More than a third of all fruits harvested on Earth are citrus fruits. In connection with their tendency to closely related crossings, the "orange clan" has grown so much that it is not at all easy to figure out who belongs to whom.
Europeans owe their acquaintance with citrus fruits to Alexander the Great. In 325 BC. e. he brought from the Indian campaign to his residence in Babylon the seeds of certain wild species. The climate was suitable, subtropical, and they took root. It is India, the region of Assam, that scientists consider to be a natural nursery, where nature, without human intervention, cultivated the "elders" of the clan. Which of them fell into the field of view of Alexander is unknown. Whether it was a citron, already described in the monumental "History of Plants" by the ancient Greek scientist Theophrastus. Or bigardia, a bitter variety of orange, whose culture was later picked up by the Arabs, and through their mediation in the 15th century came to the south of Spain. Or even a lemon, the mention of which is still in the documents of the Persian king Darius I, the main opponent of Alexander.
Indochina, the southern regions of China and Japan are considered the second hotbed of citrus fruits. According to Chinese chronicles, already in the II century BC. e. at the court of the Han Dynasty, oranges were cultivated, moreover, as an introduced (imported) plant. On the ships of Portuguese merchants from China, the orange was delivered to Europe, for which it was nicknamed the “Chinese apple”. After that, the story gets completely confusing. The fact is that all representatives of the subfamily can pollinate each other, forming new subspecies and natural hybrids, and in the course of their triumphant march around the planet, citrus fruits not only crossed and mutated spontaneously, but were also regularly subjected to cultural selection. While, according to eyewitnesses, “lemons resembling a giant pear and small oranges resembling a human brain” grew in the French greenhouses of Louis XIV, China and Japan experimented with the shapes and sizes of tangerines, and on the American continent, where citrus fruits have settled down since the time of Columbus, worked on variations on the themes of orange and lime. In the twentieth century, a complete leapfrog began, only the 1980s-1990s gave a start to life for more than four dozen interspecific hybrids, the names alone are worth it - eremoorange, tangor, siamelo, citrumelo, lemandarin, mandor ... Many of them never came out outside the experimental plots (it turned out that with repeated crossing, the descendants of close relatives catastrophically “get poorer” in terms of vitamins and microelements), but they thoroughly clogged the pedigree of the subfamily.
Cells and bubbles
The main difference between citrus fruits and other fruits is the pulp, consisting of juice “cells” fastened together, and “bags” with essential oils penetrating the peel, which give the fruits their special aroma. The "oiled" peel with a thick white "lining" is a kind of body armor that keeps the fruits from contact with the outside world. Thanks to her, citrus fruits are considered all-season, without loss enduring long months of storage.
Moreover, both in "cells" and in "bags" in the citrus clan there are record holders. In terms of pulp, it is an Australian finger, or caviar, lime (Citrus australasica). Crimson fruit-cucumber, when opened, breaks up into several hundred separate bubbles, which in their appearance resemble salmon caviar. As a rule, decorative “eggs” of lime are used to decorate dishes and in jams, which are given a special texture. It is difficult to consume them "live" - the fresh pulp gives too much turpentine, the obsessive smell disappears only during heat treatment.
In the selfish question, the yellow jersey belongs to citron (Citrus medica). The most ancient and mysterious of citrus fruits, the ancestor of the entire subfamily, is valued not for the pulp, which is dry and sour to the point of soreness, but for the thick fragrant zest, which is entirely used for the production of candied fruits, citrus liqueur flavors and perfumery needs. The most expensive of all existing citrus fruits is the Buddha's hand citron, which has a bizarre and frightening appearance, resembling, according to the Polish naturalist Szczepan Pienionzhek, "a hand swollen with arthritis." The secret of this strange fruit is the complete absence of pulp as such. But wild-growing "hands", found in a limited area of Western India, are exceptionally fragrant, their aroma has many tones - from bitter chocolate to amber and chrysanthemum. Every year in December, representatives of major perfume companies come to Bombay to auction these relic citrons. The price per box can reach $600, and this is no coincidence - from a box of rare fruits, only 15 milliliters of extract is obtained, which creates the aroma of expensive perfumes.
In terms of complexity of aroma, only the pulp of musky lime - calamondin (Citrofortunella microcarpa), an Asian hybrid of mandarin (Citrus reticulata) and kumquat - can compete with citron zest. Its range of scents is estimated by connoisseurs as "sharp mandarin, enhanced by nutmeg notes and musky nuances." They have not yet learned how to use the pulp in perfumery, but musk lime in Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines gives its taste to sauces based on coconut milk, shrimp paste and is used as a marinade for traditional fish skewers - kinelow.
Holiday symbols
In Russia, the first citrus fruits appeared rather late, under Peter I. There is a legend that Oranienbaum, a suburb of St. Petersburg, was named after the greenhouse gardens, where the first lemons and oranges ripened through the efforts of Prince Menshikov. True, only for decorative purposes. “Edible” fruits were brought from Spain and Italy for another two centuries and sold for fabulous money. A kilogram of tangerines cost at least five rubles under Nicholas I. For comparison, a cow could be bought for 15-20 rubles, that is, it cost the same as 3-4 kilograms of tangerines.
