Sunburst Oranges – We Have Chocolates

As you know ( or at least we hope you do ) we have added Staffords Famous Chocolates to our Sunburst Oranges website. We have started with five different ( should we say they are wonderfully delicious ) selections to choose from.

Taste of the Valley
Our Taste of the Valley box includes the signature items of the Santa Ynez Valley. The box contains Dark Chocolate Red Wine Truffles, Dark Chocolate Lavender Truffles, our very own Ooey Gooey Bites, and our homemade Sea Salt Caramels. 1/2 pound box of Mixed Milk, Dark and White Chocolates

English Toffee
Our English Toffee is handmade using only the best all natural ingredients. This rich crunchy buttery toffee is hand dipped and then rolled in a bed of chopped golden California almonds. 1/2 pound bag Mixed Milk, Dark and White Chocolate

Nuts and Chews
Choose from a variety of our organic crunchy nut clusters including Spanish peanuts, California walnuts and fresh roasted almonds. Our creamy caramels are hand crafted from scratch using only the freshest ingredients. 1/2 pound box of Mixed Milk, Dark and White Chocolate

Chocolate Hedgehogs
These extremely popular and cute animals make for a great gift for kids and a fun surprise for adults. 1 pound Mixed Milk, Dark and White Chocolate

Assorted Truffles
These decadent truffles have a sweet creamy ganache center infused with either Santa Ynez Valley red wine, or feature other elegant flavors ranging from Mocha Espresso to French Lavender. 
1/2 pound box of Mixed Milk, Dark and White Truffles

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to http://sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh and sweet gift giving adventures. We sell only the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Sunburst Oranges Web Site Improvements and Additions

Good websites tend to be a work in progress.  At sunburstoranges.com we are no different.  It depends on the timing of your last visit how much we have changed.

Here are some highlights from our web site. http://www.sunburstoranges.com 

Our Website now features;

Navel Oranges (in several different package sizes) (Seasonal Limitations)

Juice Oranges (Start Your Day With Fresh Squeezed Goodness)

Honey (Orange Blossom of course)

Jams and Marmalades (Ten Different Flavors) 

Stafford’s Famous Chocolates (Many Tasty Treats) 

We have a gift pack of Chocolates with each citrus order (limited Time Offer)

We include a nifty orange peeler with each citrus order

A nice honey dipper is included with each order of honey. 

We have added a search feature to make it easier to find what you are looking for.

At the bottom of our front page are links to our Social Media pages and our daily blog.

We have a nice backstory of the history of our companies.

We hope you find our “Farmer’s Shadow” full of interesting information.

If we can add more to our site that would be helpful to you please use our contact page to let us know what services or items we can add.

We look forward to you joining our citrus family.

Sunburst Oranges Hand-Picked, Hand-Made, Naval Orange Goodness Year-Round!

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to http://sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We sell only the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

You Are Right, Navel Oranges Don’t Have Seeds

One question that came across our desk was about the fact that Navel Oranges are seedless which makes eating them so much more fun.  But, what happens when you want to grow a new Navel Orange Tree.  You have nothing to plant.

Yes, that is correct, but there are ways to grow more navel orange trees.

First we must say these juicy, sweet navel oranges (Citrus sinensis) are a welcome treat during the colder winter months; their peak harvest time is between December and April. 

They grow well in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 9 and 10. Oranges enjoy hot summers with cool winters in between for maximum sugar production. 

The best way to plant navel oranges is by purchasing a small tree from a well-cultivated rootstock at your local nursery.

Wait until the fall to plant a navel orange tree. Allowing the tree to establish itself before the onset of summer will prevent stunted growth caused by excessive heat.

Select a garden area with at least six hours of sunlight each day, which is generally found on the south-facing side of your property. The perfect area has well-draining soil and is set away from any surrounding grass or structures.

Use the shovel to dig a hole in the garden. Estimate the size of the navel orange's root system. The hole's diameter needs to be double that of the root system. For example, if the root ball is 2 feet wide, the hole must be 4 feet wide. Continue to cut into the soil until the hole is both wide and deep enough.

