By Carolyn Twesten, Weaver Street Market Produce Merchandiser
This week’s owner coupon is 50% off all fresh citrus. Learn more about the coupon below.
We’re already a few weeks into January, and I hope that your New Year’s healthy eating resolution hasn’t slipped by the wayside. If you’ve hit a rough patch here and there, don’t panic—just get back on the horse and try again. Luckily January through February is a great time for one of the world’s finest health foods: citrus!
Citrus is one of the many health foods that blasts apart the misrepresentation of health foods as bland and tasteless. In fact, citrus fruits can be just the thing to add a little zip to your meals while keeping them healthful.
One of my favorite things about citrus, and produce in general, is the progression of varieties throughout the season. Here are a few of my January citrus favorites (new and old) to look for:
Texas Rio Star Red Grapefruit
Grapefruit is a citrus fruit you can get year round, but the best of them all is only available from December through March, the Texas Rio Star. This is the only time of year I will eat grapefruit! This variety is sweet for a grapefruit—but it’s still a grapefruit, remember! They are famous for their large size, sweet flavor, and deep red flesh. Try them broiled for a special dessert or breakfast!
Cara Cara Navel Orange
Cara Cara navels, also known as red navels, have long been one of my favorites for their complex flavor. Red-fleshed and slightly less sweet, they have flavors reminiscent of strawberries and cranberries. These navels were a natural mutation discovered on a Washington navel orange tree.
Meyer Lemons
Foodies love the Meyer lemon for their sweet, floral flavor and aroma. That’s right, a sweet lemon! Meyer lemons are a cross between lemons and tangerines, resulting in a lower acid fruit. They are easily told apart from “regular” lemons by their smooth, thin skin. I love using Meyer lemon juice and zest in dressings, such as the dressing used in this recipe from Fine Cooking, Green Beans with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette.
Minneola Tangelo
Minneola tangelos are also known as Honeybells for their cute bell-like shape. They are a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit, and their flavor can run the gamut between sweet and sweet-tart, with a tangerine essence. The shining feature of the Minneola, though is their juiciness! Eat this one with a bib y’all!
Blood Oranges
Blood oranges are well-known for their beautiful, deep-red flesh. The red color is produced by anthocyanins, the same antioxidant found in dark-colored berries like blueberries and blackberries. Blood oranges are not just healthy for you though, they are also delicious to eat, with hints of pomegranate and raspberry. Try them on their own or atop an arugula salad, or in a fancier recipe like these Buckwheat Pancakes with Blood Oranges and Ricotta.
This week’s owner coupon is 50% off all fresh citrus, good January 29-February 5, 2020. Owners, look for the coupon in our weekly e-news, sent on Wednesday morning. If you didn’t get the coupon, you may need to update your email address in our owner database. Contact us at ownershares@weaverstreetmarket.coop.
Not an owner? Become one today to receive the weekly owner coupon as well as the other benefits of ownership, like invitations to the Co-op Fair, a logo T-shirt and bag, and the right to vote in board elections. Learn more here.
