Citrus fruits

The citrus fruits are the Fruit S of the plants of the kinds Citrus , Fortunella and Poncirus (family of the Rutaceae ).

The kind Fortunella gathers the Kumquat S. the kind Poncirus contains only one species which produces nonedible fruits.

Origin

The citrus fruits are originating in the South-East Asia (North-eastern of the India in the North of the Burma). Starting from this zone, dispersion would have been carried out towards the East of India, the Malay Archipelago and China of the South.

History

In the Greek Mythology, the citrus fruits are also called hespérides , of the name of one of work of Hercules: to gather the Apples of gold of the garden of Hespérides, kept by the god Atlas.

The diffusion of citrus fruits throughout the World was done very slowly. The Cédratier (Citrus medica) was the first species known in Europe (300 years front J. - C. according to Webber, 1967). The Bigaradier (C. aurantium), the Lemon tree (C. silt) and the Oranger (C. sinensis) were introduced into the Mediterranean basin only towards half of the XIIe century, and the Mandarinier (C. reticulata) with the XIXe century. The diffusion towards the American continent is posterior with the second voyage of Christophe Colomb. The Citrus ×paradisi (pomelo), originating in the West-Indian zone is undoubtedly resulting from a spontaneous hybridization between citrus fruits introduced into the area.

Biology

The skin of the fruit is a bark (pericarp) made up of two concentric layers. The surface, rough and resistant layer, of orange often yellow bright color under the action of the Flavonoïde S, is named épicarpe or flavedo or peel in kitchen. The internal, white and spongy layer, is the mésocarpe or albedo.

Pulp is made up in juicy districts containing the pips. It is rich in Vitamine C.

In fact non-climacteric fruits must be collected with maturity. It are resistant to transport and the conservation.

If the fruits are rather easy to differentiate on the culinary level, the distinction of the botanical species is on the other hand complex, because the various species are hybrident very easily and are difficult to fix. The Citrus kind would not finally contain more than eleven species.

Classification

Two great classifications exist for the Citrus kind. That of the Japanese Tyosaburo Tanaka (1961) includes/understands 156 species while Walters T. Swingle and Reece (1967) distinguish only 16 from them. This contradiction is explained by the broad interspecific possibilities of Hybridation S like by the Polyembryonie which fixes these hybrid structures: Tanaka raises thus with the row of species of many hybrids will intra or interspecific.

Certain authors retain only four wild species from which would derive the current species and cultivated varieties.

Citrus medica (at the origin of lemons)
grown Citruses (at the origin of grapefruits)
Citrus reticulata (at the origin of the tangerines)
Citrus aurantifolia (at the origin of the files)

Some hybrids:

Citrumelo (Poncirus and Citrus ×paradisi )
Calamondin (Tangerine and Kumquat)
Tangelo (Tangerine and Citrus ×paradisi )
Tangor (Tangerine and orange)
Citrandarin (Tangerine and Poncirus)
Citrange (Poncirus and orange)
Clementine (Tangerine and orange)

Culture

The citrus fruits represent the first world fruit-bearing production (80 million tons in 1995-96). The total surface area planted out of citrus fruits is evaluated with more than 3 million hectares distributed on a very broad surface located roughly between the 40° of latitudes North and South all around the World.

Producer countries

The principal producer countries are the Brésil (15 million tons), the the United States (9 MT) and the China (4 MT). In Europe, the citrus fruits are cultivated in the Mediterranean countries. The principal importers are the Germany, the France and the the United Kingdom.

Distribution of the production by species:

oranges 71%
lemons and files 13%
tangerines, clementines, tangerines 10%
pomelos and grapefruit 6%

Use

They edible and are often used in the manufacture of the Parfum S, where they train the family of hespéridés, used in particular in the eau de Cologne. The skin of citrus fruits (especially of lemons) is called the peel .

Tricks and easy ways

to extract a maximum of juice from a citrus fruits, it should be strongly rolled under the palm before pressing it.

When grain or caster sugar is agglomerated in block by moisture, it will find its granulometry in a plastic bag in the presence of a citrus fruits (less treated possible).

References

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