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It is one of the most popular fruits of all: the orange. Often it is also called orange, mainly because of its actual origin.

Freely translated into German, Sina means China, which is why the name Chinese apple was often heard in the past. The orange was discovered in China around 2000 years before Christ and has been used ever since. With a few detours via India and Babylon, it finally reached Europe in the 15th century.

Properties of Oranges

Oranges have a high content of vitamin C, which is why they are often used to strengthen our immune system. They are also relatively low in calories, a fact that shows that larger amounts of sweet citrus fruit are also healthy. They also protect us from various vascular and heart diseases and can prevent the development of depression. Oranges love the sun and for this reason, they are mainly grown where it is warm and sunny, such as in Mexico, the USA, or Brazil.

Use of oranges in the home

The orange can help us not only with our health but especially with the immune system. She can also help us with many daily things in the household. The peel of the fruit can be used to remove stubborn dirt in the bathroom, for example on the sink or shower fittings. A nice side effect is that the soothing scent of the oranges spreads.

Remove stains with orange peel

In addition, stains on clothing can be removed with the help of the orange peel. This effective cleaning of various objects in the household is made possible by the acid found in oranges. The bowls can also be used to ward off vermin by placing them in a small sack between the clothes in the closet.

Many people also remove the white from their tangerines and oranges, considering it poisonous. But there is more to the white threads than initially assumed.

Can you eat the white part of tangerines or oranges?

The white skin between the skin and the flesh is called the mesocarp or albedo. That means something like “middle fruit”.

Fans of tangerines and oranges can be divided into two distinct groups: some thoroughly remove the white strands until only the flesh is left, while others simply eat the white part.

You don’t need to worry under any circumstances: the white threads are not only edible, they are also really healthy.

What’s in it?

The intermediate layer is therefore by no means toxic, but even contains a number of vitamins and phytochemicals. The mesocarp provides us with lots of vitamin C and flavonoids, which support the immune system with important antioxidants.

In addition, the flavonoids also appear to prevent cardiovascular disease. Some of them are also said to have antibacterial or antiviral effects.

The white threads consist of indigestible fiber that stays in the digestive tract for a long time and ensures that we don’t get hungry again so quickly.

Conclusion

The bitter taste of the white layer does not mean that it should not be eaten. The white threads even contain as much vitamin C as the pulp.

Therefore, the white can be eaten without hesitation, you don’t have to worry about your health.

The white layer consists mainly of fiber, which gives you a longer feeling of satiety.

To fillet oranges, all you need is a sharp knife and a little finesse

Filleting oranges: Roughly cut off the peel

Before you start, you should wash the outside of the orange with hot water – this also applies to organic oranges. This prevents you from transferring possible germs and pollutants from the shell to the inside. Then you can fillet the orange. You don’t need a special filleting knife for this – a sharp kitchen knife will do.

1. Cut off the top and bottom of the orange, revealing the flesh.

2. Then remove the entire peel piece by piece by cutting slightly round downwards.

Tip: You don’t have to throw away orange peels. Instead, you can continue to use them in a variety of ways, for example as a rinse aid substitute, for skin impurities or as a tea.

Fillet oranges: remove the remains of the peel

3. Carefully remove the remaining pieces of white shell with the knife.

Tip: It’s best to hold the orange over a bowl while you’re doing this to catch any escaping juice. You can either drink it later or use it for desserts or sauces.

Filleting oranges: Scoop out the flesh

4. Carefully drive the knife into the flesh next to the fine dividing wall. Cut deep enough to be able to separate the piece in the next step. Be careful not to accidentally cut into other pieces, though.

5. Remove individual pieces of orange by cutting along the divider on the other side as well.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for all other pieces.

You can use the tender orange fillets for delicious desserts, for example, or bake them in a fruit tart. You can also fillet other citrus fruits, such as lemons or grapefruits, in this way

Oranges are healthy and full of good ingredients. You can find out more about the refreshing vitamin bombs and their health benefits here.

Round, bright colour, sweet and juicy aroma: this is what distinguishes oranges, also called oranges in some regions. But citrus fruits are not only popular because of their taste, but also because of their large portion of nutrients and vitamins: Oranges are very healthy.

The fruits are divided into summer and winter oranges according to when they were harvested. Winter oranges in particular grow in Spain and Italy. The harvest season extends from autumn to March for early varieties and into May for late varieties. Summer oranges have a longer way to get to us, coming primarily from the USA, Israel and South Africa.

If you want to shop as regionally as possible, oranges are not the best choice. At least you can eat fruits from southern Europe in winter. Their transport routes are significantly shorter than those of summer oranges and therefore cause fewer CO2 emissions.

Healthy Oranges: Calories, Vitamins and Nutrients

Oranges are rich in vitamin C – most of you have heard of that. But the healthy oranges also contain other valuable ingredients.

Nutritional values ​​per 100 grams of orange:

Energy: 47 kcal
Protein: 0.94g
Carbohydrates: 11.75 g
Fat: 0.12g
How many calories does an orange have?

