Sicilian Blood Orange: Season, Varieties and How to Use It

The blood orange is one of Sicily's symbols: flesh with red highlights, an intense aroma, a balance of sweet and tart that makes it unmistakable. Its marmalade captures all of this in a jar. Here's what makes it special and how to choose a real one.

Why the blood orange is red

The colour comes from anthocyanins, pigments that develop thanks to the strong day-night temperature swing typical of the land around Mount Etna. Without that swing, the orange would stay blond: it's the Sicilian climate that ‘paints’ the flesh red.

The three varieties: Tarocco, Moro and Sanguinello

• Tarocco: the most common, sweet and low in acidity, with red veining; great to eat and for balanced preserves.
• Moro: the most intense, deeply red flesh and a bold, almost berry-like taste.
• Sanguinello: late-season, sweet and juicy, with colour that deepens towards the end.

The season

It's a winter fruit: it ripens between December and April, and that's when it's at its best in aroma and colour. A good blood orange marmalade comes from fruit picked in this period, not from out-of-season concentrates.

How to use the marmalade

• At breakfast, on toast or rusks
• With fresh and mature cheeses, for a sweet-savoury contrast
• In baking: tarts, biscuits and fillings
• To glaze desserts or accompany white meats

How to choose a real one

Look for a high fruit content, no colourings (the red should come from the orange, not a colouring) and, if you can, a Sicilian and organic origin. Be wary of colours that are too uniform and long ingredient lists. Ours is a blood orange preserve from Sicily, organic and free from artificial flavourings.

Further reading: All our organic jams and preserves