By Diana Wade
contributing writer
A Taste of Tehachapi: More about marmalade
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If you drive down to Bakersfield you will see citrus trees loaded with fruit. But what can you do with all of that luscious fruit? I say make marmalade and more!
Blood oranges may have originated in the southern Mediterranean, where they have been grown since the 18th century. They are a common orange grown in Italy. The anthocyanins – which give the orange its distinct maroon color – will only develop when temperatures are low at night, as during the Mediterranean fall and winter. Blood oranges cultivate in California from November to May.
The three most common types of blood oranges are the Tarocco (native to Italy), the Sanguinello (native to Spain), and the very dark Moro (native to Italy). Here in Kern County you can find both the Tarocco and Sanguinello blood oranges.
The name Tarocco is thought to be derived from an exclamation of wonder expressed by the farmer who was shown this fruit by its discoverer. It is a medium-sized fruit and is perhaps the sweetest and most flavorful of the three types. The most popular table orange in Italy, it is thought to have derived from a mutation of the Sanguinello. It is referred to as “half-blood” because the flesh is not accentuated in red pigmentation as much as with the Moro and Sanguinello varieties. It’s also one of the world’s most popular oranges because of its sweetness. The Sanguinello was discovered in Spain in 1929, has a reddish skin, few seeds, and a sweet and tender flesh.
So marmalade is great on a slice of toast or a substitute in a PBJ, but what else can you do with it? A Taste of Tehachapi offers an organic Blood Orange and Chianti Marmalade, deep red and beautiful. But wait, I also made a salad dressing. I made a simple oil and vinegar dressing with a bit of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper…yum. Use it as a sauce for chicken, too. Just dilute it with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, for a sweet addition. What about adding it to yogurt, or pancakes, or cake batter? The possibilities are endless!
Quantities are limited, so get your order in while they last. P.S. I have other fresh varieties, too! Call or text Diana at (661) 557-2589 for more information.
