- Oil from the rind of the fruit - which is used for flavor
- Oil from the petigrain or leaves and twigs that is used in perfumery and
- Oil of neroli which is obtained from the orange blossoms for flavoring or in perfumes.
Orange Juice!
What's the juice on the juice?
To Begin: What is an orange?
An orange is a citrus fruit or actually a berry. It is cultivated in warm regions, although they are native to southeastern Asia. It consists of many sections that contain several seeds and juice cells that is covered by a thick leathery skin.
Three essential oils are obtained from the orange.
In the United States, the principal orange producing states are Florida, California, Texas, and Arizona.
How do oranges get from the grove to our drinking glass?
Oranges are grown in orange groves and they are ripened on orange trees. Oranges do not ripen once they are picked from the tree. Orange growers will pick a sampling of oranges, squeeze them testing for a sugar:acid ratio. This test determines the flavor of the juice. In the state of the Florida, there are minimum standards from this test that must be met before the oranges can be sold or made into 100% Florida Orange Juice.
Oranges can be picked either by hand or by the aid of mechanical harvesters which shake the trunk of the tree catching the fallen fruit into a large catch frame. The oranges are then taken to the processing plant. Oranges are placed on conveyor belts which separate them into bins by juice specifications that are set in this case by the Florida Dept of Agriculture and Consumers Services.
Selectors will select the oranges from the bins and put them through a washing process, once washed, they are graded and separated from any bad or damaged fruit. From there, the remaining oranges are separated by size and sent to the juice extractors. Before the juice is extracted, the peel of the orange is pricked to extract its' oils, the remaining part of the orange is squeezed for the juice. The juice is then put to a screen where the pulp and seeds are removed. The pulp, seeds and peel are used as by-products for such things as cattle feed. The remaining liquid or orange juice may either go directly to a pasteurizer to make "Not From Concentrate" Orange Juice or it will go to an evaporator where most of the water is taken out by way of a vacuum and heat. During this evaporation process some if the juices natural essences and oils are taken out but later put back in during a blending process. The liquid is now chilled and will eventually yield to a frozen concentrated orange juice or "From Concentrated Orange Juice". This frozen orange juice from Concentrate is sent to a packer where it is blended with other tanks of juice inorder to meet USDA standards and requirements. Because From Concentrate Juice is blended, consumers experience a more consistent quality of juice year round than fresh juice or Not from Concentrate. On a side note, all FCOJ and NFC orange juice is pasteurized before it reached the consumer protecting from contamination.
Source: encarta.msn.com
www.floridajuice.com
Artwork is for display purposes only and does not necessarily reflect specific items. Not responsible for typographical errors.
