Every winter I buy blood oranges once or twice because I love how they look. The blush on the rind, the color of the pulp. But it seems like they never taste that good. They aren't as sweet as many other oranges, in my experience, but that's not really the problem. Often they just aren't very juicy. I seem to get rather dry, wrinkly pulp fairly frequently.
Is this an inherent issue with blood oranges or is it just that the ones we get in NYC aren't terribly good? Or have I just been unlucky?
Blood Oranges
Started by SethG, Mar 11 2011 07:57 PM
17 replies to this topic
#1
SethG
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#2
Daniel
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Posted 11 March 2011 - 08:00 PM
I got some really beautiful ones this year.. Oddly enough in bed stuy.. I used them to make 8 cups of juice for your fish.. It might be a good year for them unless you already had some and they weren't good.. But, I was super happy with them, used them in a couple of ceviches too.. It was from a Spanish Grocery if that makes a difference.
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#3
Daisy
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Posted 11 March 2011 - 08:04 PM
I think it varies from season to season. This year the ones I have had have been good, nicely juicy, if on the smallish side. I got them in WF I believe. I had them with coriander-crusted scallops and pink grapefruit at a dinner party, very nice, and I made a riff on the clementine cake as well as a blood orange ailoli to serve with roasted salmon. But I also like them just on their own or with yogurt and perhaps a few chopped almonds or hazlenuts.
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#4
rancho_gordo
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Posted 11 March 2011 - 08:21 PM
I've never had good ones in the US. In Italy, where they are the norm, they are glorious.
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#5
Daniel
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Posted 11 March 2011 - 08:33 PM
I've never had good ones in the US. In Italy, where they are the norm, they are glorious.
First time I had them was in a train station in Milan, when i was a freshman in college.. Wow, I still remember that first sip.
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#6
Orik
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Posted 11 March 2011 - 08:45 PM
I've never had good ones in the US. In Italy, where they are the norm, they are glorious.
Occasionally you can get the Italian ones here. I'm not sure what the season is, but Manhattan Fruit Exchange will know.
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#7
squibble
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Posted 11 March 2011 - 08:50 PM
They were great in Rome in winter. In the D.C. area this year, I found some 'ok' blood oranges, not as juicy, sweet or full, but nicer than those I found in the last few years in this area.
#8
Anthony Bonner
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Posted 11 March 2011 - 08:55 PM
I also think there is a variety issue at play.
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#9
splinky
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Posted 11 March 2011 - 09:12 PM
eataly also had some nice ones this season. the better ones tended to be on the small side.
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#10
ghostrider
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Posted 11 March 2011 - 09:55 PM
I've never been to Italy in winter. I recall having some fabulous blood oranges there in summertime. Of course they could have been from Africa or South America.
I generally prefer Temple oranges at this time of year for flavor & juiciness. Good ones have seemed harder to find this year than previously, but Fairyway had a terrific crop 2 weeks ago. I hope to head up there tonight & see if they're still around.
I generally prefer Temple oranges at this time of year for flavor & juiciness. Good ones have seemed harder to find this year than previously, but Fairyway had a terrific crop 2 weeks ago. I hope to head up there tonight & see if they're still around.
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#11
SethG
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Posted 11 March 2011 - 10:00 PM
Maybe I'll try a few from fairway this weekend. The (mediocre) ones I tried were from Brooklyn Fare.
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#12
Behemoth
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Posted 12 March 2011 - 02:05 AM
I've had some decent moros in So Cal so far. They are naturally less sweet than other oranges (which is why I love them so much). But they shouldn't be dry. I don't know if this helps you, but I see many people making the same mistake when buying citrus: go for the ones with the smoothest skin, not the bumpiest.
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#13
Suzanne F
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Posted 12 March 2011 - 03:28 AM
I have to agree that the ones I get at the LCD supermarket (Pathmark) and even the fancy food store (Jubilee) have pretty much always been disappointing.
I think they are one of those items that are being forced into general distribution due to "trendiness" before the supply can support the distribution channels. At least here in the Northeast, far from where they might be grown. Maybe in a few years they'll be better (in the same way Mexican avocados took a while to get to the same beautifulness as those from CA.) But for now, I'll look but not buy.
I think they are one of those items that are being forced into general distribution due to "trendiness" before the supply can support the distribution channels. At least here in the Northeast, far from where they might be grown. Maybe in a few years they'll be better (in the same way Mexican avocados took a while to get to the same beautifulness as those from CA.) But for now, I'll look but not buy.
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#14
ghostrider
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Posted 12 March 2011 - 05:36 PM
The Temple orange crop seems to be past its peak. The ones in the batch at Fairway last night were smaller, bumpier & cheaper. The one I ate this morning tasted just a bit overripe.
They were so beautiful & tasty two weeks ago. It's always a fleeting crop.
They were so beautiful & tasty two weeks ago. It's always a fleeting crop.
It was hard to avoid the feeling that somebody, somewhere, was missing the point. I couldn't even be sure that it wasn't me. - Douglas Adams
Please come visit my rock concert blog: Tantalized.
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#15
balex
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Posted 12 March 2011 - 09:16 PM
Every winter I buy blood oranges once or twice because I love how they look. The blush on the rind, the color of the pulp. But it seems like they never taste that good. They aren't as sweet as many other oranges, in my experience, but that's not really the problem. Often they just aren't very juicy. I seem to get rather dry, wrinkly pulp fairly frequently.
Is this an inherent issue with blood oranges or is it just that the ones we get in NYC aren't terribly good? Or have I just been unlucky?
They have to be really fresh -- they don't keep as well as regular oranges.
When they are fresh they are really superb -- there are some varieties from Sicily, which when you get them in season in Italy are just great.