Place the navel orange tree into the hole by carefully holding the root system with a piece of burlap. Ask a friend to help with the moving process if the tree is relatively large. Slide the burlap away from the ball once it's positioned in the hole.

Fill the hole with soil until it almost covers the entire root ball. The top 1-inch portion of the ball should remain exposed above the topsoil.

Water the navel orange tree thoroughly. Cover the surrounding area with mulch. Keep the mulch approximately 6 inches away from the tree's trunk to prevent any rotting or disease exchange between the mulch and the tree's bark.

Sunburst Oranges Hand-Picked, Hand-Made, Naval Orange Goodness Year-Round!

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to http://sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We sell only the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Sunburst Oranges: Fresh Orange and Yogurt Tart

This great dessert is delicious and visually stunning. Thick, creamy Greek yogurt plays a supporting role to juicy navel oranges in this almond-crusted tart.

Ingredients

1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup granulated sugar
 salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin 
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt 
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 medium navel oranges

Directions

In a food processor, pulse almonds, granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until finely ground. Add flour; pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly and holds together when squeezed. Press crumbs in bottom and up side of an 8-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Freeze 15 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes, then remove tart ring and let cool completely.

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons cold water and let stand 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, warm half-and-half over medium. When it begins to steam, add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved, about 1 minute. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, brown sugar, and pinch of salt. Stir warm half-and-half mixture into yogurt mixture. Pour filling into cooled tart shell and refrigerate until set, 2 hours.

With a sharp paring knife, slice off ends of oranges. Following curve of fruit, cut away peel, removing as much white pith as possible. Slice oranges into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and remove any seeds. Just before serving, arrange orange slices on top of tart.

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We sell only the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy. Direct from our trees to your home.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Sunburst Oranges Remembers Memorial Day

Somehow a very deep heartfelt “Thank You” just doesn’t seem to be enough. But, to all of the men and women who have fallen while protecting the rest of us, Know That You Will Never Be Forgotten! From all of us here at Sunburst Oranges.

Memorial Day is a US federal holiday wherein the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces are remembered. The holiday, which is celebrated every year on the final Monday of May, was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War.

By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.

Annual Decoration Days for particular cemeteries are held on a Sunday in late spring or early summer in some rural areas of the South, notably in the mountains. In cases involving a family graveyard where remote ancestors as well as those who were deceased more recently are buried, this may take on the character of an extended family reunion to which some people travel hundreds of miles.

People gather on the designated day and put flowers on graves and renew contacts with kinfolk and others. There often is a religious service and a "dinner on the ground," the traditional term for a potluck meal in which people used to spread the dishes out on sheets or tablecloths on the grass. It is believed that this practice began before the Civil War and thus may reflect the real origin of the "memorial day" idea.

Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day; Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, while Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.

The practice of decorating soldiers' graves with flowers is an ancient custom. Soldiers' graves were decorated in the U.S. before and during the Civil War. A claim was made in 1906 that the first Civil War soldier's grave ever decorated was in Warrenton, Virginia, on June 3, 1861, implying the first Memorial Day occurred there. Though not for Union soldiers, there is authentic documentation that women in Savannah, Georgia, decorated Confederate soldiers' graves in 1862. 

In 1863, the cemetery dedication at Gettysburg, was a ceremony of commemoration at the graves of dead soldiers. Local historians in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, claim that ladies there decorated soldiers' graves on July 4, 1864. As a result, Boalsburg promotes itself as the birthplace of Memorial Day

Sunburst Oranges Hand-Picked, Hand-Made, Goodness Year-Round!

From:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Sunburst Oranges Jams and Marmalades

Top of the Hill Fresh Made Jams

Many of these jams, jellies and marmalades are made from produce grown on this family ranch.  They are sealed in a glass jars and can stay for about a year unopened (refrigerate after opening). The jams and jellies are freshly made from natural ingredients. Each jar has an ingredients label for your convenience. 
  
Get that hand-made, farmer's market flavor at home.

Ten flavors to choose from...take a look!

