Blood Oranges
Blood oranges are a variety of orange with deep red to maroon flesh and a flavor that layers classic orange sweetness with a subtle raspberry-like tartness, most strongly associated with Sicilian cooking but now widely used in salads, desserts, and cocktails.
How to buy
Choose blood oranges that feel heavy and firm for their size, since skin color alone doesn't reliably indicate how deeply red the flesh will be -- some varieties show dramatic red streaking or blush on the rind, while others look nearly identical to a regular orange outside. Smell and weight are better indicators of juiciness than appearance. Moro is the most deeply colored and tart variety; Tarocco is sweeter with less dramatic coloring.
How to store
Store blood oranges the same as other oranges: about a week at room temperature, or three to four weeks refrigerated in a loose or perforated bag in the crisper. Juice and zest both freeze well for later use, and the juice's color makes it a popular ingredient to freeze into vibrant ice cubes for drinks.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Balanced sweet-tart flavor like a regular orange, but with an added layer of berry-like tartness and depth from anthocyanins, the same pigments that give the flesh its red color. This makes blood orange juice taste noticeably more complex than standard orange juice, closer to a cross between orange and raspberry.
- Texture
- Juicy segments similar to other oranges, with flesh that ranges from lightly streaked to deep garnet depending on variety and growing conditions. The membrane and pith are bitter, as with other oranges, so recipes often call for supreming.
- Aroma
- A citrus fragrance similar to regular orange but with a slightly deeper, berry-tinged undertone that becomes more apparent once juiced.
How to prepare
- Supremed — Segments cut free of membrane and pith, showing off the fruit's striking red color in salads.
- Juiced — Pressed for vividly colored juice used in drinks, vinaigrettes, and sauces.
- Zested — The oil-rich peel grated for a concentrated citrus note in baking and cocktails.
- Candied peel — Strips of peel simmered in sugar syrup until tender and translucent, then dried.
- Reduced into syrup — Juice simmered down into a deep red, syrupy glaze for drizzling over desserts or meats.
Classic dishes
American
- Blood orange vinaigrette — Blood orange juice whisked into a bright, colorful dressing for winter salads.
- Blood orange mimosa — A brunch cocktail of sparkling wine topped with blood orange juice for color and depth.
Italian
- Insalata di arance rosse — A Sicilian salad of sliced blood oranges with olive oil, black olives, and sometimes fennel or red onion.
- Blood orange and fennel salad — Shaved fennel paired with blood orange segments and olive oil, a classic winter combination.
- Blood orange granita — A coarse, icy dessert made by freezing and scraping sweetened blood orange juice.
- Blood orange Negroni — A variation on the classic cocktail using blood orange juice or peel alongside Campari and vermouth.
- Aranciata rossa (blood orange soda) — A classic Italian sparkling soft drink made from blood orange juice.
- Blood orange olive oil cake — A moist citrus cake made with blood orange zest and juice folded into an olive oil batter.
- Blood orange panna cotta — A silky cream dessert topped with blood orange segments or a citrus syrup.
French
- Blood orange sorbet — A vivid, tangy frozen dessert highlighting the fruit's deep color and berry-like flavor.
- Duck with blood orange sauce — A variation on duck à l'orange using blood orange juice for a deeper, berry-tinged sauce.
- Blood orange tart — Sliced blood oranges arranged over pastry cream in a glazed tart shell.
Mediterranean
- Blood orange and beet salad — Roasted beets paired with blood orange segments, both sharing a similar deep red hue and earthy-sweet contrast.
- Blood orange and scallop ceviche — Thin-sliced scallops cured briefly in blood orange juice for a bright, tangy starter.
British & Irish
- Blood orange marmalade — A deeply colored preserve made from whole blood oranges, peel included, cooked down with sugar.
Substitutions
- Oranges — Use in nearly any recipe; regular oranges lack the deep red color and berry-like tartness but work the same way.