In the middle of the 19th century, the Sukhum Botanical Garden was founded, cultivating relatively frost-resistant Japanese satsuma tangerines, sweet American oranges, and specially bred varieties of Colchis lemons. Soon, Kakhetia and Abkhazia took up citrus cultivation. Fruits that had become available were now imported from domestic orchards. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, a tradition appeared in families to hang tangerines on the Christmas tree. But still, “the smell of vodka, needles and cod, tangerines, cinnamon and apples,” as Joseph Brodsky wrote, finally became a sign of the New Year only in the mid-1960s. On December 3, 1963, a Soviet dry cargo ship from Morocco moored in the Leningrad seaport, which was filled with boxes of tangerines. A few years later, the black rhombus of the Maroc sticker was known throughout the Soviet Union. Fortunately, the exotic fruits received in exchange for tractors and nitrogen fertilizers were sold for a humane "ruble thirty". The harvest harvested in the Maghreb was delivered to the recipients exactly by December - hence the persistent New Year's association arose.
This trio - lemon, orange, tangerine - exhausted the circle of acquaintance with citrus fruits of citizens of the Land of Soviets. Moreover, the whole trinity labored exclusively in the role of dessert fruits, they almost did not cook from them, preferring a “live” vitamin, and the roles were clearly distributed: tangerines - for the New Year, oranges - for sick relatives, lemons - for tea or (for advanced gourmets) bite cognac.
Family records
Over time, grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) joined them, which destroyed the whole ascetic-harmonious picture. The hero of the first deliveries from Cuba was the so-called white grapefruit - too bitter and tart, it was not suitable for dessert, although it excited the minds with its exoticism. The grape fruit owes its name to the fact that its fruits do not grow singly (like most of its brethren), but in weighty clusters. A grapefruit is 2-3 times more prolific than, say, a tangerine. In Latin America and the adjacent territory of the United States, where more than three-quarters of the world's grapefruit crop is grown today, it has long been used: the main hit of Peruvian cuisine - ceviche, thinly sliced \u200b\u200braw fish - is simply unthinkable without sour grapefruit dressing. But the real global grapefruit boom began in the age of fitness. The record holder for the amount of vitamin C (a glass of grapefruit juice contains 156% of the daily requirement for a person), it turned out to be also rich in naringin (it is this substance that is responsible for the bitter taste), which prevents the absorption of fats, stimulates metabolism and cleanses blood vessels from cholesterol. The “magic” grapefruit diet promised to save everyone from extra pounds if he just added three glasses of freshly squeezed juice to his daily diet, moreover, squeezed out along with bitter films separating the slices. Under demand, new sweeter varieties were bred - red and pink. True, the “paradise fruit” turned out to have one unpleasant feature - naringin quite seriously irritates the mucous membrane, so that an excessive passion for the grapefruit diet threatens with gastritis, and even a stomach ulcer.
It was then that one of the parents of grapefruit appeared on the world stage - pomélo (Citrus grandis), he is pompelmus, he is sum-o, he is also sheddock, by the name of the captain who brought the seedlings to the West Indies. The largest of the citrus fruits, the size of the head of a five-year-old child and one and a half to two kilos in weight, turned out to be less "corrosive" than its descendant (contrary to popular belief, grapefruit is the result of crossing a pomelo with an orange, and not at all the progenitor of a pomelo, as they often write) . In pomelo, the main anti-cholesterol component is not bitter naringin, but softer inositol, lovers of this citrus fruit combine business with pleasure. That is why pomelo today is increasingly replacing its relative in sports nutrition and vitamin cocktails. In California clinics, for example, pomelo is included in the mandatory course of treatment for hypertension. In cooking, pomelo is used for salads (its pulp is quite strong, it easily crumbles into segments without releasing juice), and excellent marmalades are obtained from a thick peel.
If the pomelo sets a record for the largest, then the kumquat (Fortunella), also known as kinkan, fortunella or Japanese orange, is miniature. The Far Eastern swindler (there are so many nicknames!) changed the main commandment of his kind: not the pulp, but the sweet peel is edible in the kumquat. Therefore, the whole fruits of this tiny, no more plum, citrus go mostly to candied fruits and jams. Another culinary duty of the kumquat is the escort service. It works as a decoration for dishes, drinks and the table as a whole. In China, decorative tubs with pretty trees signify the approach of the New Year, just like our tangerines. However, for kumquat, the main thing is not even taste, but the presence of natural antibiotics in its peel: phytoncides and a shock dose of essential oils (if there are 2–3 “reservoirs” with odorous oils per 1 cm2 of zest in a tangerine, then there are more than 100 of them in kumquat) . Asian healers prescribe kumquat for the prevention of colds and flu, as we recommend garlic in such cases. Japanese healers use it against fungal diseases. And in Vietnam, kumquat is practiced for a hangover - it relieves a headache and suppresses the smell of fumes.
Orange - what kind of apple?
Some researchers believe that the name of the most famous representative of the citrus family comes from Adam's "apple of sin", in English - apple of sin. Others see here only an accidental phonetic consonance, especially since in English-speaking countries an orange is called orange - in their opinion, this is how the original Sanskrit name nagaaruka was transformed. The courtiers of the French king Louis XIV, a big fan of decorative citrus fruits, intervened in the transformation process. In honor of the “sun king”, these “apples” began to be called “golden” - d’or, and here it’s not far from orange. But most linguists are inclined to believe that the orange is just a "Chinese apple", in Dutch appelsien, and it was from the Netherlands that the word spread throughout Northern Europe. It is remarkable that the fruits of all citrus fruits are distinguished by botanists into a separate group - hesperidia. And the Hesperides in Greek mythology were called the daughters of Atlanta, who owned a garden with golden apples.
