Because we can buy citrus fruit almost year round, its easy to forget that it is a winter season crop. Right now is the best time for oranges, grapefruit and other citrus.? For a healthy start to your day, combine orange and grapefruit segments with other fruit for a fantastic fresh fruit salad. It makes a refreshing snack too.
Nutrition-Packed Oranges
Our orange tree produced a bumper crop this year, so my kitchen is overflowing with beautiful oranges. While we?ve been sharing the bounty with friends and neighbors, we still have lots of oranges on our hands. It?s tempting to just juice them, but nutritionally there is a better option. Just eat the whole orange!
Little tastes better than a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, but its very high in sugar. Don?t drink your calories. It?s healthier to eat an orange rather than drinking the juice. Not only are oranges an excellent source of vitamin C, they are a good source of fiber, vitamin B1, folate, calcium, potassium and phytonutrients (plant nutrients).?Research shows that consuming fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C not only support our immune systems, but they can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Fresh Fruit Salad
To make a fresh fruit salad, I like to combine orange and grapefruit segments with whatever else is available that?looks good at the market and is reasonably priced. I add a banana, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes and pomegranate seeds. Kiwi is another nice addition. In summer, try adding melon and pineapple.
If you are eating fresh fruit salad for breakfast, add some protein to balance your meal. Scramble up an egg or two, if you eat eggs.
How to Segment Citrus Fruit
The easiest way for most people to segment an orange or grapefruit is to simply cut the fruit in half, then use a sharp paring knife to cut around each individual segment. Pop the segments out and reserve the juice.
Another technique is called ?to supreme? (video link to show how). You trim off the top and bottom of the citrus, exposing the fruit and sit it flat. Next, cut off all of the skin and white pith with a sharp knife following the curve of the fruit. Then with a sharp paring knife, cut each segment out over a bowl to catch the juices.
Do what works best for you. I usually do the supreme method on oranges as they are smaller, and the method shown above on grapefruit as they are larger. It takes a little practice but its not hard. You need a good sharp knife. I use a 7? Santoku?to supreme citrus and a little birds beak peeling knife (or regular paring knife) for the top method.
The most time consuming part is getting your citrus ready. Once that is done, citrus segments stay fresh in the refrigerator for a few days in their juice. You can make your fruit salad anytime. ?It takes seconds to peel and slice a banana and berries just need a quick rinse and dry before folding in. If you are packing it to take to work, it will be fine to mix together in the morning. The most fragile are raspberries, but they too will survive if they are nice, fresh and firm.
Fresh fruit salads are refreshing, packed with nutrition, and can be made with what?s in season. As it is winter right now, this fruit salad utilizes citrus fruit. Choose what is seasonal, looks the best and is reasonably priced. In summer you can add melon, pineapple and other fruits for even more variety.Yield: about 4
Ingredients
- 4-5 large oranges
- 1 large grapefruit (red ones if you can find them)
- 1 large banana
- 1 small container of fresh raspberries
- 1 small container of fresh blackberries
- 1 container of fresh blueberries
- 12-16 green or red seedless grapes
- 4 tablespoons or more fresh pomegranate seeds
Directions
- Wash your citrus and follow the directions in the post for how to segment them, catching all of the juices over a bowl.
- When ready to serve the salad, peel and slice the banana, rinse and dry the berries, and combine gently with the citrus. Chill and serve as soon as possible.
Links and References:
The powerful nutrition of oranges, from The Worlds Healthiest Foods. Great information
The Benefit of Oranges, from LiveStrong.
This post contains links to Affiliate Programs, where I may receive a small commission for any purchases.
Source: http://afoodcentriclife.com/seasonal-fresh-fruit-salad/
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