$7.50 Marmalade and Jam

Select from an assortment of flavors freshly made with fruit picked from Central California and all natural ingredients sealed in "Lead Free" glass jars made in USA.

Choose A Flavor
Orange Marmalade, Blood Orange Marmalade, Lemon Marmalade, Tangerine Marmalade, Blackberry Jam, Boysenberry Jam, 3 Berry Jam (Boysenberry,Raspberry,Blueberry), Kiwi-Strawberry Jam, White Peach Jam and Jalapeno-Apricot Jam. 8 oz. glass Mason jar 

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We have the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Why Does My Orange Juice Have A Green Tinge, No Really!

Okay, that is a very fair question.  First let me say that many different factors affect the color you see in a glass of orange juice.

Do you know the saying, “You Eat With Your Eyes”?  If you wish, think of the Doctor Seuss story Green Eggs and Ham.

Your taste buds play an important role in determining the four basic groups of taste, which are sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. When your taste buds come in contact with food, they send signals to your brain to interpret flavor. But, we look at and smell our food before eating. Your eyes send signals to your brain well before our taste buds get the chance. 

Color is often the first factor noticed in the appearance of a food product. Humans begin to associate certain colors with various types of foods from birth. For example, we all expect yellow pudding to have a banana or lemon flavor and red jelly beans to have a cherry flavor. 

In fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables, we rely on the color to determine their level of ripeness and/or freshness. If the color of a food product does not match our expectations, we may perceive its taste and flavor differently. This psychological effect is one food companies use to their advantage.

The amount of Vitamin C present in orange juice can affect the color.  And I know you are thinking it and it is true that some companies actual use chemicals to alter the color of their “Orange” juice products.

Remember when you buy “it”, that bottle of “orange juice”, not all “orange juices” are created equal or even are real orange juice.  Just because the liquid in the bottle is an orange color doesn’t mean you are getting 100% juice made from a real orange.

The color of the light you are sitting under and what it is reflected off (your blouse) of, will also affect the color of anything you are looking at.  Our eyes and brain are programmed to think that the light coming into our eyes is related to natural sunlight.  Now days if you are indoors that is seldom the case.  Much or our indoor light these days comes from some type of fluorescent light.

Fluorescent lamps are available in a wide variety of shades of white light, allowing consumers to customize the mood of their space. In addition to being an option for general lighting use, many fluorescent lamps are produced for decorative purposes. Lamps that produce, red, green, blue, and other colors are available on the consumer market. People’s eyes perceive white as a combination of several frequencies of light, which can be simplified to just a few primary colors. A blend of these phosphors is used to generate what is considered to be a white light. Depending on the blend, different shades of white can be produced by the various combinations of phosphors. While many fluorescent lamps come in warm colors to match the yellowish light of incandescent bulbs, others come in cooler colors that create a whiter or a bluer light.

Bottom line, even your mood will affect how you perceive colors. Bottom line is, what is the source of your orange juice… did you squeeze it yourself?

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We have the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

More Fun Facts About Oranges from Your Friends at Sunburst Oranges

Did You Know?

An orange tree is a small tropical to semi-tropical, evergreen flowering plant. It can reach a height of about 15 to 24 feet. Oranges are seasonal fruits. A typical orange can be two to four inches in diameter, and weigh six to eight ounces. 

Oranges are actually highly modified berries, containing volatile oil glands in pits. The pulpy mass is made up of carpels, that have many fluid-filled vesicles, which are nothing but specialized hair cells.

One of the individual female reproductive organs in a flowering plant. A carpel is composed of an ovary, a style, and a stigma, although some flowers have carpels without a distinct style. In origin, carpels are leaves (megasporophylls) that have evolved to enclose the ovules. The term pistil is sometimes used to refer to a single carpel or to several carpels fused together. From the orange blossoms these gone on to form the interior parts of the orange fruit.

The flowers of an orange tree are white in color and have a wonderful fragrance. The blooming period of flowers is in spring. The orange fruit ripens in the fall thru winter months.

Oranges go back around four thousand years. Oranges were traded and found their way to Roman soil by around 200 BC. 

