Check Your Halloween Candy

Trick-or-treating on Halloween is a cherished tradition in North America and the United Kingdom, where it's also called Halloween. However, trick-or-treaters and their parents should be aware that there is always a possibility that someone may tamper with Halloween candy. A responsible adult should examine all Halloween treats before children eat them. Checking Halloween candy includes looking for evidence of tampering and throwing away treats that appear suspicious or have been handmade by strangers.

Tell trick-or-treaters not to eat anything they receive until they get home.

Warn the youngsters that you or another trusted adult must check their candy before they can eat it. Emphasize the importance of this without frightening the children and ruining their enjoyment of trick-or-treating.

Caution youngsters not to drink any beverages offered to them while trick-or-treating.

If you think children will be extremely tempted to eat their candy before they get home, send them out with a snack in case they get hungry. If you have to, offer them candy from the bowl you will be giving out. Make sure they can tell the difference between your candy and the rest of their candy (perhaps put it in a Zip-Lock baggie!)

Examine candy and treats in a room with bright lights as soon as the trick-or-treaters arrive home. Look for anything that doesn't seem right, including the following:

Lumps or bulges under the wrappers

Punctures or pinholes in wrappers or boxes

Ripped wrappers

Loose wrappers

Discolored or stained wrappers or boxes

Foreign objects poking from the candy

Candy that isn't in the original box or wrapper

Treats that are in unsealed boxes or partly unwrapped wrappers

Mismatched candy in packages containing multiple pieces. Look for candies that are a different size or color from all the others.

Candy brands or manufacturers that you've never heard of.

Candy that has a strange or unpleasant smell.

Candy that has passed its expiration date.

Throw away any candy that may have been tampered with or that doesn't look right for any reason.

Are you looking for the perfect wholesome and gift to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges

180 South “E” Street

Porterville, CA  93257

559-561-3391

When Do You Want Your Fresh Oranges To Arrive?

For over 30 years we have been a part of the fresh-squeezed orange juice industry. Sunburst  Oranges offers its services and knowledge to provide the OJC (Orange Juice Connoisseur) the best orange available, at any given time of the year, to make the finest, premium, freshly-squeezed juice possible.

Three steps to home squeezed orange juice...

1. Pick Box Size - 3 sizes to choose from:

 • USPS Medium box of juice oranges – $23.35delivered

(enough to make approximately 10 glasses of juice)

• USPSLarge box of juice oranges – $34.50 delivered

(enough to make approximately 18 glasses of juice)

• FedExLarge box of juice oranges – $49.00 delivered

(enough to make approximately 30 glasses of juice)

2. Pick Shipping Frequency

• One time • Every 2 weeks • Once per month

3. Pick Shipping Period

Every 2 weeks - 15% discount

Once per month - 10% discount

Varieties of oranges will vary during different months of the year. Each box contains a variety description, origin, hints to achieving the best flavour profile for that particular variety as well as a standard guide to sanitation and storage to best protect and preserve your work.

Get the freshest juice possible – click on link of your choice of size above to get started

Are you looking for Lemons to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges

180 South “E” Street

Porterville, CA  93257

559-561-3391

Pork Chops with Cumin and Fresh Oranges

Whether the recipe calls for fresh squeezed juice or simple slices, oranges are the star of the citrus fruit world pairing as easily with chocolate and they do with pork or salmon. Grab a few from Sunburst Oranges and get cooking to bring bright flavor to your dinner table.

 Ingredients

4 center-cut loin pork chops (each about 3/4 in. thick and 6 oz.)
3/4 teaspoon cumin seed
3/4 teaspoon coarse-ground pepper
Salt
2 1/3 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth
1 1/2 cups couscous
1 orange (1/2 lb.) 

Directions

Trim and discard fat from chops; wipe chops with a damp towel. Press cumin seed and pepper equally onto both sides of chops. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Place each chop between sheets of plastic wrap; with a flat mallet or rolling pin, gently pound meat to 1/4 inch thick, pounding as close to the bone as possible.

