10 Wonderful Ways with Blood Oranges

The season runs from January to March, but you can enjoy their flavour the rest of the year by making a delicious blood orange marmalade, freeze the juice in ice cube trays and whizz them up in milkshakes and smoothies or add them to sauces for extra flavour.

These delicious red citrus orbs are originally from Spain and Italy, but they now arrive from California, Texas and Florida too. We just don't have high enough temperatures to grow them here in the UK.

Like oranges they are high in Vitamin C and Vitamin B9 and they are also a good source of Anthocyanin, an antioxidant said to help prevent heart disease and cancer. One blood orange contains 12% of your recommended daily intake of fiber and contains only 80 calories.

Check out these fabulous recipes:

A trio of easy and delicious marmalade recipes to brighten breakfasts through the year. Three varieties:  blood orange; blood orange with strawberries and blood orange with Chianti red wine.

Get the recipe here: Love and Olive Oil

Blood oranges aren't just good for sweet dishes and desserts, they're also great in salads. They add a real punch of colour and flavour.  The blood oranges are teamed with red onion and beetroot in this salad, dressed with a tasty vinagriette and topped with fennel fronds.

Get the recipe here: A House in the Hills

A rich cake with none of the fuss of a tiered iced cake.  Just fruity, moist citrus cake topped with caramelised slices of blood orange. A little bit of sunshine with your afternoon cuppa.

Get the recipe here: Baking the Goods

Catie likens this galette to her great grandmother's jam-filled thumbprint cookies, or a very sophisticated Pop-Tart. In fact it is a glorious creation of citrus fruit which is roasted for an intense flavour but kept simple in a buttery pasty case and baked until golden. Pass the cream and tuck in!

Get the recipe here: Pitchfork Diaries

A new take on this delicate shell shaped French Treat. The batter is popped in the fridge overnight (or for an hour if you can't wait that long) and the result is light, fluffy, not too sweet, and delicately spiced Madeleines.

Get the recipe here: Delicious Everyday

The ultimate decadence has to be a rich chocolate pot and they are so simple to make. You can make them ahead and just whip them out of the fridge when you need them. These pots have a little kick from blood orange zest and brandy. Go on! You know you want to!

Get the recipe here: Sweetsurgarbean

These luxurious ice lollies are dairy free and full of the wonderful creamy flavour of coconut. They  really are too good to save for the Summer, so unpack those long forgotten ice lolly moulds and start juicing those blood oranges.

Get the recipe here: Knife Fork Swoon

Forced rhubarb is in season at the moment, so it can be teamed with blood oranges for an amazingly simply dessert. Kellie baked the rhubarb, which was topped with vanilla scented sugar, then served with slices of blood orange and yoghurt. Sounds fantastic!

Get the recipe here: Food to Glow

I love Margaritas but tend to always go for the classic style. I'm not quite sure why as these look amazing! Blood oranges, pineapple, Triple Sec and Tequila. Oh yes!

Get the recipe here: Cooks with Cocktails

These bonnie lasses from British Columbia sure know their cocktails so I had to share another one with you. This one is fresh off the press or out of the cocktail shaker if you will. Think of a classic  mojito, all fresh and minty, then add the citrussy and slightly berry flavour of blood oranges and you are there. Happy days!

Get the recipe here: Cooks with Cocktails

Jacqueline Meldrum is a freelance food writer and recipe developer. Jacqueline blogs at Tinned Tomatoes.

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Featured photo: Pinterest/mowielicious