In depth: oranges

Oranges add a touch of freshness and vibrancy to both sweet and savoury dishes – see page 49 for Rosie Birkett’s recipes.

Varieties of orange

Navel Sweet and very juicy, this is the most common variety found in the shops.

Jaffa Confusingly, this is both a brand and a variety. The brand sells different types, including navel and blood oranges, and the variety is a sweet, juicy fruit ideal for cooking.

Blood orange The red-tinged flesh and juice have a sharper and slightly more bitter flavour, which works well in winter salads or paired with fish.

Seville So bitter it has to be cooked, this is the classic marmalade orange. Its flavours also work well with game. Pair or peel When infusing fruit in a recipe, simply pare a strip of the zest using a knife or peeler. For best results, remove the bitter white pith layer as well.

Strip For topping desserts or cooking in syrups, cut peeled zest into strips using a knife or a dedicated stripping tool.

Grate For adding plenty of zesty flavour to a dish without adding too much texture, use a grater or zester.

Fruit waxing

Unless labelled ‘unwaxed’ or ‘organic’, most shop-bought citrus fruits will have been sprayed with a thin layer of wax after picking. The wax is safe for consumption, but if you’d rather avoid ingesting it when you’re using the zest or whole fruit in cooking, simply scrub the fruit well under warm water, then dry before use.