Blood Oranges

Instead of just being orange inside as other oranges are, Blood Oranges will be either a deep red inside, or have red or pink veins. You can’t tell how much colouring will be inside from by looking at the skin. The colouring is owing to a pigment.Blood Orange varieties taste like regular oranges, but will be somewhat sweeter, and the occasional one will taste as though a berry has been mixed in. The varieties are easy to peel, and some are seedless.

The three main varieties grown in North America (California, to be precise) are Moro, Sanguinellis and Toracco. Moro, developed in Italy, has great colouring but is a bit more sour. Another variety, the Ruby Red, is grown in Florida.

Cooking Tips

Blood Oranges are really all about their unusual colouring: use in dishes such as fruit salads where the colour can be displayed for effect.

Storage Hints

Store refrigerated for up to 1 week.

History Notes

First discovered in Sicily in the 1600s. Brought to the US by immigrants.

Related entries

Other names

Italian: Tarocco

This page first published: Jan 10, 2004 · Updated: Jun 17, 2020.

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