A little bit about oranges...

[Dave]

Orange cultivation is a major business and an important part of the economies of the US, Florida and California, many Mediterranean countries, Romania, South Africa, China, and the Riverina district around the Murray River in Australia.

Oranges are widely grown in warm climates worldwide, and the flavors of orange vary from sweet to sour. The fruit is commonly peeled and eaten fresh, or squeezed for its juice. It has a thick bitter rind that is usually discarded, but can be processed into animal feed by removing water using pressure and heat.

It is also used in certain recipes as flavoring or a garnish. The outer-most layer of the rind is grated or thinly veneered with a tool called a zester, to produce orange zest which is popular in cooking because it has a similar flavor to the fleshy inner part of the orange. The white part of the rind, called the pith, is almost always discarded. Oranges also can be used to create citrus oil, which is used in aromatherapy to uplift and relieve stress.

[twirly]

The peels, fruit and seeds of citrus plants such as lemons, oranges, limes and grapefruits contain varying amounts of citric acid, limonin and volatile oils that can cause gastrointestinal irritation such as vomiting or diarrhea if ingested. In some cases, exposures to high concentrations of these substances (such as those found in certain citrus-based cleaners) could possibly result in central nervous system depression as well. The stems, leaves and seeds of apples, cherries, peaches, apricots and certain other fruit trees contain cyanogenic glycosides that have the potential to cause vomiting and loss of appetite, and in severe cases weakness, incoordination, difficulty in breathing, hyperventilation, shock, coma and even death could occur.