In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring 2 cups broth to a boil. Stir in couscous, cover tightly, and remove from heat; let stand until broth is absorbed and couscous is tender to bite, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, set a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat. When pan is hot, add chops, without crowding, in a single layer, and turn as needed to brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. As chops are cooked, transfer to a rimmed plate.

Meanwhile, rinse orange; cut in half lengthwise, then cut 1 half crosswise into thin slices, discarding seeds. Cut remaining orange half into 4 wedges.

Return all chops and any accumulated juices to pan. Add sliced orange and 1/3 cup broth; cover and simmer over low heat until meat is no longer pink in the center (cut to test), about 4 minutes.

Spoon couscous equally onto plates. Arrange chops and orange slices alongside; drizzle pan juices evenly over meat. Accompany with orange wedges to squeeze over pork. Add salt to taste.

Accompany with thinly sliced cucumbers dressed with seasoned rice vinegar and chopped fresh mint. Yield: Makes 4 servings

Are you looking for the perfect wholesome and gift to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-561-3391

Are Natural Sugars Really Better

When it comes to choosing between sodas and juices in the beverage aisle, the juice industry has long benefited from a health halo. We know that juice comes from fruit, while soda is artificial. In particular, The sugars in juice seem more "natural" than high fructose corn syrup — the main sweetener in so many sodas. After all, we've gotten rid of most of the soda we used to offer kids at school, but we still serve them lots of juice.

But a study published online in June in the journal Nutrition shows that on average, fruit juice has a fructose concentration of about 45.5 grams per liter, only a bit less than the average of 50 grams per liter for sodas. The sneakiest — and sweetest — juice is Minute Maid 100 percent apple, with nearly 66 grams of fructose per liter. That's more than the 62.5 grams per liter in Coca-Cola and the 61 grams per liter in Dr Pepper.

Michael Goran, the director of the Childhood Obesity Research Center at the University of Southern California, led the study. He says he decided to measure the fructose, specifically, in juices and sodas because of a growing body of evidence suggesting fructose is a riskier substance than glucose.

"The human body isn't designed to process this form of sugar at such high levels," Goran said in a statement. "Unlike glucose, which serves as fuel for the body, fructose is processed almost entirely in the liver where it is converted to fat, which increases risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and liver disease."

Goran's assertion is not universally accepted. Other health researchers, like Fred Brouns at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, say sugar is basically sugar. He has argued that we should spend less time fixating on fructose and its role in the emerging chronic disease epidemics and more time looking at sugar and overconsumption overall.

Goran says that while high fructose corn syrup in soda and food has become a focal point for researchers and public health advocates in recent years, there's been less attention on the link between fruit juice and obesity and diabetes.

"But it's hard to imagine why any there's reason why juices wouldn't be as harmful as sodas if they're delivering the same amount of sugar," he tells us. One of the biggest problems, Goran notes, is that nutrition labels only tell us the total grams of sugar — so it's hard to know how much fructose is in any product. 

But, Goran adds, if we're getting fructose from whole fruit, that's a different story. The fructose in whole fruit comes with fiber, which slows down and reduces the absorption of the sugar in the body, "serving as a sort of antidote to the negative effects of fructose metabolism." Barry Popkin, a leading obesity researcher and professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, agrees that fruit juice consumption is associated with health risks because of the high sugar content.

"Yes, from our long-term, huge studies in Singapore, Australia, the U.S. and Europe, I think 100 percent fruit juice is as bad as sugar-sweetened beverages for its effects on our health," he tells us. And, Popkin adds, every long-term study on the effects of 100 percent fruit juice intake on diabetes risk shows a very significant risk, too. Popkin notes that only about nine countries have banned fruit juices from schools. "However, all countries now say a maximum 4 ounces of fruit juice whereas 20 years ago we said unlimited," he adds.

So what's a juice lover to do with so many supersweet products on the market? As we've reported, some beverage makers are now starting to cut the sugar. Goran recommends diluting juice you buy at the store with 50 percent water.

Are you looking for the perfect wholesome and gift to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-561-3391

Handheld Technology Detects Chemicals On Store Produce

Comparing apples and oranges?

