To All,
While skylarking through Market Basket I happened upon a sour orange, which I don't think I had ever heard of. Once at home with my prize, I went to https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/sour_orange.html to see what this fruit was all about. I was taken aback to read, "The normal types of sour orange are usually too sour to be enjoyed out-of-hand." Uh-oh. I might have misfired on this one. This article goes on to say, "The greatest use of sour oranges as food is in the form of marmalade and for this purpose they have no equal." Further reading revealed that this fruit is a soap substitute. A further bad sign is that there are no You Tube videos on sour oranges; not even the fruit apologists have a good word for this fruit.
Needing to go further afield than usual to find information, I found that WebMD has quite a bit to say about the sour orange at http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-976-BITTER%20ORANGE.aspx?activeIngredientId=976&activeIngredientName=BITTER%20ORANGE. It is used to treat fungal infections like ringworm and athlete's foot. The folk medicine types "...use bitter orange flower and its oil for general feebleness, 'tired blood' (anemia), impurities of the skin, hair loss, cancer, frostbite, and as a tonic." Moreover, "In aromatherapy, the essential oil of bitter orange is applied to the skin and also inhaled as a painkiller." Returning to the sober side of medicine, it says, "Before taking bitter orange, talk with your healthcare professional if you take any medications. It can interact with many drugs....Bitter orange has many chemicals that affect the nervous system. The concentration and effect of these chemicals can change depending on the part of the plant and the method used for preparation. These chemicals can squeeze blood vessels, increase blood pressure, and cause the heart to beat faster." There is the further curious information: "Because the fruit is so sour and bitter, it is rarely eaten, except in Iran and Mexico."
Well, maybe my sour orange is not the "normal" type. Maybe it will be tasty. I peeled it like a regular orange, popped a wedge in my mouth, and made a series of cartoon faces as I was assailed by the most penetrating sourness intertwined with a full bouquet of disgusting flavors. It's even worse than the gunk you drink before a colonoscopy. Perhaps this is what an unripe persimmon tastes like. I hurriedly threw the remainder in the garbage and was glad to be quit of this repellent fruit before it had a chance to squeeze my arteries. I guess you have to expect contretemps like this when you explore among the off-brand fruits.
That is a dollar and a half down the drain.
I am at a loss why Market Basket would stock such a fruit. Surely there are not that many enthusiasts of homemade marmalade or practitioners of aromatherapy..
The verdict: A basket of sour oranges is what you give someone that you don't like but to whom you are forced to give a present.
The party tip is to hide the sour oranges before your guests arrive.
The main lesson from this fruit is that one should not take WebMD seriously. The remaining question is what is wrong with the people of Iran and Mexico.
We'll see if any of you spring to the defense of the sour orange.
