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Now Viewing: Volcano Orange Juice
Over hundreds of years ago, nestled along the slopes of the Mount Etna Volcano, Sicilian farmers began growing sweet oranges. These oranges were unique because the ecological balance of the coastal breezes, volcanic soil and warm sun gave the fruit a red blush inside. For centuries, these oranges have been a staple of Italian life and the prized flavor has made them favorites of chefs around the world. The European Union has recognized a small region of Eastern Sicily near Mt. Etna as a special zone of production for red oranges with the "Indicazione Geografica Protetta. There are three varieties of these lovely seedless red blush oranges. The Tarocco, widely considered to be the best orange in Italy, is a big orange with red blush and very sweet juice. The Sanguinello is a flavorful variety similar to the Tarocco but slightly smaller, and the Moro has very dark purple blush pulp and is also excellent for adding color to recipes. Volcano Oranges ® are always sweet and juicy! They descend from the ancient Asian family of sweet oranges. Taroccos are considered the premium red blush orange. This rare variety is not commonly grown commercially in the United States due to the unique growing environment required. Volcano Oranges ® are excellent for making the Italian "Spremuta" or fresh-squeezed red orange juice. Many chefs are also using the red blush orange juice to make romantic cocktails and red blush champagne mimosas. Volcano Oranges ® are a good source of vitamin C. Among all citrus, the red blush varieties are the richest in vitamin C, with almost twice the levels of the average for navel oranges. In addition, the red pigments in the pulp contain flavonoids called anthocyanins which are free radical scavengers and act as powerful anti-oxidants. The history of red oranges goes back very far. The most antique documents in which there is reference to pigmented oranges are in fact Chinese. In a poem that goes back to the period of the Tsin dynasty (265-430 A.D.) there is noted a citrus fruit that rightly corresponds to the red and sweet oranges.
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