From pharmacist to confectioner
However, old familiar citrus fruits are capable of more than just being a decoration for a fruit basket. For example, the many-sided orange (Citrus sinensis) appears in two guises at once: bitter (Seville, also known under the pseudonyms orange and bigardia) and sweet (Valencian or Portuguese). There is also a Jaffa orange, which is distinguished by a thick ribbed peel, and “neville”, or “navel”, with a second embryonic fruit protruding from under the peel. There is freedom of maneuver. If you need to give dishes a pronounced taste, astringency and aroma, a bitter variety comes into play (although in its natural form bigardia rarely reaches the table - almost the entire crop goes to the industrial production of confitures and marmalades). If something definitely sweet is required, the Valencian is already in use. “Ribbed” and “umbilical”, as before, we continue to wear to sick relatives - they are the most juicy, with a refreshing sweet and sour taste, so they are good just “alive”.
By the way, Earl Gray tea owes its aroma to the direct descendant of orange, bergamot. No bergamot pear has anything to do with it, it has only a faint semblance of a wonderful smell - it is the Calabrian citrus bergamot (Citrus bergamia) that gives the tea leaves the necessary fragrance. More precisely, its dried peel - it is mainly used, mainly not even in gastronomy, but in perfumery and pharmaceuticals (the first cologne, by the way, was created with bergamot extract).
Distinguished himself in the field of pharmaceuticals and lime. Back in the middle of the 18th century, in the Royal British Navy, its juice, generously mixed with rum, was introduced into the diet as a remedy for beriberi during long sea passages (lime-juicer still means that the ship belongs to Her Majesty's fleet in English maritime jargon). By sea, lime seeds got to Mexico, and there they already came up with the idea of snacking lime not on rum, but on tequila. Although the more expensive and refined is still not the Mexican version of the lime, but the Persian one - juicy and not so piercingly sour. If this fruit hangs on a branch longer than it should, it will turn yellow and become covered with brown spots - it will retain its taste, but the appearance will become unmarketable.
In terms of the number of overseas relatives, hardly anyone compares with the mandarin. So, the figurant, which we call tangerine, is better known in the USA and France as tangerine. This fruit, like the Asian seedless unshiu and Japanese frost-resistant yuzu that joined it, is especially appreciated by cooks for its floral aroma, and by botanists for its great breeding potential. Not fruit, but Michurin's dream! There are also ball tangerines, honey ones, as well as minneola, which, however, is not even quite a tangerine, but a hybrid of tangerine and grapefruit, with a characteristic elongated neck. If there is no neck, such a hybrid is already called tangelo. In 1902, the French priest Father Clement crossed an orange with a tangerine - the result was a sugary-sweet clementine, a godsend for confectioners. Then the kumquat went into action - and limequats (a hybrid with lime), calamondins (with tangerine), orangequats (with satsuma tangerine) appeared in the light of day ... - you can continue for a long time. The only exception is, perhaps, the lemon, which is in no hurry to acquire numerous "clones".
Universally fit
According to its genetic properties, lemon (Citrus limon) is not as prone to hybridization as its relatives, it prefers to mimic, slightly changing the color and thickness of the peel, size and acidity, remaining itself, an invariable companion of the Mediterranean and Pan-Asian cuisines. Italian lemons from the Sorrento area are considered to be reference - sunny yellow, with a honey flavor. Due to their thin skin, they do not tolerate transportation well, so they are eaten immediately after harvest - fresh and certainly with a peel. In general, the culinary range of all kinds of lemons is incomparably wider than that of all other members of the citrus clan.
To write about the use of citrus fruits in cooking is to try to embrace the immensity. There are dozens of cocktails, hundreds of desserts, the number of canning variations is incalculable. And if you consider that popular citrus fruits use both zest, pulp, juice, and flowers (on the flowers of orange in China they prepare fragrant teas and tinctures), and even seeds (recall the close relationship between the seeds of bitter oranges and Grand Marnier liqueur, which is made on the basis of the essence, and seeds are used to obtain it), you involuntarily come to a standstill. Starting from the basics, citrus fruits are used when you need to acidify or flavor a particular product. The thinner the taste required as a result, the more tender the citrus note should be. The neutral taste of poultry is well shaded with tangerine, meat requires heavier artillery - orange, fish and seafood - lime and grapefruit. The beauty of lemon is that it is universally suitable. Possessing albeit a pronounced, but not too strong "perfumery" aroma, it is equally appropriate in thick soups, in roasts, in salads, and in drinks. The combination "fish - salt - lemon" has become a perfect classic. Without a slice of lemon, it is impossible to imagine serving any seafood dishes - from mussels and shrimps to caviar and lobsters of all kinds. Unless, in the Russian-Scandinavian tradition, herrings of spicy salting do not agree to change the garnish of onions and dill for anything else. Although the potential combination of herring with lemon looks promising.
