Profile last revised December 2007.


Any reddish fruit in the genus citrus and the family Rutaceae, specifically Citrus arantium, is an orange. The modern English word orange probably derives from the Arabic naranj. According to the University of Florida Extension, sweet orange cultivars can be categorized into four distinct groups: round oranges, navel oranges, blood oranges and acidless oranges.

Orange trees are semitropical non-deciduous trees and they probably originated in Southeast Asia, then became widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin during the Arab dominance of the area during the ninth and tenth centuries. Cultivation of oranges gradually spread through China and India to east Africa and then to the Mediterranean region.
 
Columbus brought orange seeds and seedlings with him to the New World. By the 1820s, when Florida became a U.S. territory, orange groves were thriving in St. Augustine. By 1910, Florida was on its way to its current status as the number one citrus-growing state. The navel orange was developed in the United States. Oranges are the second most popular fruit in the United States, right behind grapes. However, until the advent of refrigerated transport and storage, they were expensive and only rarely available in cooler climates.

The Blood, Moro, or Maltese Oranges are very old orange varieties. Commonly know throughout most of the world as "blood," "blood-red" or "blush" oranges, they have a number of other common or regional names. In the United States, they are known as Rubies, Blush or Moro oranges.

Attributes

Some culinary writers feel that there is a distinct difference between Italian export blood oranges and domestically produced blood oranges from Florida, California or Texas (http://www.babbonyc.com/dolci-citrus.html). The varieties tend to be the same, so these difference may be a false perception of quality or perhaps may be due to geographic, storage or handling differences.
 
All blood oranges tend to contain few seeds, and have red-pigmented flesh and peel that can cause a "blush" of pigment when the peel is damaged or removed. The appearance of the red flesh and deep red juice can be striking. Usually the inside of the fruit is darkly pigmented. When ripe, the skin can also exhibit a reddish blush to a deep-red cast, depending on the variety.

The red pigmentation varies with climate and can be intense when blood oranges are grown in regions with large diurnal temperature fluctuations (hot days, cold nights). The pigment in blood oranges is anthocyanin; it is not typically found in citrus and is usually associated with other red fruit and flowers. Anthocyanin is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes the effects of free-radical chemicals within the bodies of living organisms. Scientific data strongly suggests that free radicals are at least partly responsible for cancer, many detrimental effects of aging and numerous ailments. Anthocyanins have numerous beneficial effects ranging from preventing and fighting ulcers to improving vision.

Blood oranges are known for their high vitamin C, potassium, carotene and dietary fiber contents, all of which have extensive health benefits. It has been well documented in the nutritional press that consuming several daily servings of fruits and vegetables are effective in lowering blood pressure and other heart-related disease risks, while contributing to overall general good health and disease resistance. 

U.S. Production

Only within the last decade or so have blood oranges became recognized as a salable product line in the United States, despite North America's large citrus industry. In the United States, blood oranges are relatively recent crops for traditional citrus growers in Florida, California and Texas. Ruby, Moro and Tarocco are cultivars that can be grown in Florida (although red coloration is usually reduced due to Florida's warm, humid climate). The University of California, Riverside Citrus Clonal Protection Program details California cultivation and research regarding the Ruby, Moro, Tarocco, Sanquinelli, Vainiglia Sanguigno and Delfino varieties. In California, the three main blood orange varieties are Tarocco, Moro and Sanguigno. These varieties, particulary the Moro, have been "dwarfed" to produce smaller, more easily managed trees by grafting them onto dwarf variety rootstocks. In the United States, most Moros are grown near San Diego.

In Texas, Jaffa or "Palestine Jaffa Blood Orange" was introduced in 1883 from Palestine. It is considered by some to be a blood orange and not so by others. The current variety now grown in Texas appears to differ considerably from the original variety. Jaffa's fruit are small to medium in size, classified as a seedless variety and have a thin, smooth peel. Peel and juice color is yellow, the flesh is of very high quality and the juice is thick and nectar-like. Jaffa usually achieves maturity in the Rio Grand Valley about Christmas. Jaffa in Texas tends to have flecks of pigment in the fruit but usually only during cooler winter conditions in the valley. Other blood-orange varieties are grown in Texas as well as Arizona but not on a particularly large scale (http://ccpp.ucr.edu/variety/bloods.html).

Each of the U.S. blood orange cultivars is visually distinctive. Tarocco tends to be slightly elongated, the Moro round, and the Sanguinelli somewhat egg shaped. Each type differs in climate preference, size and flavor. Temperature, amount of light and the variety seem to affect coloration and intensity of blood oranges. In Texas, for example, varieties tend to have less pigmentation and even the highly colored types do not develop the dark-red coloration for which the blood oranges are noted. Moro, Sanguinelli and Jaffa are usually seedless and develop the most intense color, while Ruby is lightly flecked at best, with 10 to 15 seeds.

Coastal southern California fruit ripens from February to May, November to February in the low-elevation desert and February to May in the northern coastal region. Gulf Coast and Texas fruit ripens December to March. In Florida, Moros begin to mature in October. Usually Ruby and Moro are considered mid-season, while Sanguinelli is late season. Mid-season oranges mature in late November to early January, and late season oranges mature in February or March.

Marketplace

Increased demand has led some produce markets to carry blood oranges whenever they are available, whether from domestic groves or imports, but their cost, around 30 cents each, makes using them for juice prohibitive. Blood orange juice as a drink is a rarity, but chefs are beginning to take advantage of this fruit's color and tart flavor for both sweet and savory dishes.

For these culinary reasons and the current craze regarding antioxidants for healthful living, blood oranges are in demand by trendy commercial kitchens and creative household cooks. They are relatively easy to peel and section, and are virtually seedless. To complement the fruit and make sauces and soups, chefs also can buy imported frozen blood orange juice in retort pouches. Blood oranges continue to gain popularity with gourmet chefs and food connoisseurs.
 
Some specialty importer-distributors accentuate the quality aspects of the fruit to compete with domestic U.S. production for select markets. Dream Foods International, based in California, is a wholesaler of European specialty food products, including blood orange juice. At their Web site, they explain the 'brand identity' given to the blood oranges grown in a small region of eastern Sicily. The European Union (EU) has designated the oranges from this area of Italy as a "EU Geographically Protected Variety."

U.S.-produced blood oranges command a range of prices. Specialty Produce, San Diego, California, sells Tarocco and Moro blood oranges. The 2006 price was $2.40 per pound for Taroccos and $3.20 per pound for Moros (http://www.specialtyproduce.com). Diamond Organics, Moss Landings, California, offered organic blood oranges at $3.59 per pound in late 2006 (http://www.diamondorganics.com/).

Trends and Recent Developments
For the past 10 years, U.S. fresh fruit exports have generally increased in terms of value but have been relatively steady in terms of quantity. The increase in fruit exports from competitors is beginning to erode U.S. market share around the world.

The percentage of total orange exports that were blood oranges is difficult to determine. However, the USDA April 2005 GAIN Report cited that blood oranges in Japan have earned good reputations in Japanese hotels and restaurants. They are mainly used in cocktails and drinks. According to Tokyo citrus traders, Japan imported approximately 5,000 cartons (45 metric tons) of Moro oranges. U.S. Moro blood oranges usually are packaged in half-size (9-kilogram) cartons.

Evolving production and futures estimates can be tracked at several sources on the Internet (for example, http://investmenttools.com/futures/clo/ orange futures, orange production estimates).


Profile written October 2005 and last revised December 2007.