Purdue University graduate student Santosh Soparawalla, left, and postdoctoral researcher Fatkhulla Tadjimukhamedov demonstrate a miniature mass spectrometer used to detect chemicals on store produce. (Purdue News Service photo/ Mark Simons)

Purdue University researchers recently took their miniature mass spectrometer grocery shopping to test for traces of chemicals on standard and organic produce.

In the technology's first venture out of the lab, it successfully identified specific chemical residues on apples and oranges in a matter of minutes right in the produce section without having to peel or otherwise prepare a sample of the fruit.

R. Graham Cooks, the Henry Bohn Hass Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and Zheng Ouyang, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, led the team that used the miniature mass spectrometer - that some have likened to Star Trek's "tricorder" - to test for a fungicide on oranges and a scald inhibitor on apples.

"We're trying to take powerful, sophisticated instruments out of the lab and into the real environment where they could help monitor fresh produce all along the supply chain from production and supply to the consumers," said Cooks, who is co-founder of Purdue's Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development. "This technology has the capability of testing for bacteria as well, like E. coli or salmonella, and it only takes a matter of minutes as opposed to hours or even days for a standard laboratory test."

Mass spectrometry is a commonly used analysis method known for its sensitivity and accuracy; however, most available mass spectrometers require that a sample be specially prepared and placed in a vacuum chamber for analysis. Cooks and his team developed a technique, called ambient ionization, that allows critical steps to be performed in the air or directly on surfaces outside of a mass spectrometer. Molecules from the sample's surface of the sample are then vacuumed into the equipment for analysis.

Conventional mass spectrometers also are cumbersome instruments that weigh more than 300 pounds. The miniature mass spectrometer Cooks' team developed, called the mini 10.5, is a handheld device roughly the size of shoebox that weighs 22 pounds.

"Accuracy is the price we pay for a much faster, cheaper and easier technology that can be taken out into the field almost anywhere," Cooks said. "The minis are not as precise as a standard mass spectrometer, but it would be a good first line defense to indicate when additional testing is necessary."

Fred Whitford, coordinator of the Purdue Pesticide Programs, said the ability to sample food quickly would be a great benefit to the regulation industry.

"Sometimes a test result comes too late and the food is already out, which can be a serious problem," Whitford said. "Currently only about 2 percent of the food is pulled and tested, and perhaps a faster and cheaper test would allow more samples to be taken."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's most recent report stated that chemical residues exceeded the legal limits on 0.3 percent of the samples tested and 2.7 percent of the samples tested were found to have pesticides not approved for that crop, Whitford said.

"Chemicals can be misused in a variety of ways," he said. "Sometimes they are applied in the wrong amounts, sometimes the crop is harvested too soon after chemical application and sometimes a chemical is used that is not approved."

Graduate student Santosh Soparawalla and postdoctoral researcher Fatkhulla Tadjimukhamedov performed the grocery store field tests, which were limited to detecting the fungicide benzimidazole on oranges and the scald inhibitor diphenylamine on apples. Scald is a brown discoloration that appears on apples during storage.

"We could easily distinguish between treated produce, which had a strong signature for the chemicals, and organic produce, which showed no chemical residue on its surface," Soparawalla said. "This could be the first step toward a day when everyone will have the ability to make an informed decision of what they want to purchase and eat based on an analysis of the specific items."

Are you looking for the perfect wholesome and gift to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-561-3391

Orange and Mustard-glazed Roast Chicken With Stuffing

This makes a great and flavorful dinner for a Halloween feast. Yes this is an adult dinner, so if you have children figure something special just for them.

Ingredients

    1 large chicken about 4 pounds
    1 large orange
    2 Tablespoon butter
    1 Tablespoon wholegrain mustard
    roast potatoes and vegetables,
    
    For the stuffing
    3 celery stalks, finely chopped
    2 red apple cored and finely chopped
    4 ounces walnuts chopped
    4 ounces fresh breadcrumb, handful reserved for the topping
    1 pound sausage meat (6 sausages)
    1 medium egg
    handful parsley chopped
    2 Tablespoon wholegrain mustard
    2 Tablespoon butter plus extra for greasing

Directions

Heat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. To make the stuffing, mix together all the ingredients, except the butter, in a large bowl with some seasoning. Scrunch with your hands until well combined.

