FAQs about Oranges

What is the nutritional value of an orange?

Oranges are a low-calorie, low GI food. An average-sized orange of 100g contains fewer than 50 calories. One orange provides more than 100 per cent of an adult’s daily vitamin C requirements and about 10 per cent of your dietary fibre.

What are the health benefits of oranges?

  • The high vitamin C content in oranges helps to boost the immune system.
  • The potassium in oranges may help to lower blood pressure.
  • The vitamin C in oranges could help reduce the risk of cancer.
  • The fibre, potassium and vitamin C in oranges support heart health.
  • The high fibre content in oranges can help control cholesterol.
  • As oranges are a low GI food, they can help keep blood sugar levels under control.
  • The vitamin C in oranges can help to fight skin damage by the sun or pollution, reduce wrinkles and improve skin texture.
  • Eating oranges may lower stroke risk.

How do you choose oranges?

The tastiest oranges are heavy for their size. The heavier the fruit, the juicier it will be. The skin should have a sweet, fresh fragrance, and the peel should be firm and consistent in colour, without spots or blemishes.

How should you store oranges?

Fresh oranges can be stored at cool room temperatures for 2 to 3 weeks, or refrigerated for up to 2 months. Oranges are best stored unwashed because moisture on the skin can lead to mould. Keep them in a net bag or open bowl so that air can circulate freely.

What’s the best way to eat an orange?

To eat an orange with no mess or fuss, cut off the two ends, score the fruit halfway

with a knife, then roll out the skin and peel out the segments. To peel an orange more easily without a knife, roll it firmly on a hard surface for 30 seconds to loosen the skin. Then, gently puncture the skin with your thumb near the top or bottom of the orange and start peeling. Once peeled, oranges should be stored in a tightly closed container to keep out moisture and odours.

What are the different types of oranges?

The two main kinds of oranges grown today are navels and Valencias. Of these, there are a staggering 600 varieties worldwide. Navel oranges are distinguished by the ‘belly button’ on one end, which is what gives them their name. Navel oranges are seedless, with easy to peel skins and deliciously juicy flesh that makes them one of the best eating oranges. Thin-skinned Valencias may contain seeds and are perfect for juicing.

Where are Outspan oranges grown?

Outspan oranges are grown from the top cultivars in orchards where only the best farming techniques are used. Outspan oranges are grown in South Africa, where the weather and growing conditions are perfect for citrus. Oranges taste best when they’re ripened on the tree, and all Outspan’s oranges are naturally tree-ripened in the sun.

Where do oranges come from originally?

Oranges originated in South East Asia where they were cultivated from as early as 2,500BC. The name itself derives from the ancient Sanskrit word for orange tree, nāraga. Nowadays, the orange is the most cultivated fruit tree in the world.