Sour oranges were introduced to the Arabs by the tenth century A.D. The Portuguese came up with a new variety of orange called the Portugal orange. It is thought that Christopher Columbus was the first person to bring the seeds of orange to America during his second voyage in 1493. 

By 1820, orange grooves were thriving in St. Augustine, Florida area. In 1873, three orange trees were brought from Brazil and planted in Riverside, California. It is interesting to note that one of those trees is still alive and bearing fruit, even today. Every navel orange grown and eaten in California is a descendant of this tree.

There is a tiny fenced-in park with a marker and its own parking area. Can all of the traffic at this busy intersection be good for the tree?

Address: 7115 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, CA
Directions: On the southwest corner of Arlington and Magnolia Aves. Riverside Fwy exit onto Arlington Ave., drive west, then take the second left onto Magnolia Ave. The parking area is on the right, just past the tree.

Sunburst Oranges Hand-Picked, Hand-Made, Naval Orange Goodness Year-Round!

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to http://sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We sell only the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Sunburst Oranges Quality Matters

On Tuesday we normally publish a recipe using Sunburst Oranges or Sunburst products with other ingredients to make a fun and delicious snack or meal.

We have received a few questions about those ingredients we list.  Overall the questions is when you call for Sunburst products is it okay to substitute something else.

The first step in answering that basic question is a definition of the meaning of a recipe… a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required. Something that is likely to lead to a particular outcome.

Some folks will try a recipe and make a major substitution (sea food for chicken, say) and then not have a good outcome and think the recipe is at fault.  Some combinations of ingredients seem to work better than others.  But since we all have different tastes all bets are off if you look for 100% acceptance or agreement.

A recipe is a set of guidelines that are meant to lead to a tasty experience.  When you change what goes into a recipe you will change the outcome.  Modify a recipe to meet you taste or the ingredients you can get it may change the taste and other results to what you can expect.  

So the quick answer is if you make a change to a recipe you may well alter the outcome.  We recommend certain products because we have good results when we use them.  Also a measured amount using a certain ingredient may well be very different when a substitute is used.

Many of our recipes call for Redmond Trading Company Real Sea Salt (or other of their fine products).  We have been using their products for about three years and it is the best product we have found. If you do a substitute here you may find the recipe too salty or not salty enough because your substitute will have a different concentration or base taste.

If you buy an orange at a local grocery store you will have no idea where or how it was grown.  In some grocery stores you may not even know what variety of orange you are buying.  Overall oranges taste, sweetness and juice amount will vary from orange to orange.  But when the source and storage of that orange is also an unknown you have to consider.

It doesn’t matter whose recipe you are following try to stay with the listed ingredients and directions, the first time, so you can truly judge the recipe and know what you can expect when you do the recipe again.  Yes, after you try a recipe you should feel free to make alterations to more closely suit your likes and your family’s tastes.

So next week we will feature a new recipe to hopefully inspire your new cooking ideas.

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We have the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

USDA May 2014 Citrus Forecast Shows Shrinking Supply

As you may know many factors are pushing the US supply of citrus, especially oranges in the direction of a short supply.  Drought in California and bacterial infections in the Florida orange crop are just two of many pressures affecting overall quantity and as well increased prices.

While farmers are the first to feel the effects of these conditions it does trickle down to the consumer and effects their shopping dollars. 

Consumers are currently paying an average of $6.22 a gallon for juice at grocery stores, up 39% from 2004 levels. That could be viewed as good news since many consumer prices have increased at a greater rate than orange juice.

Futures prices started the rally earlier this month, when a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered the estimate for Florida's crop to 110 million 90-pound boxes of oranges, down 12% from its initial estimate, and the smallest harvest in 29 years. Florida grows about 80% of the oranges used for domestic juice.

It was the fourth time since November that the USDA had reduced its forecast for Florida oranges, highlighting the severity of an outbreak of citrus greening in the state. The bacterial disease has spread to every orange-growing county in Florida, stunting fruit growth and causing oranges to fall from the trees prematurely.