Season the chicken all over and put in a roasting tin. Smear with the butter and put on the middle shelf of the oven for 50 minutes. Remove pulp from orange and mix with the mustard.

Meanwhile, grease a 6 X 9 inch roasting tin. Press in the stuffing, then sprinkle with the reserved breadcrumbs and dot with the butter.

Brush the chicken with the orange and mustard, transfer it to a lower shelf and roast for 40 minutes more until cooked through and the juices run clear. Put the stuffing on the top shelf at the same time and cook for 40-50 minutes until golden and crisp.

Leave the chicken to rest for 10 minutes, then serve with the stuffing, along with roast potatoes and vegetables, if you like.

Are you looking for the perfect wholesome and gift to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-561-3391

Healthy Oranges For Your Family

For over 30 years we have been a part of the fresh-squeezed orange juice industry. Sunburst 
Oranges offers its services and knowledge to provide the OJC (Orange Juice Connoisseur) the best orange available, at any given time of the year, to make the finest, premium, freshly-squeezed juice possible.

Three steps to home squeezed orange juice...

1. Pick Box Size - 3 sizes to choose from:

 • USPS Medium box of juice oranges – $23.35delivered

(enough to make approximately 10 glasses of juice)

• USPSLarge box of juice oranges – $34.50 delivered

(enough to make approximately 18 glasses of juice)

• FedExLarge box of juice oranges – $49.00 delivered

(enough to make approximately 30 glasses of juice)

2. Pick Shipping Frequency

• One time • Every 2 weeks • Once per month

3. Pick Shipping Period

Every 2 weeks - 15% discount

Once per month - 10% discount

Varieties of oranges will vary during different months of the year. Each box contains a variety description, origin, hints to achieving the best flavour profile for that particular variety as well as a standard guide to sanitation and storage to best protect and preserve your work.

Get the freshest juice possible – click on link of your choice of size above to get started

Are you looking for Lemons to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges

180 South “E” Street

Porterville, CA  93257

559-561-3391

16 Year-Old Invents Super Material From Oranges

16-year-old South African girl invents drought-fighting super material from orange peels. In the midst of South Africa’s worst drought in recorded history, one Johannesburg schoolgirl has created a super absorbent polymer that could change the way crops are grown. The polymer is created from simple, readily available recycled materials – orange peel and avocado skin – and it’s capable of storing hundreds of times its own weight in water. Kiara Nirghin’s project “No More Thirsty Crops” won the Google Science Fair’s Community Impact Award for the Middle East and Africa.

Considering that South Africa’s agricultural union has been pleading with the government for subsidies to help weather the recent water crisis, Nirghin’s project could offer much-needed relief. Her super absorbent material could be used to create reservoirs that farmers could use to maintain their crops at minimal cost.

Nirghin knew that other super absorbent polymers rely on chain molecule polysaccharides to give them their power, and her project sprang to life when she learned that orange peel is composed from 64% polysaccharide. It also contains pectin, which is used as a gelling agent in numerous applications. When combined with oily avocado peel and left in the sun, the mixture undergoes a reaction and forms a polymer compound.

“No More Thirsty Crops” was the title of 16 year old Kiara Nirghin’s submission to the Google Science Fair’s Community Impact Awards for the Middle East and Africa, which she won. As a Google Science Fair winner, Nirghin has been assigned a mentor from the company to help her develop her idea further, including potential tests on the field. Soon, she’ll learn if she’s one of the sixteen finalists in the global competition – but even if she doesn’t make it to the final round, it sounds like she has a promising career ahead of her.

The orange peel SAP contains no chemicals and is fully biodegradable. “The orange peel SAP can easily be reproduced in poorer communities suffering from drought to replenish plants and sustain food security.” Kiara says. Kiara made the mixture of orange skin and avocado peels and left it in the sun where the mixture formed to create a super absorbent polymer.