There is probably no point in dwelling on how important citrus fruits are in confectionery - all these marmalades, jams, marmalades are good both on their own and as an addition to poultry, game and a cheese plate. And let's not forget about salads - not only Asian, whose name is legion, but also Mediterranean, where slices of orange or lemon successfully harmonize either with the astringency of olives, or with the salinity of dried and soaked cod.
Illustrations by Eldar Zakirov
Like a lemon tree, an orange can be grown at home - as practice shows, if you create good conditions for the trees, they can even bear fruit, however, it will take at least 10 years to wait for the harvest in the apartment. Basically, indoor plants, oranges, are bred because of their decorative qualities, because the smooth, shiny leaves of these crops do not lose their beauty even in the absence of fruiting.
Origin of the orange plant
Orange (Citrus sinensis) belongs to the Rutovye family, its homeland is East Asia.
This is a very common and ancient citrus plant. It does not occur in the wild. The history of the orange began, presumably, around 4000 BC. e. in Southeast Asia. In ancient chronicles, it is mentioned earlier than other citrus fruits.
In China, orange trees were grown in 220 BC. e. Later, this culture spread to Egypt, North Africa, and the Mediterranean countries. The first Europeans to taste the orange were the soldiers of Alexander the Great. The ancient Greek botanist Theophrastus, accompanying Alexander the Great during his campaign of conquest in India, described in detail and accurately the outlandish fruits of the orange. In Europe, starting from the 11th century, sour orange was grown, brought by the Moors to the Mediterranean. It is also known from the history of the origin of the orange that in the 15th century it was brought from Palestine by the Portuguese crusaders, so for a long time they were called “Portuguese fruits”.
At first, sweet orange was bred only in the gardens of aristocrats. They paid a lot of money to have a tree not with sour, but with sweet fruits. Juicy beautiful oranges were to the taste of noble persons and were served at the table as an exquisite delicacy. Orange trees planted in tubs adorned the gardens of the noble nobility in the summer, and for the winter they were removed to specially built premises - greenhouses (“orange trees”).
French gardeners of the Renaissance managed to candy fruits directly on the branches, so that the nobles, walking in the garden, could feast on ready-made candied fruit, removing them from the tree.
Orange came to America in 1493, during the second voyage of Christopher Columbus to the shores of the New World. The seeds of golden fruits were sown on the island of Tahiti, from where the orange was later brought to Florida.
The aboriginal Indians liked the tasty fruits very much; during their migrations across the expanses of America, they lost orange grains, which unwittingly contributed to its spread.
In Rus', the fruits of the orange plant were first tasted in the 17th century. The boyars appreciated the taste and aroma of "golden apples" - they found them "very biting and having great sweetness." They began to grow orange trees in tubs, which they kept in mansions and wards in winter, saving them from bitter frosts. The Russian name "orange" comes from the German "Apfelsine", which means "Chinese apple".
Currently, the orange is one of the most popular fruits in the world, the wonderful taste of which is enjoyed by millions of people. Orange plantations occupy about 500 thousand hectares, and the annual global harvest is more than 30 million tons. Orange trees are grown in the greenhouses of many botanical gardens.
Since it was difficult to grow an orange in the open field in many countries, special greenhouses were created for it - glazed greenhouses. The word "greenhouse" (orangerie) is translated from French as "orange", because "orange" in French is an orange. From French "orange" migrated to English, turning into "orange" (orange) and in this form appeared before lovers of carbonated drinks around the world. This word goes back to the Sanskrit (ancient Indian) "naranga", which the Persians converted into "naranj", or otherwise "narinj" - the Persians first called sour orange (orange) this word. Orange can be grown at home in a regular pot. At home, an orange does not bear fruit, but this slight disappointment is compensated by the pleasant aroma of its leaves.
What does an orange look like: photo and description
Orange is an evergreen fruit tree. Some types of plants reach a height of 13 meters. In rooms it grows up to 1 - 1.5 m, undersized varieties are compact (0.6–0.8 m).
Orange has a compact rounded shape, a large number of glossy dark green leaves containing fragrant essential oils. The leaves are entire-extreme or slightly serrated, dark green, slightly fragrant, petioles are narrow. Each leaf lives up to two years.
As you can see in the photo, the flowers of the orange plant are medium in size, bisexual, white, very fragrant:
Blooms usually in spring. Orange branches are often thorny (thorns can be up to 5 cm long). The fruits are spherical or elongated, golden-orange in color. Its bright, juicy fruits are multi-celled berries, the so-called hesperidia. In many varieties, fruits are formed without pollination. The shape of the fruit is spherical or egg-shaped, from 7 to 15 cm in diameter, the pulp has 10-13 segments (parts), contains up to 35% juice, tastes good, sweet-sour, fragrant. The skin, from orange, almost yellow, to dark red, adheres tightly to the pulp, smooth and shiny, fragrant.
See what an orange looks like in its natural habitat:
The fruiting of the orange is annual.
The bulk of the fruits are eaten fresh and in the form of fragrant, tasty and healthy juice. They are of great importance in the food and confectionery industry, where they are used to make jam, marshmallow, candied fruits, liqueurs, and tonic drinks. Orange oil, obtained by pressing from the peel of the fruit, has a sweet fruity aroma, is used in the manufacture of perfumes and cosmetics, and in medicine.
Below is a description of the varieties and type of orange.