Perhaps a bigger concern for the U.S. orange-juice market is shrinking demand. Orange juice has been losing market share to other beverages, including exotic juices and energy drinks. U.S. orange-juice retail sales are down 32% from a decade ago and fell 5.3% from last year in the four weeks ending on March 15, according to the latest Nielsen data published by the Florida Department of Citrus.

It is normal that as prices increase, there follows a decrease in market demand.

It is felt that the biggest factor that hurts orange juice demand is the current high prices.  The current conditions are such that the near future seems to indicate an even greater rise in the price of orange juice.

Read the USDA Report http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Florida/Publications/Citrus/cit/2013-14/cit0514.pdf

Sunburst Oranges are doing everything they can to hold the price on our direct from us pricing for our juice oranges.

When you are looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends, a quick visit to http://sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We have the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Sunburst Oranges Adds Orange Chocolate Truffles

As you know we are continually adding new accompaniments to our mouth-watering California products.

Sunburst Oranges has teamed up with Stafford’s Famous Chocolates to bring you the delectable combination of hand-picked citrus & hand-made confections for those special occasions throughout the year.

Hand-Picked, Hand-Made, Goodness Year-Round!

This week we have added Orange Chocolate Truffles

Sunburst Orange Truffles are so creamy and indulgent, bursting with luscious Sunburst Orange flavor. These creamy melt-in-your mouth dark chocolate truffles are made with 50% cocoa by masterful chocolatiers that make them a true delicacy.

Orange Chocolate Truffles are Available in two size boxes;

Four Piece Box for $ 7.00

Six Piece Box for $ 9.00 

Your source for everything citrus & delicious… Sunburst Oranges

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We have the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Sunburst Oranges is Constantly Growing Our Brand

Sunburst Oranges is less than six months old and already we have made quite a name for ourselves. We started with just one type of citrus, the most wonderful California Navel Oranges grown right here on our ranch.

These Sunburst Navel Oranges are shipped in four different sized shipping containers. You can find something that meets your needs perfectly. 

The next product line we added was several different Stafford’s Famous Chocolates selections. We feel that nothing goes better together than chocolates and oranges.

Our Chocolate selections include Sunburst Orange Truffles, Taste of the Valley, English Toffee, Nuts and Chews, Chocolate Hedgehogs and Assorted Truffles.

We followed up by adding a wonderful selection of ten different Jams, and Marmalades.  Many of these jams, jellies and marmalades are made from produce grown on the family ranch.  They are sealed in a glass jars and can stay for about a year unopened (refrigerate after opening, of course). The jams and jellies are freshly made from natural ingredients. Each jar has an ingredients label for your convenience.  Get that hand-made, farmer's market flavor shipped direct to your home.

We have the following flavors in our Jams and Marmalades; Orange Marmalade, Blood Orange Marmalade, Lemon Marmalade, Tangerine Marmalade, Blackberry Jam, Boysenberry Jam, 3 Berry Jam (Boysenberry, Raspberry, Blueberry), Kiwi-Strawberry Jam, White Peach Jam and
Jalapeno-Apricot Jam. 

You can select from our delicious assortment of flavors freshly made with fruit picked from Central California and all natural ingredients sealed in "Lead Free" glass jars made in USA.

We have since added another major category with our “Juice Oranges” There is nothing better than a fresh squeezed glass of California Orange juice to start your day.

Why make your own fresh squeezed orange juice?

What happens with Industrially-produced orange juice, is after the oranges are squeezed, the juice is stored in giant holding tanks and the oxygen is removed from them.  This allows the liquid to keep for up to a year without spoiling.  This makes the juice completely flavorless. Then the industry uses “flavor packs” to re-flavor the juice.

Fresh squeezed orange juice can be a good source of vitamins and other nutrients.  Squeezing your own at home would be about the only way to get the real flavor and these nutrients.

Stop back Friday to read about our latest addition to the Sunburst Oranges Brand.

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to http://sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We sell only the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Sunburst Oranges and the Porterville Chamber of Commerce Mixer

On April 29th 2014 Sunburst Packing Company became a member of the Porterville Chamber of Commerce.  

