Well there is the color. A slight blush warms the orange skin usually at the blossom end of the fruit. Cut open the interior is dyed a lovely maroon to rose hue.
The unique color of the fruit is made possible by presence of anthocyanins, a compound that develops more readily in the colder fall and winter night air. As far as the taste goes, the orange tastes like a more traditional orange with either some berry like nuances or perhaps better described as hints of pomegranate (pomegranatee, pomegrantesque?)
The fruit is available in stores from (mostly) December to March, with some fruit from Northern California available in the market until the late spring. The Blood Orange is possibly Chinese in origin or maybe owes its existence to a spontaneous mutation that occurred in 17th century Italy, (which at that point wasn’t Italy at all but a loose confederation of principalities). Grown as a minor crop in California and Texas, the Blood Orange is the main orange of Italy, particularly thriving in the chilly night/warm daytime air of Sicily.
Because of the presence of anthocyanins, Blood Oranges are higher in antioxidants than their more traditionally colored siblings. Coupled with the fact this cultivar is less likely to be processed in the form of concentrate - its juice might, possibly, maybe, conceivably be considered healthier than the standard OJ. A diet rich in beer nuts and late night drunken consumption of Taco Bell products will not be redeemed by a glass of organic blood orange juice in the morning.
That which makes us strong makes us vulnerable Anthocyanin Edition: Anthocyanins are responsible for the red, blue and purple colors in the plant world. According to Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking, there are about 300 different anthocyanin compounds known and “…a given fruit or vegetable will usually contain a mixture of a dozen or more.” Reactive to changes in ph and the presence of trace metals, anthocyanin compounds are also water-soluble - meaning any kind of cooking is going to wash that beautiful color out turning that original seductive, enticing, vibrant shade of red into an industrialish gray/pink color.
This thwarts a cook's desire to heat, extract, combine and alter ingredients, but there are plenty of uses for fresh blood oranges: Segments can grace a salad with red onions, lettuce and olive oil. Tossed with cilantro, cabbage & seared tuna and served on a corn tortilla the blood orange can be part of a fish taco. Squeezed over a piece of seared halibut or braised fennel, the fruit retains the magic of its color while offering a pleasant acidic balance.
Or the blood orange can be squeezed for its colorful juice, which can be turned into vinaigrette, with a little more work Blood Orange Sorbet or with a lot less work the juice can be the base of a drink.
The blood orange always has a home in a cocktail, where the color can shine through. Use the guidelines below to make a more colorful version of the uncomplicated Screwdriver, possibly a Bloody Screwdriver or because everything sounds better in Italian - Sanguinous Cacciavite:
Juice of 2 Blood Oranges
1 ½ ounces Vodka
4 Ice Cubes
Combine Together in a Cocktail Shaker, Shake-shake-shake, Shake-shake-shake, shake your shaker. Serve up* in a clear glass.
In this case, up means sans ice in a clear glass.
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