Types and varieties of oranges: photo and description of plants
The list of varieties of oranges is updated annually with 10–15 new ones. All varieties cultivated in the world are divided into early, mid-early and late varieties according to the fruit ripening time. In addition, they differ in the typical color of the fruit (yellow, red). Such morphological features as the shape of the fruit, the surface of the skin of an orange, vary greatly depending on the area of cultivation, soils, feeding. All types of orange are divided into sweet, regular and sour.
Orange varieties are divided into three groups:
- first group- varieties with fruits that are ordinary and familiar in shape and appearance, that is, rounded, with a beautiful even skin;
- second group includes varieties with an underdeveloped fruit (in the form of a navel on top of a developed fruit);
- to the third group include kinglets - varieties with red flesh and reddish skin.
Varieties of the first group form fruits of different sizes: from small, weighing 100–120 g, to large, 300–480 g, spherical or oval, with a large number of seeds, characterized by high yield.
Varieties of the second group, often referred to as umbilical, are distinguished by large fruits, reaching 500–600 g, with a characteristic mastoid outgrowth at the top of the fruit (navel), formed by the overgrown base of the ovary column. Orange pulp is dense, slightly crunchy, bright orange in color, excellent taste and aroma. Seeds are absent or few.
Varieties of the third group - kinglets - are characterized by short stature and medium-sized fruits (weighing up to 170 g) with bright red and very tasty pulp juice. Kinglets have high quality fruits, but differ in their late ripening. There are few seeds.
These photos show types of oranges that differ in their taste:
Characteristics and description of varieties of indoor oranges
Varieties of indoor oranges include:"Washington Nawel", "Gamlin" ("Gamlin"), "Valencia" ("Valencia"), "Moro" ("Mogo"). You can also grow oranges of the following varieties at home.
Washington Navel- The fruits of this variety have high taste qualities. Medium sized tree; the crown is dark green, broadly spreading. The flowers are fragrant, white, collected in small brushes. The fruits are round in shape, with a "navel" at the top; fruit weight - half a kilogram or more. The red-orange skin of the fruit is mostly smooth (sometimes rough), elastic, dense, well separated from the pulp. The pulp is juicy, bright orange, divided into 13 slices with thin partitions. This variety of orange usually ripens in December. The variety reproduces well by cuttings, especially when cuttings are treated with growth stimulants. Plants from such cuttings begin to bear fruit in the second year.
Pavlovsky- almost the best variety of orange for growing in rooms. Its plants reach 1 m in height, very decorative, with dark green, shiny leaves.
Pay attention to the photo - this variety of orange flowers are axillary, white, fragrant, collected in bunches:
The fruits are orange, spherical. Their maturation period is quite short - 7-9 months. Blooms annually. It is preferable to propagate the plant by cuttings in February - March. Rooted plants begin to bear fruit after two years.
Gamlin- productive variety with high quality fruits, its fine-grained juicy pulp is very pleasant to the taste. The tree is small, well leafy. Flowers white, fragrant. The fruits are medium in size, weighing about 300 g. The shape of the fruit is round, slightly flattened at the top and at the base. The thick rind of fruits with orange, very shiny skin is easily separated from the pulp. When describing this variety of orange, it is worth noting that there are few or no seeds in the pulp of its fruits. The fruits of this orange variety ripen in November.
Wren- a small tree with a pyramidal crown. The fruits are round, oval at the base; fruit weight up to 250 g. The peel with a dark orange skin is easily separated from the pulp. The fruits of this variety have dark red coarse-grained pulp, juicy and tender, very pleasant in taste; fruit juice is light pink and plentiful. There are few seeds in the pulp.
There are many other varieties of orange suitable for growing indoors, but the ones described above are the most common: they grow quite quickly and bear fruit abundantly.
How to grow an orange tree at home and care for the plant
Orange is very demanding on growing conditions, it is a rather whimsical plant, and, without sufficient experience, it is not so easy to achieve its fruiting in a room.
There are relatively few room varieties of orange, but they all produce wonderful fruits, varied in their range of flavors, color and size. The most common and well-established is the old, good-quality Washington Nail variety, brought to Russia at the end of the 19th century from California. It belongs to the so-called "navel" oranges. Navel oranges are usually the largest and sweetest. They have on the lower part of the fruit traces of a second immature fruit slightly protruding from the peel.
When growing an orange at home, a novice citrus grower should keep in mind that, having sowed a seed of any variety and grown a fruit-bearing tree from it, he will have to wait a very long time for the harvest - most often 10–15 years. The resulting fruits, most likely, will be of low quality, because in this case, varietal characteristics, as a rule, are not inherited. Therefore, seed propagation of the orange is not recommended.
Caring for a homemade orange is not much different from caring for a traditional lemon. But the orange is more cold-resistant and photophilous. Only windows of southern orientation are suitable for its maintenance - this is of fundamental importance, since on the north side the tree develops more slowly and produces a few fruits of a sour taste. Orange loves direct sunlight, especially during the fruit ripening period - with enough heat and light, they become sweeter.
So, orange is a light-loving plant, demanding for warm (20-25 ° C) rooms. If there is not enough light in the apartment, it will develop poorly and grow poorly.
In summer, it is advisable to take the orange tree out into the open air - this will provide it with better growth and development. But in the early days, especially at noon, it must be shaded with gauze or thin lutrasil so that the leaves do not suffer from sunburn.