On May 2nd the First Friday Chamber Coffee event was co-sponsored by the Porterville Public Library and the Friends of the Library. Librarian Vikki Cervantes and representatives of the Library and the Friends posed for a photo. 

As a new Chamber member Sunburst Packing Co representatives Kristen and Shann Blue are pictured with Rob Taylor owner of Stafford's Famous Chocolates. They were on hand to introduce Sunburst Oranges new Chocolate flavor, Sunburst Orange Truffles.  There were many community members that were in attendance at the event.

Shown here at the Porterville Chamber of Commerce mixer is the display of the new orange truffles. 

Sunburst Orange Truffles are bursting with flavor and topped with real orange zest.  These decadent Truffles come in two size boxes. They are made using a semisweet dark chocolate that is 50% cocoa solids. This chocolate is called Burgundy Dark Chocolate. It has a reddish cast and a fruity, winey flavor note. This is our most popular dark chocolate.

Sunburst Orange Truffles are so creamy and indulgent, bursting with luscious Sunburst Orange flavor. These creamy melt-in-your mouth dark chocolate truffles are made with the very best cocoa by masterful chocolatiers, of course, making them a true delicacy of California orange chocolate taste sensations.

These new Sunburst Orange truffles are available on the website in two different sizes.  You can check them out at the following hyperlink.
www.sunburstoranges.com/#!product/prd1/2136031995/sunburst-orange-truffles You can use the drop down arrow to select your size package.

When you are looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends, a quick visit to http://sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We have the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Sunburst Oranges – Orange Fudge with Orange Zest Sprinkles Recipe

A delicious twist on an old favorite. Yes, our post about yesterday being Nutty Fudge Day triggered this great tasting treat.

Ingredients

3 cups  sugar

3/4 cup  butter or margarine

1 small  can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup)

3 packages  (4 oz. each) Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped

1 jar  (7 oz.) Marshmallow Creme

1 teaspoon  Orange Extract

Orange zest from 2 large Sunburst Navel Oranges

  

Directions

Line a nine inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides.

Bring sugar, butter and evaporated milk to full rolling boil in 3 quart saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook four minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 234° Fahrenheit, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. 

Add chocolate and marshmallow creme to the saucepan; stir until melted and incorporated. Add the Orange Extract; mix well. 

Pour into the prepared nine inch pan; spread to cover bottom of pan.  Add the Orange Jest over the top to add a tasty decorative flair. Cool completely in the refrigerator. Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into squares.

You can also cool and cut the fudge first and then sprinkle the orange zest so that it stays on the top of the pieces.  This is what we did for this image.

For our nut lovers out there: Add 1 cup chopped Walnuts at the same time as you add the Orange Extract

Nutritional Info per serving: Calories: 170, Total fat: 8 g, Saturated fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 10 mg, Sodium: 40 mg, Carbohydrate: 25 g,

Dietary fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 22 g, Protein: 1 g

Serving size: two inch square, one inch thick

When you are looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends, a quick visit to http://sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We have the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:

Sunburst Packing Co.

180 South “E” Street

Porterville, CA  93257

559-783-0500

Sunburst Oranges – Every Day is a Holiday

Do you think it would be nice to have at least one celebration every-day? Well there is at least one celebration or holiday every-day of the year.  Here is partial list for May 12th.

International Nurses' Day!
Limerick Day!
National Nutty Fudge Day!

Yes, this is only a partial list of what is being celebrated today.  Since Sunburst Oranges has chocolate for sale the Nutty Fudge Day is very close to home.  We think that the saying should be that “a chocolate a day keeps the doctor away” and would be a good slogan.

While last week was Nurse’s Week today is International Nurses’ Day
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has celebrated this day since 1965. In 1953 Dorothy Sutherland, an official with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, proposed that President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaim a "Nurses' Day"; he did not approve it. In January 1974, 12 May was chosen to celebrate the day as it is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, who is widely considered the founder of modern nursing. Each year, ICN prepares and distributes the International Nurses' Day Kit. The kit contains educational and public information materials, for use by nurses everywhere. In 1999 the British public sector union UNISON voted to ask the ICN to transfer this day to another date, saying Nightingale does not represent modern nursing. As of 1998, 8 May was designated as annual National Student Nurses' Day. As of 2003, the Wednesday within National Nurses Week, between 6 and 12 May, is National School Nurse Day.

