Dried Blood Orange Slices

We suggest you use your sliced fruit within six months of purchase, however dried fruit has been known to last for years!

 

It is absolutely essential to keep the fruit in a dry atmosphere, out of bright light and with the top of the bags turned over a few times.

This fruit is sourced from certified organic growers, and comes to you as close to its natural state as can be, therefore you may see the odd bump or blemish on the skin. 

No known allergens are used in any of our products, but whilst all care has been taken, we cannot completely guarantee that cross-contamination has not occurred.

We try to be as observant as we can during the preparation, but the odd pip or seed may sneak through – don’t worry, we don’t charge extra for these

Finally, the much anticipated Blood Orange season has begun, a sign that winter has turned a corner and sunny days and long cocktails are ahead.  No need to go out on a mystical Blood Orange Hunt, we have tracked these little jewels down for you.  These beauties are from Sicily and are of course organic, and as close to their natural state as dehydrating will allow. 

 

These early ones are coming through in a range of sizes - but we are so glad to see them that we are not complaining! They are simply scrubbed in cold water and sliced.  We aim at two millimetre slice widths, but these are handcut and so the thickness may vary.  Generally we aim at giving you the full wheel slice, but if the fruit are just a bit bigger, we go for the half moon effect to ensure it fits in all size glasses, from a tall slim Tom Collins to a fat and generous Copa glass.

The Blood Orange is a variety of orange (Citrus x sinensis) with crimson, almost blood-coloured flesh.

The distinctive dark flesh colour is due to the presence of anthocyanins, a family of polyphenol pigments common to many flowers and fruit, but uncommon in citrus fruits. Chrysanthemin (cyanidin 3-O-glucoside) is the main compound found in red oranges. The flesh develops its characteristic maroon colour when the fruit develops with low temperatures during the night. Sometimes, dark colouring is seen on the exterior of the rind, as well, depending on the variety of blood orange. The skin can be tougher and harder to peel than that of other oranges. Blood oranges have a unique flavour compared to other oranges, being distinctly raspberry-like in addition to the usual citrus notes. The anthocyanin pigments of blood oranges begin accumulating in the vesicles at the edges of the segments, and at the blossom end of the fruit, and continue accumulating in cold storage after harvest.

The blood orange is a natural mutation of the orange, which is itself a hybrid, probably between the pomelo and the tangerine.  Within Europe, the arancia rossa di Sicilia (red orange of Sicily) has Protected Geographical Status. In the Valencian Community, it was introduced in the second half of the 19th century.

 

Gins made using Blood Orange include Beefeater Blood Orange, Whitley Neill Blood Orange and Malfy Gin Con Blood Orange Arancia.

 

Blood Orange can be served in a Gin Sour, a Sidecar and as a twist on Negronis and Cosmopolitans.

 

 

 

CREDIT: Wikipedia

The Blood Orange One  along with some other fruits, have had a packing upgrade!  The new pouches give a much more airtight seal after opening, to keep your garnishes even better for even longer.

But best of all - they are completely recyclable, so pop them into the recycling bin with a clear conscience.