In winter, the temperature should not be lower than 10-12 °C. In winter, when there is little light, and the daylight hours are short, when leaving at home, indoor oranges need to be illuminated, increasing the length of the day to 10-12 hours. During this period, if possible, it is better to keep the orange at a lower air temperature, which will favorably affect spring flowering.
In winter, the orange is at rest, its growth processes are inhibited and, accordingly, it needs less water. Therefore, the intervals between watering for an orange plant at home should be increased. From October to the end of February, the plant is fed with fertilizers no more than 1 time in 1.5–2 months.
When caring for an orange at home, young plants should be replanted annually, at the end of winter; adults - after 3-4 years, by transshipment. A substrate of soddy and leafy soil, humus and sand (2:1:1:1).
An orange tree can be shaped to your liking, although without any intervention it often forms a rather beautiful crown on its own.
How oranges are grown and plant propagation (with video)
Caring for an orange tree grown in the house is the same as for other citrus fruits, and requires care and constant care: watering, spraying, loosening, fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers. Pinching of young orange shoots, pruning of old branches, removal of long thin shoots that dry out in winter are necessary.
The main fruiting of an orange occurs on the shoots of the current year and on last year's shoots. In grafted plants, fruiting usually occurs at 4–5 years of age, but with good care and additional lighting in winter, much earlier. But it must be borne in mind that with a sharp change in lighting, an orange can shed its leaves. The orange tree also categorically does not tolerate tobacco smoke.
Orange is a moisture-loving plant, it requires abundant watering, and always soft water. Abundant watering from April to October. During the dormant period, watering becomes more economical, but nevertheless, the earthen coma should not be allowed to dry out. Less water is needed in winter, but the substrate should always be slightly damp.
In order for the plant to develop normally and bear fruit, feed it with complex fertilizer or flower mixtures every 2 weeks.
Twice a month, an orange is fed with fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium). At a young age, the plant should be replanted annually, and from the age of 5 - once every 2-3 years.
Of all the insects that infect the orange, the red citrus mite is the most troublesome. In the event that the growing conditions of the plant do not meet the necessary requirements, there is a high risk of spotting and soot fungus.
Cuttings with the use of phytohormones and lower heating. Very well propagated by grafting on seedlings bigaradia.
Oranges are propagated mainly by grafting onto seedlings or by air layering, as cuttings are difficult to root, and in some varieties they do not root at all. Poncirus trifoliata cannot be used as an orange rootstock, because due to its biological characteristics it is completely unsuitable for indoor cultivation of citrus fruits.
Watch a video on how oranges are grown, which shows all the basic agricultural practices:
Orange is one of the most popular fruits in the world...
His homeland is probably China. The Russian name comes from the German Apfelsine, which in translation from the Low German dialect means "Chinese apple". The French call orange "orange".
It is believed that the orange began to grow about 4000 years ago in Mesopotamia, the place of origin of the first civilization on Earth. In China, he was known for 2200 years before our era, about half a century before the laying of the Great Silk Road. Orange was brought to Europe in the 15th century, where it was called the "Chinese apple", and it came to America in 1493, during the second voyage of Christopher Columbus. The French gave the orange the name orange-golden. This name gave rise to the word "greenhouse", because the first such structures were built for growing oranges.
The word "orange" literally means "Chinese apple". This citrus was born in China and began its journey around the planet from East to West, through the embassies of Marco Polo, the orange gardens of Marie Medici and the royal follies of Louis XIV, who considered this immortal fruit to be the sun. Christopher Columbus brought them to America, and they first appeared in Russia in 1714. And the earliest mention of this fruit is found in the books of the VIII-V centuries BC. uh...
"/Gde_vpervye_pojavilis"_apel"
in a box with cheburashka)
If you believe the old chronicles, it turns out that oranges were known in China for more than four thousand years ago.
There are two types of orange trees: sweet and sour. Oddly enough, but sour orange was the first to be grown in Europe. The trendsetters for oranges were the Moors, who invaded and captured in the ninth century the territory in southern Spain and the island of Sicily.
There is evidence that in China the orange was known at least 4000 years ago!
There are two types of orange fruit - sweet and sour. The sour orange was the first to be grown in Europe. It was known to the Moors, who took over southern Spain and Sicily around the ninth century.
By the 11th century, the Moors felt like masters of the conquered countries, they planted sour orange and other trees there. Sour oranges were grown throughout southern Europe until the 15th century, when growing trade with the East brought the sweet orange to Europe. Although some cultivars of sour oranges are still grown and eaten, they are mainly used for crossbreeding with sweet oranges. Sweet oranges were originally a delicacy that only the rich could afford. Kings and nobles paid huge sums of money to purchase orange trees and plant them in their gardens.
In colder countries, southern orange trees could freeze in cold winters, so special greenhouses called greenhouses were built. Oranges were planted in tubs; in summer they were taken outside, and in winter they grew behind glass in greenhouses, where they bloomed, despite the frost on the street.
Did you know that when Christopher Columbus set off in search of new lands, he took orange seeds and many other citrus fruits with him?
The seeds were sown on the island of Hispaniola. Citrus fruits flourished in the tropical climate of the West Indies and in what is now Florida.