Limerick Day celebrates the birthday of Writer Edward Lear (1812-1888).  It also, of course, celebrates Limerick poems. Limericks were popularized by Lear in 1846 in his Book of Nonsense".

This day is a time to enjoy and get your fill of Limerick poems. A Limerick is a humorous verse or poem. It is five lines longs. We are so glad that it came along to brighten up our lives. Celebrate Limerick Day in style by writing a Limerick or two of your own. Or, sit down and read a few humorous Limericks. They are guaranteed to make you smile. Did you know? Limerick is the third largest city in Ireland.

Fudge is thought to have been first created in the US in the late 1800’s so it is a fairly new invention. The first documented fudge recipes come from two female college students in New York during 1888. The girls would make batches of fudge and sell them 40 cents a pound. The first recipes for fudge were very complex and precise. 

If you are looking for a good source of celebration info try; checkiday.com

When you are looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends, a quick visit to http://sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We have the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Sunburst Juice Oranges

Juice Oranges might not be perfect or beautiful on the outside, but it's really what's on the inside that counts. Cartons can be purchased by a 20lb box or a 40lb box.

Why make your own fresh squeezed orange juice?

What happens with Industrially-produced orange juice, is after the oranges are squeezed, the juice is stored in giant holding tanks and the oxygen is removed from them.  This allows the liquid to keep for up to a year without spoiling. This makes the juice completely flavorless. Then the industry uses “flavor packs” to re-flavor the juice.

Fresh squeezed orange juice can be a good source of vitamins and other nutrients. Squeezing your own at home would be about the only way to get the real flavor and these nutrients.

40lb Carton Sunburst Juice Oranges perfect for home juicing.
Carton contains approx. 80-113 oranges  $20.00

20lb Carton Sunburst Juice Oranges perfect for home juicing.
Carton contains approx. 40-56 oranges  $10.00

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We have the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.


Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Natural Vitamin Delivery From Eating Whole Foods

As a subtitle we might say your choice is eat an Orange or Pop a Pill. But what way is best?

One of the problems with vitamin pills is that lots of your dollars get flushed away in the form of an attractive and mighty expensive green-yellow excretion. Your cells actually get precious little of the true vitamin. 

Study how the nutrients of raw fruits and vegetables are assimilated into the body. Sugars like fructose in fruit act as a delivery system for a variety of micronutrients including vitamins. And they do a much better job of it than a typical vitamin pill. God already had the working process.

The vitamins that occur in whole foods are integrally related to a large diversity of other naturally occurring molecules that assist absorption and assimilation. When vitamins are isolated and packaged into pills, they are poorly absorbed and can even cause imbalances in body chemistry. There is no such thing as an isolate in nature. It is completely man-made.

A new buzz word in the vitamin industry is the word “cofactor.” Vitamin C derived naturally from plants has cofactors in the form of bioflavonoids. They increase the bioavailability of vitamin C by 30 percent. There are many cofactors, scores yet to be discovered, that are naturally found in food. They work hand in hand, helping the human body absorb essential nutrients. They may not be recognized as essential, but their job of making essential nutrients more digestible and therefore vital to human digestion and health.

Vitamins in our food certainly helps protect us from illness. A recent study reported in The Lancet found that increasing daily intake of vitamin C from fruit and vegetables by just 50g - two pieces of broccoli or fruit - reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, heart attack and cancer.

But this study raises doubts whether vitamins, given in supplement form, can provide any benefit, let alone an extra benefit.

In the Heart Protection Study at Oxford University, researchers tracked 20,000 people. Half were given daily doses of vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene for five years, the other half were given dummy pills.

Those taking the vitamins had no more protection against heart attack, stroke or cancer than those taking the dummy pills and there was no extra benefit to eye or bone health.

