Today we’re getting the squeeze on oranges! But first, something to make you laugh...these orange jokes are highly un-ORANGE-inal but still fairly appeeling!
- Why did the orange go to the doctor? It wasn't peeling well.
- Do you know why an orange is smart? Because it CONCENTRATES!
- Why did the Orange go out with a Prune? Because he couldn't find a Date!
Whether cut up into quarters after a soccer game, freshly squeezed into juice (perhaps with some champagne!) or sliced into a fruit salad, oranges are a versatile and delicious fruit to be enjoyed all year round. How did these popular fruits become an American produce staple? The sweet orange, which accounts for 70% of global orange production, is actually a hybrid of the pomelo and mandarin. Like all citrus fruits, oranges originated in the Southeast Himalayan foothills, in a region including the eastern area of India, and western China. There’s fossil based evidence for the existence of a common citrus ancestor dating back to approximately 8 million years ago! The orange eventually reached Europe through the commercial trade routes established by land and sea. Christopher Columbus even took seeds of sweet oranges across to the New World in ‘overseas survival kits’.
It was through missionary work and the search for gold that oranges made it all the way to California. Spanish missionaries brought orange trees to Arizona in 1707, and to San Diego in 1769. When the 1849 gold rush hit, there was a huge demand for oranges (by that time it was well known that they prevented scurvy). The first orange tree in Northern California was planted outside of a bar in 1856, this tree is still known as the “Mother Orange Tree.” Miners would come to the bar and enjoy oranges, planting their orange seeds and growing more orange trees. Today, oranges are one of the most popular fruits in America, and for good reason! Oranges are truly an outstanding fruit. They are healthy, cheap, and tasty, making them the ideal snack.
An orange just never lets you down. It’s juicy and bursting with sweetness. It stays fresh way longer than a strawberry. And it’s so versatile you can add it to just about anything. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, drinks…you can’t really go wrong with an orange. In the mood for a guilt free summertime treat? The search ends here with this delicious healthy creamsicle recipe from My Kitchen Love.
Ingredients
- 4 large oranges, peel removed
- 2 tsp vanilla paste or extract, divided
- 1 cup thick plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
- Place oranges and 1 tsp of the vanilla into a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth.
- In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, the remaining 1 tsp vanilla, and honey.
- Pour orange mixture into popsicle molds, distributing evenly so that the molds fill about one-third of the way. Pour yogurt mixture on top of orange mixture to the popsicle mold fill line.
- Using a chopstick or a butter knife, dip into each mold and mix slightly to push orange mixture up around the edges.
- Cover popsicle mold and insert popsicle sticks. Freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Enjoy!