March 11, 2015

Oranges – March 2015

Oranges – The Sweet Taste of California Citrus!

Greetings from Hughson, California! We are currently harvesting and drying our Natural and Organic Dried Orange Slices at our facility in Denair, CA. Due to customer demand, the fruit from our trees is not enough to keep these tasty treats on our shelves! To acquire more fresh oranges, we have partnered with a local grower in Porterville who shares our values and passion for sustainable farming. Order online or come by our store and enjoy the good life.

Have you ever tried a dried orange slice? At Bella Viva we love them! The beauty of it is you can enjoy the slices any way you like. They have a similar texture as potato chips, but lack the fat and salt. So you can finish a whole bag of dried oranges guilt free. If you don’t fancy eating them, the slices are a great addition to your favorite drink. Liven up that boring water or sweeten your tea. You can even enjoy an ice cold glass of wheat beer with a slice or two. Lastly, why not chop up some slices and use them in the kitchen? You can infuse a great orange flavor into any baked good.

Did you know oranges originated in Southeast Asia? They were first cultivated in China around 2,500 B.C. The first mention of oranges outside of Asia occurred with the Romans in the First Century A.D. By the early 1500s the Spanish had planted oranges in continental America where the trees thrived. With the establishment of the Spanish Missions, oranges finally found their way to California. Records state that the first orange groves started in Southern California. By 1883 the A. R. Henry orchard was established in Porterville, CA (Webber).

Fun Facts About Oranges!

A serving size (40 grams) of orange slices has 41% of daily recommended fiber and 170% of daily recommended Vitamin C (Bella Viva).
The “Mother Orange Tree,” considered the oldest existing orange tree in California, overlooks the Oroville Dam (Webber).
The first known cultivation of oranges took place in China around 2,500 B.C. (Webber).
Columbus brought the first orange seeds to the New World on his second voyage to Haiti in 1493 (Webber).
In 1883 the first orchard in Porterville, CA was established (Webber).