Heavenly Blood Oranges!

- Advertisement -

Virgil Evetts

I’m always a bit iffy about singing the praises of imported produce, especially when it’s something we could be growing locally. But some things are just too good to forsake on principle. Californian blood oranges are once again hitting the shelves of supermarkets and fruit-shops nation (and probably world) wide, and as always I can’t help but buy up large. With the possible exception of limes (which aren’t really an eating fruit), blood oranges are my favourite citrus.  I love them for their dusky peel and their gruesome, raw-steak flesh (look up ‘Dexter, morning routine’ on YouTube to see what I mean), but most of all I love them for their unique, raspberry inflected flavour. I had read about blood oranges for many years before we could actually get them in New Zealand and still remember skipping for joy (literally) when I first saw them in Jack Lumm’s immaculate, if sometimes ludicrously expensive, fruit store in Remuera. I ate blood oranges until… well you know what happens when eat too much citrus. The things we do for love.

Blood oranges are thought to have originated in North Africa or Sicily around 600 years ago, probably as a chance mutation, or ‘sport,’ from an otherwise ordinary orange. That said, certain Chinese texts seem to suggest they were growing them there much earlier, but due to the rather poetic context it’s hard to tell if the author was being florid or factual.

The fruit gain their distinctive red colouration, and to some degree their berry-like flavour, from the presence of anthocyanins. This group of pigments is widespread in the plant kingdom and has received a lot of media attention in recent years, for their potentially cancer-fighting and age-reversing antioxidant properties. There is no doubt that anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants, but don’t get too excited just yet.  You know how I feel about unsubstantiated claims and so-called ‘super foods’. Show me the unbiased study and I’ll starting saving for my epic retirement. I will accept, however, that blood oranges are probably very good for me, and I can categorically state that they’re delicious. So delicious.

The three main commercial varieties of blood orange – and the only ones ever seen in New Zealand -are Moro, the darkest-fleshed and most richly flavoured of all; Sanguinelli, smaller and seedier than Moro  but still a fine fruit; and Tarocco, a good tasting but usually poorly colored fruit.

Californian blood oranges appear between February and May. I always find that citrus ripen when you want them least – autumn and winter- so on that level it’s nice to have access to Northern hemisphere fruit. Shame we can just do a total crop-swap really.

Citrus are one of the only fruits that travel really well. As much as it galls me to say it, Californian citrus is usually of a very high quality. Its flavoursome, juicy and arrives on our shelves somewhere in the vicinity of perfect ripeness. So I’m not at all convinced that there would be any sensory advantage to choosing local, but in the case of blood oranges it would be nice to have the choice.

Blood oranges need to be grown in truly Mediterranean conditions if they are to develop their famously maroon-blushed skin, but internal coloration seems to occur independently of climate. Citrus nurseries such as Copperfields and Flying Dragon have been propagating the three main commercial varieties of blood, or “pigmented,” oranges for the home-grown market for years now, but still no sign of anything commercial. Sigh.

So why don’t we grow them commercially New Zealand? Can somebody tell me? I asked some citrus orchardists once and they muttered something about experimental plantings in the Hawkes Bay, and then grew oddly suspicious when I apparently demonstrated too much knowledge for a mere punter. They closed ranks and would say no more. Very odd. Is citrus cultivation covered by the Official Secrets Act?

So I suppose I’ll have to pin my hopes on the Moro tree I planted a few years ago out back. It hasn’t fruited yet, but that’s quite normal apparently. They’re one of those good-things-take-time sorts of trees.

Blood oranges are a great dessert fruit or can be used to make a fabulous, if rather gory, sorbet and a wonderfully nuanced gelato. In Europe they are grown primarily as a juicing fruit; indeed it is hard to find any orange juice other than that of blood oranges in Spain and Italy. But unless you know a bloke who knows a bloke, blood oranges are probably too pricey for mere juicing in our neck of the woods. Unfortunately the colour and special flavour of blood oranges is mostly lost during prolonged cooking, so they are largely wasted in marmalades and candied peel.

We can but hope somebody – perhaps that elusive citrus cartel I apparently encountered – gets on with growing this wonderful fruit on a commercial scale in New Zealand. Until then we’ll just have to rely on our backyard labours of love, or the imported offerings down the supermarket.

Do you grow blood oranges at home? Have you seen them for sale at farmers markets? Let us know!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

15 thoughts on “Heavenly Blood Oranges!

  1. Since you expressed an interest I have three moro oranges all about 2.5m tall but only one bearing fruit. The other two, though about the same size are younger. I thought planted two winters ago, but possibly three. Perhaps they will start bearing next season. They are all grafted and obtained so far as I recall from Auckland garden centres though sometimes I buy online what I can’t get here. Greetings.

  2. Yes we have a blood orange tree.
    We have had it four years now and is fruiting well. We got 25 oranges this year.
    It was on it’s last legs when we bought it and very spindly it’s about 3.5 meters now!!
    I was introduced to them as a child about 40 yrs ago, they were my favourite orange a citrus orchardist in Waimauku grew them,. He sold them.
    I don’t know what variety ours is just starting to develop it’s colour in the fruit.
    Looking forward to the next season.
    Learning how to prune it !!!

  3. Hi,
    We bought a Seville orange tree 3 years ago, and we new that it s bitter but didn t expect that it s like grapefruit .now was full with oranges, so beautiful small tree ,but now found at Kaipara nursery ,close to Auckland a Cara Cara orange but they are very nice people and said Moro orange it is better ! So we bought the Moro one !
    So thank you for share your thinking and experiences with oranges ,now I am more happy that we have it in our garden !

  4. We are taking over a large Gisborne orchard and will plant some blood oranges. Will be interested to see how they go.

  5. Just wanted to know where you sourced your Moro blood orange so I can try to grow them here in Marlborough.. citrus grow here exceedingly well so I would love to give it a go. Pears with fruit early also (pears for heirs ) so maybe I will get some fruit early too here’s hoping.

  6. So where are they? I went from Nosh to Farro to Lum’s Remuera to New World yesterday and could not find a single blood orange? Just lots of regular California oranges. Has anyone seen them recently in Auckland?

  7. One of my children is addicted to them, so last year we planted a blood orange bush. We are on the Canterbury plains, which is not very good for citrus, full stop, but I have planted it in a sheltered, east-facing spot through weedmat with river stone on top. It is right next to a vegetable patch and grape vine, so gets regular water.

    It’s still alive and growing well. It flowered this summer, but only two oranges formed, and they fell off when smaller than a ping pong ball – the chooks could be to blame. I’m hoping that it will do better once established. Meanwhile, I’m happy to buy them in the supermarket to help with the kids’ “five a day”.

  8. We had blood oranges years ago in Europe where I grew up. I found them very pretty, but a bit sour, when I was a child.
    Sinde then I haven’t tried them, but would love to have a tree if possible.

  9. Emily Lucchetti, that wonderful California pastry chef, has an amazing recipe in one of her books. It’s a lemon mousse that is served with a citrus compote. The compote consists of ruby red grapefruit, mandarin tangerines and yes, blood oranges, all tossed together with a little sugar and the inside of a fresh vanilla pod. The first time I made this yummy dessert, I had to use regular oranges. Now I can’t wait to try it as written! Thank you for letting us know about the blood orange season – and where I can likely find them in Auckland!