What are Blood Oranges (and how to use them)

I adore blood oranges which tend to be a touch sweeter than regular oranges, with hints of raspberry and with also a touch of bitter. They also have a deeper aroma.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

blood orange slices
blood orange slices

What are Blood Oranges?

Blood oranges are, as the name suggests, a variety of orange. They are so called because their flesh is a dark red, blood-like colour. This colour is caused by the same pigment that gives you red and purple vegetables, anthocyanin. 

It is believed that these red fleshed oranges are a natural mutation of the pomelo and the tangerine, and has been growing in the Mediterranean region since the 18th century.

In order for the flesh of the blood orange to turn red, the fruit must experience a low night time temperature of about -1ºC for at least an hour or two. And since Mediterranean autumns and winter do see a massive swing between day and night, this is the perfect climate for them to thrive in.

Not all of them have blush coloured skin

Types of Blood Oranges

There are 3 different varieties: Tarocco, Moro and Sanguinello. They have a fairly short season of just 2-3 months, apart from Tarocco, whose season is December to May.

Moro, with its slightly bitter aftertaste, is my favourite of them all. Its skin turns a deep, dark red too, as it ripens in the kitchen, which makes for an eye catching fruit basket!

Here in the UK, we start seeing them in December in select stores, which is great for all that festive cooking I do, both for work and for entertainment. But it’s really only in January and February that we get to enjoy them best, when they start appearing almost everywhere.

Cointreau Orange Liqueur
Cointreau Blood Orange is in the back, on the left.

Recipes

There are so many ways you can use blood oranges, in savoury, sweet and drink recipes. If you are a Triple Sec drinker, you might be interested to get your hands on a bottle of Blood Orange Cointreau, as in the image above. I do a review of it here.

Here are some of the ways I’ve used these delightful fruit on LinsFood:

Burrata and Blood Orange Salad
Burrata and Blood Orange Salad is a classy, yet super easy salad, perfect for entertaining. It's bursting with creamy, piquant and citrusy flavours.
Get the Recipe!
Burrata and Blood Orange Salad
Smoked Salmon Starter with Marinated Artichokes and Blood Orange
This starter of smoked salmon, marinated artichokes and blood orange just oozes class. Its colours are a feast for your eyes and all your senses are going to be paying attention to every single bite you take!
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Starter of Smoked Salmon, Marinated Artichokes and Blood Orange
Easy Blood Orange Mocktail (with Rosemary and Lemongrass)
An easy blood orange mocktail recipe for non drinkers and kids that is a delicious blend of citrusy sweet flavours with scents of pine, charred wood and hints of lemon.
Get the Recipe!
Blood orange mocktail

If you like the article, don’t forget to leave me a comment and that all important, 5-star rating! Thank you!

And if you make the recipe, share it on any platform and tag me @azlinbloor. 

Lin xx

blood orange slices

How to Use Blood Oranges

A quick guide on how to prepare blood oranges for the recipes on this page.
4.92 from 12 votes
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Course: Drinks, Starter
Cuisine: Italian, Spanish
Keyword: blood oranges
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1 (as desired)
Calories: 6kcal
Author: Azlin Bloor

Ingredients

  • 1 blood orange

Instructions

  • Using a sharp knife, slice off the orange peel. Best way to do this is to place the orange flat on your chopping board. Then, starting from the top, slice down thinly.
  • Then, either slice them in rings or in cubes to add to the salad recipes on this page.
  • If adding to a drink, keep a couple of slices per person, then squeeze the rest out for the juice.

Nutrition

Calories: 6kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 7mg
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10 thoughts on “What are Blood Oranges (and how to use them)”

  1. Janice Curreri

    Blood red oranges make the best marmelade jam recipe. They not only make marmelade taste like it came from heaven but the jam looks beautiful. The version I have here is very sweet and I could reduce the sugar alot. I tossed in one organic lemon also sliced.

  2. Gabriella Richmond

    Perfect! Got some blood oranges going cheap and was wondering what to do with them all! You have quite the recipes! Going to go through them all, thanks!

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