCC has a variety of organic options to brighten your day.
Blood oranges: Peel open a blood orange and inside you’ll find the most beautiful flesh, ranging in color from pink to burgundy, sometimes with slashes of brilliant red. Originally grown in southern Italy, they are harvested now in California. They are an excellent complement to any winter salad.
Cara Cara oranges: This medium-sized navel sports rosy flesh that can range from pink to deep red. Low in acid, Cara Caras have a sweet and snappy flavor with cherry or berry-like undertones.
Grapefruit: January brings the best grapefruit of the season — Rio Star from South Tex Organics. A blend of two Texas varieties, Rio Red and Star Ruby, Rio Star has deep red flesh
that is deliciously tart and tangy.
Kumquats: The “little gems of the citrus family,” these piquant, orange-colored fruit are eaten peel and all, leaving behind zero waste. The silky-sweet peel and the lip-smacking sour pulp make them delicious and refreshing.
Royal Mandarins: Neither an orange nor a Mandarin, a royal Mandarin is a cross between a tangerine and an orange. Extremely juicy and superbly sweet, this citrus fruit has many seeds and often is called a temple orange.
Tangelos: A cross between a tangerine and grapefruit, a tangelo tastes like a tangy orange or tangerine. The Minneola is the most popular and best tangelo variety, and is distinguished by a knobby bump at one end. Almost seedless, the Minneola is very juicy and flavorful, so tender it almost melts in your mouth.