Shine OnCitrus hacks: Tips and tricks to brighten your winter diet
It’s finally citrus season again. To celebrate, Sunkist has released a series of helpful citrus-hack videos: creative, time-saving ways to peel and prepare citrus fruits.
Watch them all above.
Those cute grapefruit bowls would be perfect for a holiday brunch.
Sunkist advertising and public relations manager Joan Wickham also shared her top citrus tips with Shine On readers.
How to buy citrus:
“Unlike some fruit, like stone fruit or bananas, for example, oranges are actually what’s called a non-climacteric fruit, which means they don’t ripen after they’ve been harvested. So our growers actually handpick every piece of fruit to make sure it’s ripe,” Wickham tells us.
“But in terms of what you should look for at the store, you should look for fruit that’s firm and heavy for its size and also with a bright, colourful skin. You want to avoid fruit that’s bruised or wrinkled or looks kind of discoloured. Because that will indicate that it might be old or it maybe hasn’t been stored properly.”
How to store citrus:
Is there a box of clementines sitting on your kitchen counter? According to Wickham, that might not be the best place for your fruit.
“At room temperature, they’ll last for several days, but the best way to store citrus is actually in the fridge,” she says. “They’ll last significantly longer.”
“Another tip I would give is that the peel of the fruit actually has natural preservatives in it. So if you end up zesting a piece of fruit, it’s better to use that and not store it. It won’t last as long.”
How the expert peels an orange:
Even if a hack makes it easier, sometimes nothing beats peeling an orange by hand.
“I usually peel oranges by hand,” Wickham says. “I guess I’m old-fashioned that way. I kind of enjoy taking the time to do that, but I do use the tip that’s in one of the hacks: massage the skin before peeling. I find that makes it a lot easier.”
How to add citrus to our diets this winter:
While citrus is an obvious addition to holiday baking and cocktails, it can also often replace — or brighten — out-of-season ingredients, like tomatoes, Wickham says.
“A lot of consumers don’t realize that peak citrus season here in North America is actually during the wintertime. So when ingredients like tomatoes aren’t nearly as good (or can be hard to find), citrus can really brighten up salads.”
Here’s a sure-to-be hit at your next holiday party:
Sunkist Citrus Bruschetta with Goat Cheese
Makes 20 pieces
1 artisanal baguette
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Kosher salt, as needed
2 Sunkist Cara Cara Oranges (or substitute navel oranges)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped vine-ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
1/3 cup chopped pitted Castelvetrano Olives (or substitute kalamata)
Pinch of red pepper flakes and sea salt
4 oz chèvre-style fresh goat cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut baguette into 1/4-inch slices — you want about 20 nice-sized pieces. Lay out on a baking sheet. Lightly brush or drizzle bread with olive oil then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Bake for about 5-7 minutes, or until toasty. Let crostini cool.
To make the bruschetta mix; Cut the top and bottom off of the oranges, then with a small paring knife cut the peel and white pith off of the sides of the oranges. Cut each orange in half lengthwise and then dice 1/4 to 1/3-inch. In a medium bowl, toss the diced orange, olive oil, tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic, olives, and season with a pinch of pepper flakes and sea salt. Set aside.
To assemble the crostini: Smear each piece of crostini with a heaping teaspoon of goat cheese. Place on a platter and immediately divide the orange mixture between the crostini (drain off any excess juice). Top crostini right before serving so they don’t get soft.
Stay on the lookout for more citrus tips, hacks and recipes from Sunkist on their Facebook page.
How do you peel an orange?
