45 Amazing and Interesting Facts about Orange | Amazing Facts 4U
- Orange is a type of berry. Oranges are the largest citrus crop in the world. Oranges were first grown in Southeast Asia, northeastern India, and southern China and were first cultivated in China around 2500 BC.
- In the first century AD, Romans brought young orange trees all the way from India to Rome. North Africa also began growing oranges in the 1st century AD.
- The sour orange, or Seville, was introduced to the Mediterranean region by the Arabs about the 10th century, and the sweet orange was introduced by Italian traders in the 15th century.
- Christopher Columbus brought the first orange seeds and seedlings to the New World on his second voyage in 1493 across the Atlantic Ocean to Haiti, where he planted orange orchards. By 1518 oranges were introduced to Panama and Mexico, and a little later Brazil started growing orange trees.
- America’s first orange trees were planted in Florida in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon.
- In the 18th Century, British sailors took citrus fruits on the ships to prevent scurvy.
- Amazingly Orange tree foliage remains green throughout the year. Old leaves are replaced by new leaves which always keep the plant green.
- Amazingly, it is possible for more than one plant to grow from a single seed of orange.
- After chocolate and vanilla, orange is the world’s favorite flavor.
- An orange tree can grow to reach 30 feet and live for over a hundred years. It may be called a civilized fruit in the sense that it is not found in the wild. It is domesticated and cultivated only in orangeries.
- Amazingly citrus fruit will never rot before it plucked from the tree.
- In fact, more orange trees are killed by lighting than plant diseases.
- A single citrus plant can bear as many as 60,000 white flowers, but only 1% of those flowers will turn into fruit. The orange flower is the state flower of Florida and is one of the most fragrant flowers.
- Amazingly the Washington Navel Orange tree that helped start the California citrus industry is still standing and producing fruit in Riverside, California.
- There are over 600 varieties of oranges. The popular varieties of oranges can be listed as under Valencia, Hamlin, Pineapple Oranges, Temple Oranges, Washington Navel, Red Cara Navel, Blood Oranges, Amber sweet, Moro Orange, Seville Orange, Jaffa, Persian Variety, Parson Brown, etc.
- The two most common varieties of oranges are Valencia and Navel.
- Orange is one of the best known hybrid fruits. Sweet orange actually originated from a blend of citrus and Sinensis while bitter orange originated from citrus and aurantium.
- Oranges top the list in terms of quantity of citrus fruits produced followed by grapefruit & lemons.
- Brazil is the largest producer of orange (About 1/3rd), followed by the United States, Mexico, and China.
- There are over 35 million orange trees in Spain.
- About 25 billion oranges are grown each year in America. Florida produces about 70 % of the total U.S. crop. Oranges are the fourth most popular fruit and orange juice is the most popular juice in America.
- The Florida oranges are greener than the California oranges. The warm night climate in Florida causes the chlorophyll pigments to migrate into the orange peel making it greener.
- Buy fresh fruits that are firm, yet yield to gentle pressure. Fresh oranges have bright color, no wrinkles on the skin, and feel heavy for their size. Avoid overly soft oranges with spots and mold.
- Oranges can be kept at room temperature for a week or so and but keep well for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Keep them loose in the fruit container and place them in the cool area away from excessive moisture, as they tend to get mold easily.
- Warm weather causes the skin to re-green, or reabsorb chlorophyll, giving it a greenish color but the taste is not affected.
- The interior flesh of orange is composed of segments, called carpels, made up of numerous fluid-filled vesicles that are actually specialized hair cells.
- Navel oranges are named that because of the belly-button formation opposite the stem end. The bigger the navel in an orange, the sweeter it will be. Because Navel Oranges are seedless, they can’t reproduce through pollination and require “budding” or grafting to create new trees.
- Moro oranges are also called blood oranges because the pulp is bright red while bergamot orange is primarily grown as a source of oils for cosmetics and flavoring.
- About 20 percent of the total crop of oranges is sold as whole fruit; the remainder is used in preparing orange juice, extracts, and preserves.
- Dried leaves and flowers of the orange trees can be used for the preparation of tea.
- Orange peels contain many volatile oil glands in pits. It can be used in food e.g to make candy and orange tea. It can be used at home as a natural cleanser. In Jamaica, people use orange peel to cut grease and oil. It can be used as a natural medicine due to low sugar. It can relieve respiratory problems, bad breath, constipation, and also work as a facial bleach.
- Oranges contain phytochemicals citrus limonoids that protect against a number of cancers including that of the skin, lung, breast, stomach, liver, and colon.
- Drinking orange juice regularly prevents kidney diseases and reduces the risk of kidney stones.
- Oranges contain more fiber than most fruits and vegetables. In fact, you will have to eat 7 cups of cornflakes to get the same amount of fiber that one medium orange provides! Because of soluble fiber, oranges are helpful in lowering cholesterol. Fiber also stimulates digestive juices and relieves constipation.
- Oranges are full of potassium, an electrolyte mineral responsible for helping the heart function well. When potassium levels get too low, you may develop heart arrhythmia.
- Oranges are full of vitamin C, which protects cells by neutralizing free radicals that may cause cancer and heart disease. One orange supplies a full day’s Vitamin C requirement.
- Orange has an abundance of polyphenols that protect against viral infections.
- Oranges are rich in carotenoid compounds which are converted to vitamin A and help prevent macular degeneration and visual impairment.
- The flavonoid hesperidin found in oranges helps regulate high blood pressure and the magnesium in oranges helps maintain blood pressure.
- Oranges are full of beta-carotene, which is a powerful antioxidant that protects the cells from damage protecting the skin from free radicals and helps prevent the signs of aging.
- Although oranges are acidic before you digest them, they contain many alkaline minerals that help to promote the alkaline medium necessary for proper digestion. In this respect, they are similar to lemons.
- Oranges provide smart carbohydrates that do not cause a blood sugar spike. Orange has a glycemic index of 40. Anything under 55 is considered low.
- Oranges are high in antioxidants, which neutralize the effects of free radicals, unstable oxygen molecules in your body, believed to cause aging.
- One very good property of orange is its absorbing power of medicines. e.g. Vitamin D is absorbed better if taken with orange.
- Orange also provides other vitamins like vitamin B1, vitamin B6, Vitamin-D, Folate, and vitamin B-12.
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