Citrus fruit list

The citrus fruit list is extensive. We will only consider a few here; and why we should be enjoying them on a daily basis.

It only occurred to me recently that the two richest sources of vitamin C, from the citrus and pepper families are at their best just before and during winter when colds and flu abound.

This page was last updated by Bernard Preston on 8th June, 2023.

Of course you can get them nearly year-round now but both citrus and peppers, if you are passionate about getting your nutrients from your food to my mind are at their best just when we need them most.

In short eat what's in season.

Their other great value is all the bioflavonoids that are so vital for sparkling vitality. A deficiency of beta-cryptoxanthin for example is strongly linked to dementia; citrus is the richest source of this important phytonutrient.

But let's not forget to mention their wonderful flavour. Freshly-squeezed OJ really makes a chicken roast; and lemon juice straight from the garden mixed with olive oil and some herbs provides the perfect green salad dressing.

Whenever you move into a new home, so the saying goes first plant a lemon tree. I go along with that but of course in areas like Chicago where I did my training it would have to be in a pot.

If you enjoy reading, you will love the book about citrus in Italy. "The land where lemons grow" is one of my favourites.

These days many of us I suspect consider it just too tiresome and time-consuming to squeeze our own juice; we'd rather use OJ. Only there is a problem; it is yet another highly refined food with a very high glycemic index. It will certainly make you fat.

So, today I decided to time just how long it takes to squeeze the fruit myself.

• 3 oranges
• 1 pink grapefruit
• 1 mandarin sweet-orange
• Half a Meyer lemon
  
• Half a lime

From squeezing the whole orbs to a full jug of juice takes a lot less time than you might think. Firstly it took 30 seconds to halve these from our citrus fruit list in readiness for pressing.

Citrus fruit list

The citrus fruit list keeps colds and flu at bay; and tastes of heaven.

It then took another 90-seconds to press the halved fruit; so two minutes in total.

This morning my nine-year old granddaughter asked to help. She took rather long to squeeze the juice but what a wonderful privilege it was to do it with her. Just watching her eyes light up when she tasted the drink made my morning.

The juice is really very concentrated, so I add some water to dilute it; you can decide how much.

And I cheat just a tad; with the lime and lemon it is rather sour, so for the Little People I add one teaspoon of raw honey dissolved in warm water. It is very important that they become accustomed to the taste of real food; and that not everything must melt in your mouth and be super-sweet.

It is a great privilege sharing a home with our grandchildren; we like to think our love of choice nutritious food will rub off on them. You should just see our 3-year old grandson demanding Eggs Florentine for breakfast.

Popeye thought it a good idea to start the day with spinach; and how right he was. I am hoping the lad will be the next keeper in the family. My children love raw honey but alas they could not be bothered with bees; or their stings.

Two-minutes in total is all it took to cut and press our five choice examples from the citrus fruit list in our garden.

Notice that we definitely do not use the strainer. More than half the nutrients are found in the pulp; a few pips find their way through but that is a very small problem. They float mostly and are easily removed with a teaspoon.

Now we have fresh citrus-juice, with a much lower GI because of all the fibre. And far more nutrients because it has not been pasteurized and still has the pulp.

In short always use the lemon pulp too.

Enjoy because it makes the perfect-breakfast even better. The taste is to die for; goodbye OJ.

Pollination of citrus by honeybees is important, though it varies significantly from one variety to another. The Marsh-grapefruit for example has a fourfold increase in production if our little friends are in the orchard but there is little improvement with Valencia oranges.

Pollination of citrus by honey bees research was done at the University of Florida.

In this regard swarming-bees may be a very important factor in the citrus fruit list.

Lime nutrition

Lime nutrition tells the story of the phytonutrient^[1] that gives the citrus fruit list its sour taste. Food companies are trying to reduce it in our OJ but it is the very reason why oranges and lemons give protection against many tumours; and even our nerves.

It's called limonin.

Lime marmalade is our all-time favourite; look to regularly enjoy diverse members of the citrus fruit list.

Another slant on the benefits of limes is to be found together with tips on how to freeze them so that you can have a supply year-round.

One of those benefits is the beta-cryptoxanthin in citrus fruits that scientists have found gives protection against dementia; but from supplements it has no effect. 

Growing lemon trees

Growing lemon trees really is very easy unless you live in the frozen-north; arguably it is the most important on your citrus fruit list.

First thing when moving into a new home is to plant a lemon tree; so went the now largely-forgotten housewife's legend. They are a vital part of the citrus fruit list; some saying they give you an alkalizing effect.

That is difficult to swallow with all the citric-acid present.

Loaded with golden-yellow fruit it makes the perfect decorative tree, even in a pot if you live in Chicagoland; and the scent of the flowers in the spring is to die for.

