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Our oldest son, Don, who is the president and CEO of two of Florida’s largest citrus companies, sends us fresh citrus each month and on the first of April he sent us some Ortaniques which are a cross between a Valencia orange and a Tangerine and they are incredibly sweet and full of juice. Apparently they grow only in hills of Jamaica. They have a short season from February to April, are a little pricey and are great for eating and juicing. We love them when he sends them to us.
We enjoy eating them though they are full of pits, but two of them squeezed will fill your juice glass to the brim!
Ortaniques became popular in the United States during the big freeze of 1980 just as the Clementine did.
When you look for Ortaniques make sure they are heavy when you hold them in your hand and make sure they are shiny. Though this is the rule for many citrus it is especially true for Ortaniques. Hold one close to the nose and inhale to check the scent which should smell good. The rind should not feel puffy like it does on a tangerine. There should be no space between the rind and the fruit. Avoid any Ortaniques that have spots or signs of shriveling, smell fermented or have white patches on the rind.
When Don sends us a case of them we use them right up by squeezing lots of them every day and drinking this nectar of the gods! However, you can keep them at room temperature up to four days with no problem or refrigerate them in a plastic bag if you have no room in the crisper draw for one to two weeks.
Ortaniques are very high in vitamin C, incredibly sweet and very juicy.
If one believes the Jamaican folklore, the Ortaniques was developed by a pair of lovebirds. One lovebird lived in an orange tree and the other in a tangerine tree.
Many attempts have been made to grow Ortaniques in California and Florida, but none have been able to produce the kind of fruit that grows in the hills of Jamaica and no one has been able to determine the reason why. Perhaps it is the wind, rain and soil of the Jamaican hills that makes it the only place that the Ortaniques grow and flourish!
When the Ortaniques arrive at our doorstep each year they are always accompanied by some wonderful Ruby Red grapefruits that have the same availability season. We have had the healthy benefit of these wonderful fruits every season and should you want to add some great health benefits to your diet them you can get them each season from Hale Groves in Vero Beach, Florida.
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books. Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my site.”
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