[Blood] Orange Juice

Blood oranges have become a “buzz” ingredient over the past several years, winning over top chefs with their unusual color and flavor—some describe them as being reminiscent of raspberries. They are exceptionally rich in antioxidants, and are high in vitamin C. A 6.75-ounce serving of Organic Italian Volcano Orange Juice from blood oranges has 100mg of vitamin C, which supplies 1667% of your daily value—more than the 75mg per serving in regular orange juice.

Blood oranges look like regular oranges on the outside—but are deep red to purple on the inside. Photo by Joanna Wojciechowsaka | SXC.

The blood orange is called arancia rossa, or red orange, in Italian; in plural, arance rosse.

• There are three kinds of blood orange: Tarocco, Moro and Sanguinello. Each has a unique flavor profile and a different amount of sweetness. Most blood orange juice produced domestically, if you can find it at all, contains only one kind of these oranges. Organic Italian Volcano Juice’s Orange Juice contains all three to achieve the best flavor.
• A red pigment called anthocyanin gives the oranges their color, which can range from red to a deep purple. There is some evidence that consuming anthocyanins can have positive health benefits.

Photo by Ivan Freaner | SXC.

Tangerine Juice

A 6.75-ounce serving of Organic Italian Volcano Tangerine Juice contains 64mg of vitamin C and 2 mg of iron (that’s as much as three ounces of ground beef). Like all citrus fruits, tangerines are thought to help prevent certain cancers and are a good source of folate and beta-carotene. We love the tangerine juice not only for its sophisticated tart flavor but also for its fragrance. It smells like a walk in a citrus grove, complete with the scent of blooming flowers.

Photo by Valentina Frate | SXC.

Health benefits or not, these juices are something that we have experimented with for quite some time. We have come up with a number of tasty ways to use them beyond mere “drinking juice”:

• Marinades for fish and chicken. Mix a cup of the Orange Juice with a tablespoon of brown sugar and a teaspoon of finely chopped fresh ginger and marinate fish or chicken for about 20 minutes. Remove from marinade and pan sear to desired doneness. Remove from pan and set on serving plates. Add leftover marinade to hot pan and reduce until slightly thickened; pour over cooked fish. This marinade works well with every fish we tried, from trout filets to tuna steaks to sliced monkfish.

Photo by Ale Olguin | SXC.

• Salads. Both juices make great dressings for any light salad, including fruit salads. Beet and dill salads can be dressed simply with a splash of Tangerine Juice. A salad of mixed greens and goat cheese can be made even more sophisticated with an Orange Juice, vinegar and olive oil dressing.

Photo by Ulf Hinze | SXC.

• Sorbets and granitas. These are grown-up flavors, and using them as the key ingredient in smooth sorbets and icy granitas is an easy way to craft an elegant frozen treat. The fact that they are not overly sweet makes them great for using with fruit salads, in-between courses as a palate cleanser, or in the middle of a cold summer soup. For a sorbet that will truly impress, mix in a little rosewater and swirl with vanilla ice cream.

Photo by Vicky S | SXC.

• Cheesecake. Wherever a recipe calls for lemon juice, substitute the same amount of Orange Juice. The difference will be subtle but it won’t go unnoticed. For added zing, create a caramel sauce with the juice, sugar, cream and citrus zest and pour it over the cheesecake.

Photo by Darrel William | SXC.

• Cocktails. These juices pair well with vodkas, making superb tangerine or blood orange Screwdrivers. Those who don’t drink will love these juices on their own or cut with a bit of tonic water. Guests will appreciate a refined and non-alcoholic alternative to sugary sodas and other soft drinks.

In an age when even the fruit you buy fresh at the supermarket is likely covered in chemicals and pesticides, we like that these juices are not only remarkably tasty, they are also organic! And, the  fruit grows on the slopes of one of the most active volcanoes in the world, a huge mountain in an almost constant state of eruption. If that isn’t an exciting concept with which to start the day, what is?

Photo courtesy GeekPhilosopher.com.