Are you looking for the perfect wholesome and healthy foods to use as gifts for a 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 oranges you can buy.

Presented By:

Sunburst Oranges

180 South “E” Street

Porterville, CA  93257

559-561-3391

Using Oranges to Save Asian Elephants

Asian elephants are one of the world’s most endangered species. Although they are revered and respected in many cultures, these animals are still targeted by poachers for the illegal ivory trade and exploited in the tourism industry. There are only around 30,000 Asian elephants left in the wild, and unless human-elephant conflict ends (and soon), these animals will go extinct within our lifetimes.

Luckily, there are many groups working to save elephants. For example, Heart of Ganesh is working to protect elephants by planting orange trees. While this might sound like a non sequitur, Heart of Ganesh has actually figured out a way to promote peace between humans and elephants across Sri Lanka by planting citrus trees.

Rather than placing blame on any one group or community for the plight of elephants, Heart of Ganesh chooses to promote understanding, education and raising awareness to alleviate tension between people and elephants. They feel that educating people and empowering them to make compassionate choices is the perfect way to help both wild and captive elephants around the globe.

The Beginning of Heart of Ganesh

It all began with a beautiful temple elephant named Ganga. Sundari SitaRam, the founder of Heart of Ganesh, came across a video of Ganga online and was shocked. She saw the little elephant, miserable at a temple, as people filed past ignoring her completely.

“[I thought] Why doesn’t somebody DO something about this?” SitaRam tells One Green Planet. “The moment the sun rose the next morning, I knew my life was about to forever and irrevocably change.  That morning I started the process to sell the yoga center that had formed the core of my life for over 10 years and began pricing plane tickets to places like Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Sri Lanka.”

After spending a month researching and volunteering in Thailand, she traveled to Sri Lanka where she finally met the elephant that changed her life.

“She was chained by her front right and back left legs, confined on urine-drenched bricks, unable to turn around or even see the traffic that roared behind her, and had no free access to water, rest, or even companionship from another elephant,” describes SitaRam to One Green Planet. “I suffered an absolute crisis of disbelief the moment I saw her that haunted me for the better part of the 2014. I tried to turn away. I wanted to turn away.  But as I spent hour after hour watching people watch her and picturing her there day after day, year after year, chained and alone, there simply was no turning back.”

Empowering Communities, Protecting Elephants

At the beginning of her time in Sri Lanka, SitaRam worked closely with the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Center, SLWCC. Some of their work focuses on resolving human-elephant conflict by taking care of people. Raising the socio-economic status of villagers will allow them to make choices that are more compassionate.

In places like Sri Lanka, human-elephant conflict is rampant. In fact, according to SitaRam, every week at least three elephants will die and one human will lose their life as a direct result of this conflict. As resources become scarce and elephant habitats become more limited, the conflict is expected to only get worst. Elephants regularly destroy the only livelihood these people have, their farms and homes. In response, people fight off elephants, sometimes killing the elephants, sometimes dying in the process. Figuring out a solution to harmoniously living sounds easy, but takes more creativity and hard work than we would ever expect.

“Humans … We are the largest challenge facing Asian elephants,” explains SitaRam, “That’s the bad news. The good news is, we are also the only hope for saving them.”

In their first year, Heart of Ganesh joined with SLWCC and printed human-elephant conflict resolution brochures in several languages, distributing them to farmers. This was a fantastic and effective way to begin to educate the people dealing with elephants the most.

Are you looking for the perfect wholesome and gift to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-561-3391

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Is Changing — But Will It Taste the Same?

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is going the way of Blockbuster and butterfly hair clips — it’s officially retro.

The company announced Monday that it’s removing artificial preservatives and synthetic colors from its product by early 2016, the Chicago Tribune reports. So you can say “goodbye” to that infamous neon tint, even in their Easy Mac and microwaveable cups.

The change comes after about three years of research, tweaking and consumer tests and is the company’s latest attempt to meet consumer demands for simpler, more natural products. A Change.org petition charging Kraft to remove food dye from its macaroni and cheese received more than 365,000 signatures.

