Beautiful, ripe, untreated, and super juicy - Calabrian Vanilla Oranges
Winter in Calabria can be a little hard, especially when the heavy rain sets in during January and February, the seaside towns are empty and almost closed, and the temperatures go down to 2-5 degrees during some nights - not really complaining. Being close to the sea, we are also still getting used to the humidity, both outside and in the house - still not complaining!
But, as the rest of the year is super busy and full of things to do, the colder season is also the perfect time to get jobs done around the house, cook new dishes, bake sourdough bread, and finally: type up some recipes.
During this period, we also travel a bit, visiting family and friends. Unfortunately while away last week I caught an awful cold. Wrapped up in my 'bear' blanket, sniffing and sneezing, and not able to be out and about enjoying the first rays of sunshine, I'm feeling rather sorry for myself - I have no idea yet where this is going... (now I'm complaining!)
Fortunately, just before we left, we were gifted a large crate of local oranges - nothing beats a good old healthy dose of Vitamin C to get better I thought.
We tried to eat them, but were really surprised, as they are just sweet, with next to no acidity. They have a lot of big pips, almost like Seville Oranges; but unlike Seville Oranges, they are not strong and bitter in flavour, but rather sweet and mild in taste and not at all sour - and I mean: really not sour...
Upon inquiry, I was told that they are Arance Vaniglia, Vanilla Oranges. I had never heard of them.
I googled them and found a Sicilian orange called Arancia Vaniglia Apireno, Apireno Vanilla Orange, a sweet, low acidic orange, with an aroma of vanilla. Only that seems to have no pips at all, so it's still different; although its description came pretty close. I found some sweet oranges that are grown in certain areas in Calabria, but none of them seemed to have the amount of pips, so I guess it could be a variety of the Apireno orange(?).
Beautiful, ripe, untreated, and super juicy, I was determined to use up mine, so in the end I decided to make Spremuta (freshly pressed orange juice).
Our little lemon tree is full of ripe lemons right now, so, still not convinced about the lack of acidity, I added a lemon, and that did the trick. These oranges are so juicy, ten oranges and one lemon make a good litre of juice.
It said in one of the articles, due to their low acidity, these oranges are perfect for people with gastric disorders or reflux issues. I think they also add perfect liquid and natural sugar to smoothies and should be a great addition to savoury dishes. Must google more uses...
Two litres done, another five to go... vitamin C - tick! Sunshine, here I come!
PS, if you do recognise this orange, please let me know...
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