Blood orange season has begun for Oranfrizer. Its first “made in Italy” harvest has made it to the Italians’ tables this week. Asia and Northern Europe will be the go-to destinations in 2021. This is with the hope that Covid 19 and Brexit will not pose any logistical obstacles to the fruit’s entry in said countries. Oranfrizer has good premises and has become an integral part of international group Unifrutti, which will continue to operate locally, growing blood orange and Sicilian citrus fruits to meet the Italian market’s high demand. It will also set its ambitious sights beyond Europe’s borders. To stimulate global markets and increase awareness of fresh and squeezed fruits available, digital events organised with CSO Italy (Italian Fruit and Vegetables Service Centre), to promote the “European Art Of Taste” were held in November: “Italian Fruit & Veg Masterpieces”.
As a matter of fact, the dialogue on export is active with buyers from the countries concerned and involved in the webinars broadcast live from Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
Italians, as always, are the first to taste the first blood oranges that ripen in Sicily’s citrus groves. It is called Nucellare, it is a variety of Tarocco with a lively taste and slightly pigmented pulp. It arrived in the second week of December, after having reached the right level of ripeness and slightly pigmented. The expectation that the Sicilian blood red oranges will grow every year in the mass retailers’ fruit and vegetable departments has never pushed Oranfrizer to anticipate the timing of the offer, it is more important to ensure the high quality of the fruits remains and to only make them available when they are ready to harvest.
Like all citrus fruits distributed by Oranfrizer, the first blood orange that has reached the markets has an edible skin, therefore – from flesh to peel – it can be used in its entirety in the kitchen, in total safety. The Tarocco Nucellare blood oranges’ harvest will be followed in the next few days by the arrival of Moro oranges, the richest in anthocyanins. The most red Moro oranges during this period develop excellent pigmentation, both in the pulp and in the peel. Tangerines will also come into season as the same time as Moro oranges. They are easy to peel, delicate and sweet to the palate, and are appreciated in particular by families with children. For a few weeks now, the Primofiore lemon, with its yellow skin and abundant yield of juice, and the Navelina blond orange, the first of the new citrus fruit campaign, have also been on the market.
Citrus fruits, especially blood oranges, are becoming an integral part of consumption habits today more than ever before. They represent key fruits, their consumption is crucial for the natural intake of Vitamin C, which is increasingly sought after by consumers. The obstacles posed by Covid 19 do not hinder Oranfrizer’s distribution to Italy and Northern Europe. All necessary precautions have been taken to ensure safe supplies, right from the beginning of the pandemic , up to the current date there has never been a shortage of manpower. The new blood orange season should therefore not slow down, on the contrary. In order to distinguish it from a typical blood orange season, this season will be more abundant in volume, which will mainly consist of medium quality products, due to the Tristeza effect. But thanks to innovation in the varieties produced by the most forward-thinking Sicilian orange producers in the last ten years, it will be possible to even guarantee a moderate amount of higher quality products.