Remember what Mom said, Eat your fruits and vegetables.  The FDA recommends eat two servings of fruits everyday. Try to make at least one of them Sunburst Oranges, just saying….

When you are looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends, a quick visit to sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We have the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

Sunburst Oranges Wishes You A Happy Mother’s Day

Coming up fast, this weekend, Sunday May 11th is Mother’s Day.  Some of you out there should go to SunburstOranges.com and place an order for your Mother.

Rather than just sending a great gift to your Mother you might want to know the background of the celebration. Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in spring. (e.g., April–May in the northern hemisphere, October in Argentina, but northern hemisphere spring, May, in Australia). It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father's Day and Siblings Day.

The celebration of Mother's Day began in the United States in the early 20th century; it is not related to the many celebrations of mothers and motherhood that have occurred throughout the world over thousands of years, such as the Greek cult to Cybele, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration (originally a celebration of the mother church, not motherhood). Despite this, in some countries Mother's Day has become synonymous with these older traditions.

The modern American holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia. Her campaign to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her beloved mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Anna’s mission was to honor her own mother by continuing work she had started and to set aside a day to honor mothers, "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world." Anna's mother, Ann Jarvis, was a peace activist who had cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the Civil War and created Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address public health issues.

Due to the campaign efforts of Anna Jarvis, several states officially recognized Mother's Day, the first in 1910 being West Virginia, Jarvis’ home state. In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation creating Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers. In a thank-you note to Wilson Jarvis wrote of a “great Home Day of our country for sons and daughters to honor their mothers and fathers and homes in a way that will perpetuate family ties and give emphasis to true home life.”

Many people send flowers on Mother’s day.  We agree that they are very pretty and in some cases even smell wonderful.  But if you are lucky they are going to be nice for a week.  Some don’t last that long.

Why not consider something very unique this year for Mother’s Day.  Visit sunburstoranges.com and select a wonderful gift that will be shipped by USPS Priority mail.  It is still time to get it there for Mother’s Day.

Of course we have wonderful fresh oranges.  We also have chocolates, orange blossom honey and ten varieties of delicious jams and marmalades. Mom will enjoy our many different and unique gifts. Surprise her this year with a visit to sunburstoranges.com.

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends, a quick visit to sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We have the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500

How to Make Orange Juice

Squeezing Orange Juice by Hand

Soften the orange. Tightly squeeze or roll the oranges firmly with the palm of your hand across the counter or table to soften them up.

Cut the orange. Slice the orange in half and remove the seeds. If you want to go seedless, use navel oranges.

Juice the orange. Grip the one of the orange halves tightly and squeeze it by hand, using a plain juicer to coax all the juice out. 

Add pulp. Scrape the orange with a spoon and add the pulp directly to the juice if you use a hand juicer. If you prefer clear juice, pour the juice through a strainer before drinking. 

Drink up! Enjoy a crisp, cold glass of freshly squeezed, unpasteurized orange juice, the way it was intended to be! 

Squeezing Orange Juice with an Electric Juicer

Prepare the oranges. Peel and quarter the oranges in sections. Smaller oranges such as mandarins may only need to be broken in half. 

Process the oranges through the feed tube. Make sure you have something to catch all that delicious juice coming out the other end. Note that some juicers have the ability to adjust how much pulp is extracted with the juice. 

Squeezing Orange Juice with a Blender or Food Processor

Prepare your oranges for blending. Peel the oranges, then cut or tear them into 1-inch chunks. If the oranges are seeded, be sure to remove those as well. 

Pulse a few times to break up the oranges. Then process continuously until the oranges are pureed. 

Taste test the juice. If it is too dry, add some water. If not sweet enough, add sweetener to taste. 

Run the blender again. Run until it is liquified. 

Let sit for a few minutes to settle, then serve! 

Tips

Try different varieties of oranges, to see which you like best for juices. Valencia oranges have seeds, but are juicy; navels are easy to get at, are large, and have no seeds.

Make sure that the oranges you use are fresh. It increases the taste!

Are you looking for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends, a quick visit to sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We have the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Packing Co.
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-783-0500