John Myers
After the festive season, let’s eat lightly with blood oranges and grapefruits in January. Bananas provide energy in between.
Grapefruit: Bitter-sweet symphony
Grapefruit originated from a spontaneous cross between the bitter grapefruit and fruity orange. Traditionally, the grapefruit is halved for breakfast, the pulp loosened and scooped out. If the taste is too intense for you, you can sweeten it with sugar, stevia, or agave syrup. But grapefruit doesn’t just cut a fine figure as a light, quick meal. These citrus fruits also spice up many a dish with their bitter-sweet aroma. The fruits go particularly well with poultry, fish, or vegetables. But dishes with beef can also tolerate the fruity note of grapefruit well.
Typical of citrus fruits is the high vitamin C content, which is also the case with grapefruit. The fruits also provide the body with plenty of B vitamins and folic acid. Caution: If you have to take medication regularly, grapefruit can have a major impact on its effectiveness.
Fruity, bloody affair
The blood orange season is extremely short. It lasts from January to March. Large temperature fluctuations between day, around 15 °C, and night, around 2 °C, are necessary for the reddish coloration. Without these differences, this orange variety cannot develop its typical coloring and remains orange. Fruits of the Moro variety usually develop the strongest red coloration. Blood oranges taste less sweet than conventional oranges, their aroma is stronger and tart. But blood oranges not only have a more intense taste, but they also contain more healthy ingredients than ordinary blond oranges.
Blood oranges will keep for about four weeks in the refrigerator. Without refrigeration, the fruits will keep for about one to two weeks.
Legal and still a crooked thing
Bananas are wonderful, natural sources of energy. Their sugar content increases with the degree of ripeness. The riper a banana is, the sweeter it tastes. But bananas not only provide energy, but they also provide a lot of potassium. This trace element regulates blood pressure, reduces the risk of kidney stones, and, together with calcium, strengthens bones. Roughage, which is essential for healthy digestion, is also found in abundance in tropical fruits. Contrary to popular belief, a banana combined with water can help with mild constipation. Tip for heartburn: bananas relieve the burning sensation in the throat and balance the stomach acid. Only its high-calorie content stands on the side of the negative properties of the banana. However, the crooked fruit with its ingredients saturates sustainably and is still healthy.
By the way: Bananas should not be stored in the refrigerator but at around 13 °C. When it’s cold, bananas lose their flavor and start to taste bland and starchy.
