Today in History: Oranges were introduced to Hawaii in 1792. I wonder how that all turned out. Did the people of Hawaii enjoy their first taste of orange juice? Or, did they prefer Hi-C or the pasteurized orange juice with no pulp? One can only imagine, since I found no further information on the subject. My OJ preference is picking oranges, juicing them and then enjoying the freshest juice possible made from the blood orange tree right outside my door.
To celebrate the occasion, I found this lovely postcard dated March, 1907 and mailed from Tampa, Florida to Rochester NY. The Tampa address still exists, and is located right at the point where I-4 and I-275 meet in Tampa. The Rochester NY address also exists, and, looking at the satellite map, appears to be an apartment complex.
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.Blossoms nestled among the previous year's ripening fruit
Bright, beautiful orange blossoms with their heady fragrance, would be right at home among the orchids and exotic flowers of the Hawaiian Islands. The fact that orange trees bloom while the previous year's crop of oranges are still at the peak of ripeness only adds to the beauty of the tree.
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Orange blossoms are a sign of good fortune and new beginnings, and find their way into many wedding bouquets. It is also the State Flower of Florida.
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The orange originated in southeast Asia, and is called a China apple in a number of languages.
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The word for the orange, originated from a Sanskrit word which in part, means fragrant.
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The color orange is named after the fruit.
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Tea can be made from dried blossoms and from the leaves of the tree.
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Orange water - like rose water is an ingredient in baked goods
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Orange blossom honey - a delicious citrus flavored honey - comes from bee hives set out in orange orchards.
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The entire orange - usually the Seville - is used in making orange marmalade. I make marmalade each year using blood oranges. The marmalade is much sweeter than the Seville type and has a darker, red orange color due to the red marbling of the oranges.
For more Postcard Friendship Friday fun, stop by and see Beth at The Best Hearts Are Crunchy. Beth will be hosting PFF this week.
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12 comments:
What a perfectly lovely post!
Orange you glad it is Friday!!!
(giggle)
I needed that, sweet friend.
Such an interesting & informative post! Like you, we here in Andalucia are lucky to have our own oranges in the garden - make such wonderful tart-flavoured juice! But I haven't yet experimented with nearby Seville oranges!
Happy PFF - and look forward to *meeting* you again sometime!
Thanks for stopping by too.
LOLA:)
Aww, thanks for sharing this with us. I'm finding it fun to look up some of the history behind the postcards...though a lot of my old ones only have a place.
I can just smell the oranges on your postcard. I guess we were both thinking of flowers.
Judy
Those foodie postcards make me hungry. Right now I thinking of fresh warm biscuits...yum!
Thanks for popping over today, loved the visit ;-)
I don't know if there's a more beautiful smell than that of orange blossoms. Beautiful cards and interesting info.
I had to get up and find myself an orange after reading this! Great information. I haven't seen a blood orange in years but when I was a child, they were a favourite.
Quiet beautiful, Muse! Happy PFF! :)
Orange you full of juicy information.
Lots of information.... would love to have an orange tree in my yard.... TFS... PFF!
what a wonderful post...fascinating background information and the card itself is gorgeous! i can also see an orange tree from my window here in rome - a lovely sight in the heart of the city!
Great post, orange you lucky to have a blood orange tree in your yard. What a luxury for us to have a blood orange shipment only once a year. Great post. I love orange honey.
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