According to Citrus Australia, the production of citrus began in this country in 1787 with the First Fleet introducing plantations of lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit and mandarins to Sydney. The climate, with dry and hot summers and rainy winters, resulted in dependably flavour-packed and richly coloured fruit. Now, more than 28,000 hectares of citrus belong to 1900 growers within five major regions.
The five main regions that Citrus Australia highlights as major orange producers are the Murray Valley, Riverina, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
A whopping 40 per cent of Australian citrus is processed into juice. The most popular juicing variety is Valencia, which has a sweeter flavour profile. Juice that is produced locally is labelled with an “Aussie Grown” endorsement logo or labelled “Product of Australia”.
Nutritional value
Oranges are packed full of fibre, vitamin C, thiamine, folate and antioxidants. They’re low in calories, being mostly natural sugars and water. Despite their sugar content, oranges have a low glycaemic index (GI) of 31-51. This makes them an ideal snack, which won’t spike the blood sugar and leave people hungry again soon after. The high fibre and polyphenol content balances out their effect on blood sugar and explains the low-GI factor.
One large orange has around 18 per cent of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of fibre. Additionally, that same orange delivers 100 per cent of the RDI for vitamin C. Thiamine and folate are both types of vitamin B, contributing to many essential functions within the body including energy production, nervous system regulation and circulation. Potassium-rich oranges may also lower blood pressure in those experiencing high blood pressure. Potassium also reduces the risk of heart disease, a major problem in Australia.
Australian oranges — the challenges and triumphs
This story is from the Eat Well #26 edition of Eat Well.
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This story is from the Eat Well #26 edition of Eat Well.
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