Are oranges sprayed ?

[Happymouse]

Are oranges sprayed ? I keep making the yummy carrot cake recipe in The allotment book by Andi Clevely. I put more orange zest than the recipe says in the icing and wonder if I am adding harmful things to the cake ?

[Colin_M]

I believe it's fairly common practice to apply a wax to the skins of most citrus fruit (oranges, lemons etc).

For some fruit, you can now buy not only organic versions, but also unwaxed (eg. Tescos sell unwaxed lemons).

As for any danger in using the ordinary waxed varieties, perhaps someone else can advise? I just remember a quote from from the House of Commons a few years ago when someone observed that MP's who enjoyed a Gin & Tonic were probably picking a regular dose of chemicals from the slice of lemon in each glass, as a result of the wax.


Colin

[John]

Hello Happymouse
Like Colin I'm pretty sure that all citrus fruits fruits you buy are treated with oil/wax and probably fungicide to improve their shop life. If I need the skin for anything I always give them a good scrub with a little washing-up liquid and water (give a good rinse afterwards) which I hope removes all this stuff.

I think that I'm right in saying that Seville oranges, sold for marmalade, are not given any treatment at all. They have an excellent sharp orangey taste but the problem with them is that they are are very seasonal - only in the shops for a few weeks sometime after Christmas. Suppose you could prepare them and freeze for use later during the year?

John

[alan refail]

If you buy "Organic unwaxed" they are presumably what they say. We always do and are quite sure there is no wax on them.

Alan

[peter]

The wax is a post harvest keeping measure purely to extend the shelf life.

I assume the original question refered to pesticide/fungicide and I would assume that the answer would be yes, unless they were organice.

However given that bordeau mixture is allowed on organic spuds that is not an absolute guarentee.

[GIULIA]

When you see oranges on sale where they're grown (Morocco for instance)they have a bloom on them like plums. That has to be wiped off before they're used and it would make the fruit rot in transit - the wax is there to stop it forming but as far as I know it's perfectly harmless. Not all artificial things are toxic. A rub with a rough dry towel is enough to shift it anyway.

[Johnboy]

Hi Giulia,
The bloom on Plums is natural but the wax sprayed on Citrus fruit is not but is totally harmless. I would suggest that every time the normal person cleans their teeth using toothpaste they are using many more chemicals and think nothing of it. I suspect that there is a similar wax in lipstick but that doesn't stop these pure people using it! If you are going to use the zest or peel for cooking a simple wash of the fruit will remove this harmless wax.
I simply fail to understand the stupidity of some people. The wax is used in an attempt to get that fruit to the buyer in the best condition possible and for those who are so pure the best thing is to either give up citrus fruit or pay over the odds for a poorer quality fruit.
JB.

[oldherbaceous]

Good morning Johnboy, your choice of words do seem a trifle harsh this morning.

[richard p]

following on from jb's comments on lipstick etc there was a programme on the box last week , think its channel 4 thursdsay eves, sarah beeny investigating the amount of chemicals in toiletries and just how much people use, one pair of young ladies were spending a thousand pounds a month on potions to slap on their faces, and other bits. after a week on purer products the urine analysis had changed remarkably and they both said they felt better in themselves and if anything their skin, hair etc was in better shape.
there is a growing market for "non toxic toiletries" where the "pure " after they have eaten their organic prunes can continue their crusade in the bathroom


back to oranges if you leave a normal shop bought orange it doesnt go rotten it just sort of dries up and shrivels, if it wont rot i dont really want to eat it!!!:D

[Johnboy]

Richard,
Are you trying to tell me that a film of harmless wax will prevent an orange from rotting?
A film of wax certainly will give you more of the taste of an orange just picked off the tree but it will rot just the same as your shrivelled not-fit for-sale one. It will rot, just the same, only take a little longer to do so. The wax prevents them dehydrating and nothing else.
Go back to enjoying your prunes Richard because if you have ever seen prunes in the making, organic or otherwise, you would never eat one!
A very good way of preserving Apples is to smear them with Vaseline which goes under another proper name of Petroleum Jelly but I suppose that will be a no no for you as well. How sad.
JB.

[richard p]

jb , all im saying is if you take a shop bought orange and leave it, it wont rot it just shrivels up, which i dont think is natural behaviour for a fruit. whether its due to a coating or some other preservative sprayed on or injected i dont know, or really care . it just puts me off eating oranges.

by the way i didnt say i eat prunes, you are making assumptions about me again.

must go , got to take a young male cat to the vet

[Chantal]

My boss left an orange in his desk when he went on holiday and it'd didn't dry up, I wish it had. It turned blue/green and then started to drip out of his desk drawer and onto the carpet. When he came back he kept insisting it was furniture polish that smelt so strongly of citrus, until he finally opened the drawer. Ugh, it took us hours to get it all cleaned up.

[Johnboy]

Hi Richard,
Sorry about the Prunes. Now if you can explain what you mean by Oranges bought from a shop 'cos you have me confused. I don't know where else to buy Oranges.
Perhaps you pick them from the trees in Somerset but then I think you will find that they are Apples in that fair county. We still make better Cider in Herefordshire though!
JB.

[richard p]

hi jb ... i have a brother in law who lives in a wee village about an hour from malaga, oranges grow on tres there.
are you trying to start an argument with your assertion that the stuff they make in hereford is in any way comparable to proper cider from somerset bye

[Johnboy]

Hi Richard,
Strangely where ever Oranges grow they grow on trees.
I'm not trying to have an argument over the Apple Water produced in Somerset it's game, set and match for Herefordshire proper Cider.
Perish the thought that I would ever argue with you Richard.
JB.