A small orange weighs about 130 grams and has 61 kilocalories. So you can eat them as a light snack in between. Since it is very high in fiber and low in calories, it is good for losing weight. However, this does not apply to orange juice, which often contains a lot of sugar.

Vitamins and minerals per 100 grams of orange:

Vitamin C: 53.2 mg
Magnesium: 10 mg
Calcium: 40 mg
Potassium: 181 mg
With two to three oranges a day, you could already cover the recommended daily requirement of vitamin C. Vitamin C is not only important to strengthen your immune system, but also contributes to the maintenance of healthy bones and connective tissue.

Oranges also contain a good portion of magnesium, as well as some calcium. Both minerals ensure dense and stable bones and teeth.

Oranges are also a good source of potassium. Potassium is involved in the regulation of blood pressure, among other things. The World Health Organization recommends that adults with high blood pressure increase their potassium intake because it improves both systolic blood pressure (the pressure in the blood vessels when it is at its highest) and diastolic blood pressure (the pressure in the blood vessels when it is at its lowest). ) sinks.

Oranges: health effects

The juicy flesh of the orange is surrounded by a thin white skin, also called the mesocarp. It is best to eat these as well, because they contain health-promoting secondary plant substances such as flavonoids. Flavonoids are a group of antioxidants. Studies suggest they may reduce the risk of some cancers and cardiovascular disease. The white skin also contains fiber. These ensure good digestion.

Positive effect on blood values

A study suggests that an antioxidant complex in oranges called hesperidin can lower not only high blood pressure but also cholesterol levels. As part of a healthy diet, the study concludes, eating oranges can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Oranges are healthy, orange juice is healthier?

A 2015 University of Hohenheim study suggests that orange juice may be healthier than an unprocessed orange. The initiator of the study explains that the body can better absorb and utilize certain ingredients in the orange, including carotenoids and vitamin C, if the orange has been pressed beforehand. Although small amounts of these nutrients are lost during pressing, the improved availability apparently more than compensates for this effect.

However, it is important to buy direct juice from oranges and not to use orange nectar. This consists of orange juice diluted with water to which sugar has been added. In addition, you should only drink orange juice in moderation because, in addition to its healthy ingredients, it also contains a lot of sugar (eight to nine grams per 100 grams of juice).

Tip: It is best to press the orange juice yourself. It is particularly fresh and the vitamin C is retained. You also avoid packaging waste. If you still buy orange juice, look out for the Fairtrade seal.

Buy oranges: organic is better

As healthy as oranges are, something spoils their enjoyment. According to Ökotest, pesticides can be detected in every second orange. This is especially true for conventionally grown oranges. One or more particularly dangerous substances were found in almost all examined oranges from conventional cultivation – for example imazalil, an antifungal agent that is suspected of being carcinogenic. You should therefore wash oranges thoroughly before eating them.

It is even more advisable to use organic oranges when shopping. According to the Ökotest, these are not or only slightly contaminated with pesticides. In addition, organic cultivation protects the environment and does not use any chemical-synthetic pesticides in cultivation.

Who among us has never tasted an orange at least once in our life? Now it’s time to find out not only its taste but also interesting facts about this amazing berry.

  1. Orange is a type of berry, namely Hesperides (peeled berries).
  2. The sour orange was first introduced to Europe by Portuguese sailors around the 10th century, while the sweet orange was introduced only in the 15th century by Genoese traders.
  3. Around 20 percent of all oranges grown in the world are sold and consumed as fresh fruit. The rest goes to the production of juices, extracts, and canned food.
  4. An orange tree can live up to a hundred years.
  5. Washington Navel oranges are seedless and therefore cannot reproduce by pollination and reproduce only by grafting.
  6. One citrus tree can have up to 60 thousand flowers, but only 1 percent produces fruits.
  7. Valencia oranges are the most common in the world.
  8. Oranges are considered a symbol of fertility – a lushly growing evergreen orange tree simultaneously blooms, fructifies, and dissolves foliage.
  9. You will have to eat 7 bowls of cornflakes to get as much fiber as a single orange.
  10. After the aromas of chocolate and vanilla, the scent of orange is recognized as the most pleasant in the world.
  11. Oranges are the most common citruses in the world.
  12. For the first time, orange trees were grown in China.
  13. The average person eats about 5.5 kg of citrus fruits annually, most of which are oranges.
  14. In the 18th century, British sailors, in addition to sauerkraut, took oranges with them on ships so as not to get scurvy.
  15. One orange contains the daily requirement of vitamin C.
  16. Several trees can grow from one orange seed.
  17. Orange trees and their fruits are considered a symbol of love in many cultures. In Renaissance wedding paintings, artists often depicted a couple in love standing in the middle of orange trees.
  18. Oranges in ancient times were considered the food of the gods. The golden apples that Hercules stole could well have meant oranges.