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Crop of the Week: Valencia orange
• In 2006, Yuma County citrus growers harvested about 300 acres of Valencia oranges. That's about half the total acreage in Arizona, which is ranked fourth in the nation - behind Florida, California and Texas, for production of the orange.
• The name comes from the Spanish city of Valencia, widely known for its excellent orange trees. The success of this crop in Southern California likely led to the naming of Orange County. Cultivation of the Valencia there had all but ceased by the mid-1990s due to rising property costs.
• About 20 percent of the total crop of Valencia oranges is sold as whole fruit. The remainder is used in preparing orange juice, extracts and preserves.
• Good-quality Valencia oranges should be firm and heavy for their size. Select thin-skinned oranges with smooth, finely-textured skin.
• Valencias are especially good to eat when cut into "smiles." Cut fruit in half crosswise, then cut three or four wedges from each half. To peel a Valencia, trim a thin slice from each end of the fruit and cut away strips of peel from top to bottom. The Valencia makes a nice addition to a healthy fruit salad.
• Fresh Valencia juice may be squeezed and refrigerated overnight. If tightly covered and immediately chilled, no loss of flavor or Vitamin C will occur.
• Three essential oils are obtained from oranges: oil of orange, obtained from the rind of the fruit and used principally as a flavoring agent; oil of petigrain, obtained from the leaves and twigs and used in perfumes; and oil of neroli, obtained from the blossoms and used in flavorings and perfumes.
• A class of compounds found in citrus fruit peels called polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) have the potential to lower cholesterol more effectively than some prescription drugs and without side effects, according to a study by U.S. and Canadian researchers.
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Source: Kurt Nolte is an agriculture agent and Yuma County Cooperative Extension director. He can be reached at knolte@cals.arizona.edu or 726-3904.
