CITRUS FACTS
Including Florida citrus as part of a balanced diet is a powerful way to improve your health and supply your body with the nutrients it needs. Study after study has continued to prove the positive effects citrus can have on your health. From disease prevention, to building immunity, to supplying a daily dose of nutrients, 100% Florida orange juice, grapefruit juice and fresh citrus are important keys to overall wellbeing. Read more at www.floridajuice.com

History of Citrus

• Citrus has been farmed commercially in Florida since the mid-1800s. The first citrus was brought to the New World in 1493 by Christopher Columbus. In the mid-1500s one of the early Spanish explorers, most likely Ponce de Leon, planted the first orange trees around St. Augustine, Florida.

• Florida's unique sandy soil and subtropical climate proved to be ideal for growing the seeds that the early settlers planted and have flourished ever since. Today it is a $9 billion industry, employing over 90,000 Floridians.

Citrus Products

• Florida growers produce several types of citrus, including oranges, grapefruit and speciality fruit including Temple oranges, tangerines and tangelos.

• The primary varieties of Florida oranges are Navel, Hamlin, Pineapple, Ambersweet and Valencia. The fresh orange season typically runs from October through June.

• The primary varieties of Florida grapefruit are Ruby Red, Flame, Thompson, Marsh and Duncan. The fresh grapefruit season typically runs from September through June.

• Florida producers grow a handful of specialty fruit which are in season from October through April.

Market Share and Value

• Florida is second only to Brazil in global orange juice production and the state remains the world's leading producer of grapefruit. Florida produces more than 80 percent of the United States' supply of citrus, with major oversees export markets including Canada, Japan, France and the U.K.

• More than 90 percent of America's orange juice is made from Florida-grown oranges.

• The on-tree value of citrus—the money that goes to growers - is estimated at close to $1 billion. Nearly 90 percent of Florida citrus is processed into canned, chilled or frozen concentrated juices.

Acreage and Growing Areas

• In Florida, there are about 750,000 acres of citrus groves and more than 100 million citrus trees. Most citrus is grown in the southern two-thirds of the Florida peninsula, where there is low probability for a freeze. After a series of freezes in the 1980s, citrus growers gradually migrated southward from central and northern regions, although Polk County in the Central part of the state remains the top citrus producing county.

Growing and Harvesting

• To harvest the fruit once it's ripe, workers carefully hand pick the fruit and place it in large canvas bags. The bags are then placed into specialized vehicles called “goats” that bring the harvested fruit from the grove to roadside tractor-trailers. Citrus grown for fresh consumption is hauled to packinghouses where it is washed, graded and packed. Citrus produced for juice is transported by truck to processing plants for juice extraction.

• There are about 40 citrus packinghouses and 20 citrus processing plants in Florida.

Economic Impact to the State of Florida

• The growing, packing, processing, and selling of citrus generates a $9 billion per year impact on Florida's economy. The citrus industry generates close to $1 billion in tax revenues helping support schools, highways, and healthcare services.

• Approximately 90,000 Floridians work in the citrus industry or a related business—this number exceeds the total labor force in 45 of Florida's 67 counties.

Environmental Impact

• Citrus has a positive impact on Florida's environment. A modern grove design allows for large areas of undeveloped land, providing an excellent wildlife habitat and a natural buffer between farmlands and urban development. University of Florida researchers recently observed more than 159 native species of wildlife within grove ecosystems. Research shows that for every acre of mature trees, 16.7 tons of oxygen is produced per year.

Sunshine Citrus Sauce for Fish
INGREDIENTS:

• ½ teaspoon grated fresh orange peel
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon margarine
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Dash of ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients in a small pan. Heat until warmed through. Serve over poached or broiled fish fillets.
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Whipped Orange Butter
INGREDIENTS:

• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• dash cinnamon, optional

PREPARATION:
Combine ingredients in a small bowl and beat with a mixer with a whisk attachment or by hand until well blended. Refrigerate until serving time. This is delicious served with quick breads, biscuits, pancakes and waffles, or muffins.
Makes about 1/2 cup.
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Grilled Balsamic and Grapefruit Glazed Salmon
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 each salmon fillets, 6 oz. each
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 8 each grapefruit slices, ½ " thick, 1 ½ oz. each
• Starch du jour
• Vegetables du jour

PREPARATION:
Makes 4 Portions. Combine grapefruit juice, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in medium saucepan. Boil until reduced by half, approximately 15 minutes. Hold warm.
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Orange Crumb Cake
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• dash salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup orange juice1 to 2 teaspoons orange zest, optional

PREPARATION:
Cook Time: 30 minutes. Combine flour, sugar, and butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles meal. Remove 1 cup of crumb mixture to a separate bowl and blend in the cinnamon; set aside. To the first crumb mixture add baking powder and salt; blend well. Beat eggs with the orange juice; stir into the crumb mixture with orange zest, if using, just until all dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle reserved cinnamon crumbs over the cake batter. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.
Related Cake Recipes
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Grapefruit Orange Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cup crushed coconut cookies
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• For Filling:
• 2 grapefruit
• 3 oranges
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1-1/4 tablespoons gelatin
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 lb. cream cheese
• 1-1/4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2/3 cup cream

PREPARATION:
Mix together the crushed cookies, lemon rind and melted butter. Firmly press on the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Peel the grapefruit and the oranges and cut the segments into small pieces.
Separate 2 eggs and combine the egg yolks, the remaining whole egg, sugar, salt and 1 tablespoon of orange juice in the top of a double boiler. Place over simmering water and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Soak the gelatin in the water for 5 minutes. Stir into the warm custard until dissolved.
Press the cream cheese through a strainer and beat with remaining orange juice, lemon juice and rinds until smooth. Beat into the custard. Fold in the grapefruit and orange pieces. Lightly whip the cream and beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold the cream and egg whites into the cheese mixture. Pour into the prepared springform pan and chill for several hours or overnight.
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Baked Pink Grapefruit
INGREDIENTS:

• pink grapefruit
• sugar
• coconut rum
• chocolate chips
• whipped cream

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 400. Cut grapefruit in half, prepare as if you were going to eat with a spoon. Place in ovenproof bowl, pour 1 tablespoon rum over each half, sprinkle with a little sugar, let set for a while.
Heat fruit thoroughly, about 10 min, remove from oven, add a few chocolate chips, whipped cream, serve.
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Orange Juice Frostie Sticks
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup orange
• 1 cup cranberry juice or apple juice

PREPARATION:
Combine juices, pour mixture into four paper cups. Cover with foil. Insert a popsicle stick in each; freeze. Makes 4 frostie sticks.
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• 1 tangerine
• 1 apple
• 1 banana
• small cluster of grapes

PREPARATION:
Divide tangerine in sections.  Slice apple and banana.  Remove grapes from stem.  Arrange fruit on 4 wooden sticks.  Makes 4 kabobs.
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