How to Keep Oranges

The orange is one of the most popular fruits in the world. It is thought to have originated in southern China and northeastern India, but is now grown in temperate climates throughout the world. If you have an excess amount of oranges and need to store them, there is a special method that will help you to keep them good for about a year. This is possible without the use of harsh chemicals or preservatives.

Things You'll Need
Wax paper
Kitchen knife
Vinegar

Instructions

1. Determine whether you want to store the oranges whole or sliced into pieces.

2. Keep the orange fruit as a whole piece. Do not wash the oranges. Use wax paper to wrap the oranges. Keep the wrapped oranges in the crisping drawer of your refrigerator. Do not put oranges in the same drawer where meat and fish are stored. Maintain the temperature at about 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Oranges can be kept for up to five months at this temperature. If you do not have a refrigerator, put them in a cool area of the house. Oranges stored at 68 degrees F can stay good for up to two months.

3. Store the oranges as sliced or cut pieces. Wash the whole pieces of oranges and peel them. Cut them into small pieces and remove their seeds. Place the orange cuts into a resealable container. Prepare at least 2 cups of orange juice from other fruits and mix it with ¼ tsp. of vinegar. Pour the orange juice and vinegar mixture into the container where the orange cuts are placed until the container is full. Seal the container. The orange cuts can be stored up to one year.

Tips & Warnings
If you are harvesting the oranges pick oranges that are ripe because the fruit will not ripen after harvesting it. Do not keep oranges with bruises or with soft spots or discolorations.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_8090732_keep-oranges.html

About Oranges

Oranges are citrus fruits that are a hybrid of ancient cultivated species, possibly the pomelo and tangerine. Oranges are unknown in the wild. They are technically a type of berry produced by small, flowering trees with evergreen leaves. They are considered berries because they contain many seeds, are soft and fleshy and come from a single ovary.

History
For many thousands of years, oranges remained an oriental delight. The orange was being cultivated by the Chinese by 2500 BC. In the 10th century, oranges were introduced from their native habitat in Southeast Asia to the Mediterranean region. Arab traders provided the sour varieties to southern Europe until the 15th century when the Genoese introduced sweet oranges. They were first brought across the Atlantic in 1493 with Christopher Columbus.
The first appearance of the word "orange" in English was in the 14th century. The name of the color orange derived from the fruit and first appeared in this sense in 1542.

Geography
Oranges originated in Southeast Asia but today they are grown in groves across the globe in warm climates. Brazil is the top producer of oranges with 27% of world production. In the United States, California and Florida are top producers of oranges and orange juice. Mexico, India, China and Spain all produce oranges for the world's market.

Features
Oranges are round to oval and can be 2 ½ inches to 3 ¾ inches wide. The outer rind contains essential oils and is colored yellow to dark orange when ripe. The inner rind is white and spongy. The meat, or pulp, is yellow to orange in color and contains concentrated juice sacs in 10 to 14 wedges, easily separated in segments. Each segment contains 2 to 4 white almond-shaped seeds. Some varieties of orange, however, are seedless.

Types
There are several types of oranges, all with different features. Blood oranges are small and round with orange-red skin and meat with a reddish tint. They are known for their intense flavor. Mandarin oranges are small, juicy and sweet. They are smooth with a light orange skin. Navel oranges are large and can be round, oval or anything in between. They are sweet, juicy, seedless and easy to peel. Tangerines are also a type of orange. They have pebbly pumpkin colored skin and contain many seeds. They are known for their distinctive sweet taste.

Benefits
Oranges have many health benefits. In addition to being a large source of vitamin C, they also contain citrus limonoids. These limonoids have been shown to fight mouth, lung, breast, and colon and stomach cancers. When exposed to limonoids, human liver cells produce less apo B. This compound is associated with high cholesterol levels. Oranges are also shown to decrease the risk of heart disease and many other health problems.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/about_4676496_oranges.html