January is, without doubt, the most miserable month of the year – short days, long nights, frosty mornings and the ever-present threat of rain. It does bring a few silver linings for foodies, though, not least the appearance of delicious blood oranges in our supermarkets and greengrocers.
Blood oranges are at their best in January and February in the UK and prized by chefs for their sweet, sharp flavour, which has hints of raspberry to it as well as the usual citrus notes. Blood oranges are a natural mutation of the orange, which is itself believed to be a hybrid of the pomelo and the tangerine.
Sicilian Tarocco oranges (Arancia Rossa di Sicilia) are probably the best known of all as they’re PGI-protected, but you’ll see a number of different varieties at various points of the year – Sanguinellos are mostly grown in Spain, and Moro, Maltese and Delfino varieties are becoming more common.
You can more or less ignore the skin colour if you’re looking for ripe blood oranges – this has more to do with variety than ripeness; instead, choose oranges that feel heavy for their size. Once you've got a bag of them in the kitchen, don't just eat them on their own (even though they are delicious) – take a look at the sweet and savoury recipes below for some inspiration and incorporate them into your cooking.