Growing lemon trees is not difficult. We have three in our garden, one newly-planted to replace our now very elderly Meyer that still comes faithfully to the party every season; and still it lives on, over forty years old.

They are susceptible to fruit-fly damage and other pests such as aphids. The solution is easy to make at home or get it from white oil manufacturers; here you will find instructions on how to mix it. It is perfectly organic with no toxic chemicals.

You could use the wee from a doggy-poo worm farm to fertilize all the trees on your citrus fruit list; I do not for reasons given at the link above.

This Lemon Drop Drink Recipe takes a lot of beating on a hot summer's day; a tenth of the price and none of the side-effects of those nasty colas. The average American today consumes daily over half a cup of sugar much of which is from beverages. 

Type "artificial-sweetener side effects" into Site Search for more information; even worse than those of sugar, causing metabolic syndrome and interfering with the normal flora in the gut.

If you have your own tree then you may be interested in freezing lemon juice.

Orange juice facts

Orange juice bioflavonoids are the anti-oxidants that give protection against so many nasties. However they are severely reduced in OJ from a carton; as is the calcium and vitamin C.

Worse is that the glycemic index of OJ is high making it very fattening; but because of the pulp that is less true of freshly-squeezed orange juice facts. Whatever, enjoy as many as you can daily from the citrus fruit list; but do take short walks after all sweet and starchy meals. 

For that of course you need an orange juice press but they are not expensive. Ours is used daily for at least nine months of the year. I cannot remember when last Helen or I had the flu. We call it our viral-guard. We have been vaccinated against Covid yet are not terrified of it, perhaps naively. Eventually it turned out to be of little consequence.

Whilst the calories in orange juice bought in cartons certainly need to be reckoned with, because of its lower GI you can be less anxious about home-pressed OJ. Still it is wise to dilute it with unchlorinated water.

Read more about these and many other details at our orange-juice facts page.

This mandarin orange tree is a favourite with the grandchildren and it adds one more citrus fruit to the drink that I make up every morning in season.

Citrus of course tops the list in preventing these nasty vitamin C deficiency symptoms. Second is the pepper family. Because it is water-soluble it needs to be consumed daily; otherwise we become fatigued and tissues will not heal properly.

Making honey mead

Every gem from our citrus fruit list is in flower; the scent is stunning with the prospect of orange flavoured honey in the offing.

If you have access to a beehive then making honey mead might be something for you, if you love a tipple and are looking for a new challenge; almost all will have a citrus fruit in the ingredients.

How apple cider is made is a subject that will only interest you if you have access to the fruit for little or nothing; there are two oranges in the recipe; or if during lock-down during the next pandemic there is again a ban on the purchase of alcohol.

Macular degeneration

Age-onset macular degeneration is one of the most serious causes of blindness in the elderly; and largely it is preventable with sufficient lutein and zeaxanthin in the diet.

These two carotenes are taken up by the macula of the eye where they protect the cones against damaging high-frequency radiation.

Corn and egg yolks are the main sources of zeaxanthin; and green leafy vegetables of lutein. Of interest is that the citrus fruit list and orange peppers are two of the few foods that have both.

Read more about the xanthophyll content in fruits, vegetables and egg products for other sources of these two vital carotenes^[2].

Unfortunately they only researched orange juice from a frozen concentrate and not the whole fruit; nor from freshly-squeezed juice including the pulp.

Kale, spinach and romaine lettuce are the best sources of lutein; parsley and cilantro too. Orange peppers, citrus and scallions are rich in zeaxanthin; corn and egg yolks

• Lutein macular degeneration
• Zeaxanthin macular degeneration

Use the Site Search function in the navigation bar above to find the links to those topics highlighted such as zeaxanthin in bold.

Citrus honey

Citrus honey is very light, does not readily set and has a wonderful delicate flavour. My father had an orange farm in my youth and I have wonderful memories of the nectar of the gods.

However I have not the experience of the honey from a few acres of lemons or grapefruit; for example to know what the difference is from the whole citrus fruit list. I am sure they are all good.

Certainly we have lime and lemon trees in our garden along with the mandarins and oranges; and the Spring honey is wonderful.

The nectar from orange blossom does not set that well which some prefer but I not; so we turn some into creamed honey.

Do you want to know how to start beekeeping; it has been the hobby of a lifetime for me. It goes perfectly with a citrus orchard should you have one. 

Spina bifida

Just one glass daily of freshly squeezed OJ is all it would have taken to have saved America from 200,000 wheelchairs. Spina bifida and orange juice is a subject that every woman of child-bearing age should know about; in fact any member of the citrus fruit list.

There are two forms of spina bifida; the vera is the true SB, the occulta of no clinical significance.

Useful links

• The wonder of worm farms - the perfect fertiliser for your citrus.

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