“Consumers have been telling us, and parents in particular, that they want to feel good about the foods that they eat and that they serve their families,” said Triona Schmelter, Kraft’s vice president of marketing for meals.

Dyes Yellow Nos. 5 and 6 will be removed from the product — which has been on shelves since 1937 — while paprika, annatto and turmeric will help with color. But don’t freak out, Kraft mac ‘n’ cheese lovers: The company says that this change will not impact the taste.

Kraft announced that the revamped product would hit store shelves in January — but unbeknownst to customers, it quietly began selling the artificial-ingredient-free mac and cheese in December. (Only consumers who paid careful attention to the tiny print of the ingredients list on the back of the box might have seen the change.) Today, Kraft issued a self-laudatory press release revealing its little experiment — which it has deemed "the world's largest blind taste test" — and proclaiming that "fifty million boxes later ... people didn’t notice a difference."

It turns out that their silence was a carefully planned marketing move. Since the announcement last year, Kraft has not only finished reformulating the recipe, but they also sent it to market! If you've purchased and prepared Kraft Macaroni and Cheese since December 2015, it's very likely that you sampled the new recipe without even realizing it.

Are you looking for the perfect wholesome and gift to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges

180 South “E” Street

Porterville, CA  93257

559-561-3391

October is National Farm to School Month

October is National Farm to School Month! Join us as and thousands of schools, early care and education sites, farms, communities and organizations across the country as we celebrate food education, school gardens and lunch trays filled with healthy, local ingredients. Everyone can celebrate! This year’s theme, One Small Step, highlights the simple ways that anyone can get informed, get involved and take action to support farm to school in their communities and across the nation. Here are several ways you can get involved:

Take the Pledge: Pledge to take one small step for farm to school this October, and you’ll be entered into our sweepstakes to win support for farm to school activities at the school or early care and education site of your choice!  

Get Inspired: Follow the National Farm to School Network on our blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see inspiring examples of farm to school success and innovation. Spread the word: Shout out about farm to school and share what you’re doing for National Farm to School Month with the hashtags #farmtoschool and #F2SMonth on social media. 

Explore resources: Check out our free resources for planning and promoting celebrations in your community, including customizable posters and bookmarks, stickers, activity suggestions and communications tools.

The 2016 National Farm to School Month theme, One Small Step, highlights the simple ways anyone can take small steps to get informed, get involved and take action to advance farm to school in their own communities and across the country. 

During October, take the One Small Step Pledge and you'll be entered to win support for farm to school activities at the school or early care and education site of your choice! Everyone who signs the pledge will receive weekly emails throughout October with suggestions of small steps you can take to advance farm to school in your community and nationally. 

Everyone can celebrate National Farm to School Month! The National Farm to School Network has developed resources and activities to promote Farm to School Month in schools, early care and education settings, communities and media outlets.

Throughout October, we’ll be sharing stories and information on our blog about how farm to school is empowering children and their families to make informed food choices and contributing to vibrant communities. Our resource database is home to even more information and includes searchable tags for Farm to School Month as well as topics like farm to early care and education, school gardens and procurement.

Happy National Farm to School Month!

Are you looking for the perfect wholesome and gift to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-561-3391

Take The Chill Off With Fresh Homemade Orange Juice

For over 30 years we have been a part of the fresh-squeezed orange juice industry. Sunburst 
Oranges offers its services and knowledge to provide the OJC (Orange Juice Connoisseur) the best orange available, at any given time of the year, to make the finest, premium, freshly-squeezed juice possible.

Three steps to home squeezed orange juice...

1. Pick Box Size - 3 sizes to choose from:

 • USPS Medium box of juice oranges – $23.35delivered

(enough to make approximately 10 glasses of juice)

• USPSLarge box of juice oranges – $34.50 delivered

(enough to make approximately 18 glasses of juice)

• FedExLarge box of juice oranges – $49.00 delivered

(enough to make approximately 30 glasses of juice)

2. Pick Shipping Frequency

• One time • Every 2 weeks • Once per month

3. Pick Shipping Period

Every 2 weeks - 15% discount

Once per month - 10% discount

Varieties of oranges will vary during different months of the year. Each box contains a variety description, origin, hints to achieving the best flavour profile for that particular variety as well as a standard guide to sanitation and storage to best protect and preserve your work.