The Indians used oranges for food, and since they traveled a lot, eating
Oranges, the seeds fell into the ground and germinated. Citrus fruits planted in this way soon became wild.
The United States is currently the world leader in orange cultivation. The state of Florida has an abundance of orange trees and produces more sweet oranges than any other state or country!
It is believed that the orange is most likely from South China or South Vietnam.
As the name suggests, it literally means "Chinese apple". Although the people call everything strange and unusual with the word "Chinese". So, in my opinion, it is accepted not only among Russians, but also among other peoples.
According to scientists, orange comes from Southeast Asia, most likely from China - it is known that they appeared there even before the beginning of our era, and in one of the Chinese manuscripts of the XII century, 27 of the best varieties of oranges are already described. Oranges came to Europe quite late - around the beginning of the 15th century, it is believed that the Portuguese first brought them - according to one version, citrus was brought in 1429 after Vasco da Gama's trip to India. But it is known that in the Mediterranean and Southern Europe oranges were cultivated long before by the Arabs. After the Spaniards managed to oust the Saracens from the Iberian Peninsula and Sicily, it turned out that quite a lot of orange trees grew in the territories of the palaces of the local sultans. And in Greece, citrus fruits appeared even earlier, immediately after the famous campaigns of Alexander the Great - oranges came here from Persia and India. Somewhat earlier, Arab and Indian sailors transported these cultures to the east coast of Africa. So the orange gradually became one of the main fruit crops of tropical and subtropical regions of the globe.
The name "orange" comes from the German language
The name "orange" was due to the Germans - the word "orange" in German means "Chinese apple" ("apfel" - apple, "sina" - China). "Chinese apples", accustomed to a warm climate, were completely unsuitable for central and northern Europe, so they were grown exclusively in greenhouses, although attempts were periodically made to develop a frost-resistant variety for open ground. By the way, the word greenhouse also came about thanks to the orange, orange, as it is called in English-speaking and French-speaking countries (from the Arabic "naranji" - golden). The largest orange greenhouses were in London, Paris and ... Petersburg. Oranges reached Russia at the beginning of the 18th century. In 1714, Prince Menshikov built a palace with large greenhouses in which overseas fruits were grown. Some time later, Catherine II ordered to name this palace together with the Oranienbaum settlement (German for “orange tree”) and dedicated a coat of arms to it: an orange orange tree on a silver background. Oranges were also grown in tubs as houseplants - a great lover of such trees was King Louis XIV, who even sent his minister Fouquet into custody out of envy of his magnificent orange trees growing in the castle of Vaux-le-Comte. After that, the trees moved to Versailles. The Chinese believe that growing an orange at home brings happiness, abundance and prosperity. Therefore, in China, orange trees with small fruits are often given to loved ones.
It is known that oranges were widely used in medicine already in the Middle Ages. Doctors of the Middle Ages used various parts of oranges (juice, pulp, peel) for certain kidney diseases, including kidney stones, as well as for acute intestinal diseases. The healing properties of orange peels were especially highly valued - they were compared with the then famous cinchona, which saved from scurvy. Fresh and in the form of infusions, they were prescribed for various kinds of fevers. In Italy, orange water was distilled from orange flowers, which was prescribed as a diaphoretic and hemostatic agent. Orange juice was highly regarded as a reliable remedy for the flu. Oranges contain vitamins B, C, E, K, P, carotene, salts of iron, calcium, potassium, silicon, manganese, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, fluorine, chlorine, zinc, various organic acids, including citric ( about 2%).
Organic acids of oranges are completely absorbed by the human body and provide it with the necessary energy. In terms of calcium content, oranges are superior to other citrus fruits. Oranges help strengthen the nervous system and stimulate the brain.
Modern nutritionists claim that the acids contained in oranges help strengthen bone tissue, remove metabolic products from the body, and strengthen the immune system. The peel of oranges contains vitamins and substances that stimulate the production of antibodies, thereby increasing the body's resistance to various infections, and contribute to the rapid healing of wounds. Vitamin C, contained in large quantities in oranges, prevents the formation of carcinogens, helps cleanse the blood, maintain hemoglobin levels, and makes the blood less viscous. It helps clear the capillaries. If you eat at least 1 orange daily, then the risk of blood clots will decrease and the vessels themselves will become less fragile. Caution should be taken with oranges for peptic ulcers, high acidity and diabetes.
Oranges and freshly squeezed juice help keep the skin youthful and prevent the appearance of early wrinkles. The cosmetic properties of oranges can be used not only by consuming the fruit or its juice inside, but also as a nourishing mask for the skin of the face, but having tested for an allergic reaction in advance, oranges are strong allergens, which should not be forgotten either.
Like many yellow and orange fruits, an orange is an excellent antidepressant: the juice from it invigorates, tones the body, so doctors advise drinking a glass of fresh juice early in the morning.
By taste, oranges are divided into sweet, sweet-sour and bitter (orange oranges), which are almost never eaten in their pure form, but the well-known essential oil of neroli is made from bitter orange flowers. Depending on the variety, the fruits are thin-skinned and thick-skinned, with or without seeds, round or oval. Currently, about 200 different varieties and forms of orange fruits are sold, which are widely used in cooking.
There are 4 groups of varieties:
1) ordinary- have medium and large fruits of a round or slightly oval shape. They are distinguished by the presence of a large number of seeds, thin skin, quite firmly fused with the pulp. The pulp and juice are light yellow in color.
