“Navel” Orange

Characteristics
Navel oranges – literally “navel oranges” – are a sweet orange variety.

Their name comes from the navel-like appendage. At first sight it looks like a malformation; in truth it is their most valuable feature: you might call this fruit an orange with a surprise, because inside it hides a second small orange, just as juicy and aromatic, which makes the fruit practically seedless.

Navel oranges are a highly prized citrus variety, not only for their incredibly sweet flavour and their low acidity, but also for their very juicy texture and the easy-to-peel skin.

Their colour ranges from blond to intense orange depending on ripeness. They are also distinguished by a medium-fine skin (between 5 and 6.5 cm), which makes them perfect for decorating desserts or refining dishes of any kind.

ORIGIN
Basilicata and Calabria, southern Italy

HARVEST
Navel oranges have a unique flowering period: the first buds appear in mid-March, more buds at the end of March, and by early April they are finally in bloom! These wonderful fruits then have plenty of time to ripen – the harvest begins at the end of October and continues into December. They are among the fruits that can even stay on the tree longer than they need to ripen: their time on the tree only increases the sugar concentration of the fruit.

PROPERTIES
Among its many positive properties is the high content of vitamins A, C, B1, B2, mineral salts and sugars, which gives it powerful antioxidant, detoxifying, diuretic, digestive, haemostatic and vessel-protecting properties.

The Navel orange is therefore valuable not only for seasonal ailments, flu and bronchitis, but also for the prevention of rheumatic diseases and pain.

USE
Excellent for an energy nectar that needs no added sugar thanks to its natural sweetness, or for a healthy citrus salad. Thanks to its unique organoleptic properties, the peel of this variety is also a sought-after ingredient for aperitifs and starters, first and second courses and even desserts.

Available from November to April / May.