2) umbilical- with orange pulp, the second rudimentary fruit inside, which is visible through the hole at the top of the fruit. The fruits are large, round or slightly oval, seedless. The peel is of medium thickness, easily separated from the pulp.
3) Jaffa- got its name from the Palestinian province of Jaffa. The fruits are large, oval. The peel is very thick, tuberculate, easily separated from the pulp. There is not much pulp in the fruit itself, but it differs in aroma and juiciness.
4) kinglets or bloody- with light or dark red flesh, small, almost pitted, very sweet. They are especially popular in Europe, they are considered a national delicacy in Sicily. This color is given to it by the presence of anthocyanins - pigments that are quite common in flowers and fruits, but unusual for citrus fruits. The degree of staining also depends on temperature, lighting and variety.
"Korolki" are distinguished by red pulp
In addition to these groups of varieties, numerous hybrids of orange with other species are known: tangors(orange-tangerine), citranges(orange- citrus shrub trifoliata), citrangoras(tangerine-orange-trifoliata), etc.
Oranges can be used everywhere - in appetizers, salads, hot dishes, desserts and drinks. Sweet oranges are best for cold dishes and desserts, sweet and sour for hot meat dishes, such as duck with oranges.
From the zest of thick-skinned oranges, experienced people prepare delicious candied fruits. True, it is worth considering here that in order to improve the presentation and long-term storage, the peel of oranges is covered with a wax emulsion, which is very difficult to wash. Therefore, for candied fruits, it is better to choose oranges with a matte surface, rather than a glossy shiny one. You can use slices of the peel and pulp of the fruit in the manufacture of pastries, compotes, fruit salads, etc. Blood oranges make excellent marmalade and cold sorbets, they also make sweet sauces for meat.
Where did oranges first appear? There is evidence that in China the orange was known at least 4000 years ago! There are two types of orange fruit - sweet and sour. The sour orange was the first to be grown in Europe. It was known to the Moors, who took over southern Spain and Sicily around the ninth century. By the 11th century, the Moors felt themselves masters of the conquered countries, they planted sour orange and others there.
Sour oranges were grown throughout southern Europe until the 15th century, when growing trade with the East brought the sweet orange to Europe. Although some cultivars of sour oranges are still grown and eaten, they are mainly used for crossbreeding with sweet oranges.
Sweet oranges were originally a delicacy that only the rich could afford. Kings and nobles paid huge sums of money to purchase orange trees and plant them in their gardens. In colder countries, southern orange trees could freeze in cold winters, so special greenhouses called greenhouses were built. Oranges were planted in tubs; in summer they were taken outside, and in winter they grew behind glass in greenhouses, where they bloomed, despite the frost on the street. Did you know that when Christopher Columbus set off in search of new lands, he took orange seeds and many other citrus fruits with him?
The seeds were sown on the island of Hispaniola. Citrus fruits flourished in the tropical climate of the West Indies and in what is now Florida. The Indians used oranges for food, and as they traveled a lot eating oranges, the seeds fell into the ground and germinated.
Citrus fruits planted in this way soon became wild. The United States is currently the world leader in orange cultivation. The state of Florida has an abundance of orange trees and produces more sweet oranges than any other state or country!
Have you read the answer to the question Where did oranges first appear? and if you liked the material, then write it down in your bookmarks - » Where did oranges first appear?? .
- How many types of oranges are there? No one knows exactly where the birthplace of the orange is. Although now it is grown in all warm countries of the world, until recently it was not so widespread. The Greeks and Romans knew about the orange and it was probably brought from India to western Asia and then to Europe. Spanish colonists brought the sour orange to the West Indies, and from there to Florida shortly after the first settlement appeared there in 1565. The ingredients for such marmalade are orange, lemon, apple, and ginger root, but the main and most unusual, in my opinion, its constituent is grated zucchini. The marmalade is just amazing! So, in order to prepare such an unusual and delicious marmalade, you will need the following ingredients: five glasses of already grated zucchini, two large oranges, one lemon, one large apple, ginger root about five to seven centimeters and four glasses of granulated sugar. Grated Unlike bananas, oranges grow on evergreen trees. The latter are dwarf - up to 6 meters, while the vigorous ones reach a height of 12 meters, and here you can’t do without a simple stepladder to pick a tasty berry. It is a berry, but not a simple one, but, scientifically, a multi-celled one (this is what is colloquially called slices). If you look at the shelves of our stores, it is not difficult to notice that there are small and large oranges, round and oval, but in terms of color, Smoothie is a wonderful thick drink that gives energy and satiety. Preparing a drink is not difficult, you will need fresh fruits and walnuts directly for this recipe. Ingredients: two pieces of orange, one large handful of peeled walnuts, ripe kiwi - two pieces and one large banana. As you can see, the composition contains only fruits, no liquid is added, but the drink still turns out to be liquid because we will first squeeze the juice from oranges and the Pear Tree, and especially its fruits, are very fond of all adults and children. The pear is such a frequent guest on our tables that we even forget that this is not a native Russian fruit. Where did the pear really come from? Consider in the article. Too many countries want to be proud of the fact that they are the ancient homeland of pears. Who among them does not lie? It turned out that with the highest degree of probability the progenitor
Discussion is closed.