Get the freshest juice possible – click on link of your choice of size above to get started

Are you looking for Lemons to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges

180 South “E” Street

Porterville, CA  93257

559-561-3391

Lasers And Oranges A Possible Cure For Citrus Greening

Florida's citrus industry has been struggling for nearly a decade with citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), a disease caused by a bacterium that destroys fruit production and eventually kills the tree. An effective cure has eluded researchers so far, and crop production is declining steadily.

A group of researchers from the University of Florida have taken a new approach to the disease by studying a unique application of lasers on citrus leaves. They have found that lasers, when used with the right settings, could greatly improve the success of antibiotic treatments currently being looked into as a way to stop the deadliest plant disease in Florida's history. The full study is available in the January issue of Applications in Plant Sciences.

The bacterium starves trees by attacking the vascular tissue responsible for transporting sugars to developing roots and fruits. Bitter, green, inedible fruits result, and once they appear it is only a matter of time before the tree dies. The search for a cure is costing the citrus industry millions in losses. The susceptible vascular tissue, called the phloem, is the innermost layer of bark.

While the disease kills trees from the inside out, scientists are trying to fight it from the outside in.

"Effective treatment of this disease has largely been limited by the inability to deliver antibacterial substances to the phloem," explains Ed Etxeberria, a plant physiology professor at The University of Florida's Citrus Research and Education Center. "Penetration of externally applied substances into trees is generally prevented by the presence of protective layers on leaves."

Lasers piqued Etxeberria's interest around ten years ago, when he began to help develop laser etching as an ecofriendly, paper-free way to label fruit. Knowing what lasers could do, Etxeberria was drawn to their potential to save infected trees by getting antibiotics into direct contact with infected tissue.

The laser beam creates microscopic indentations of approximately 250 μm in diameter. Depending on exposure, the indentation can be as little as a single cell layer deep. The researchers tested two-year-old 'Valencia' orange trees grown in large pots in a greenhouse. They applied test solutions immediately after laser treating the leaves, and examined how far the solutions traveled within each plant using specific fluorescent dyes. Applications of oils on leaf tissue after laser exposure prevented damage.

"For large-scale field applications, a scaled-up and more flexible model of the instrument containing multiple nozzles for the laser light, antimicrobial spray, and wax application is being developed. The overall system offers the added advantage of lower application frequencies and hence reduction in chemical use, a condition that lessens environmental impact," explains Etxeberria.

The laser perforation method can also be applied to other research initiatives, such as in studying the velocity of phloem sap flow and for the delivery of other agrochemicals such as fertilizers, systemic fungicides, and insecticides.

Are you looking for oranges to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-561-3391

Eleven ECO Uses For Oranges

Thinking of being ECO friendly when comes to using oranges around the house? Here are 11 great ideas for doing just that.

Eat them! Oranges are a healthy snack with low calories. You can’t beat them for a mid day boost.

Dry and powder the rinds. Here’s a great post about how to make and use powdered zest. 

Make natural citrus cleaner with orange rinds and White Vinegar. This was my favorite thing to do with the orange peels and now I have orange scented vinegar to clean with. It’s so easy, you’ll never throw away an orange peel again.

Garbage Disposal sweetener – Keep the vinegar orange peels in a jar on the counter and put a few down the disposal every time you use it. 

Keep your brown sugar lump free because oranges can deter brown sugar from hardening. Place a two inch wide orange peel piece, pith and all, in with your brown sugar and keep in an air tight container. The skin puts moisture into the air inside the container, keeping the air damp.

Make delicious homemade oil for use on salad – give them as gifts, or just keep for your own kitchen. Place bits of orange peel (pith removed) and dried cranberries or a sprig of your favorite herb, into a decorative bottle and fill the remainder with extra virgin olive oil. Close the bottle and place it in a dark place. Remember to gently shake every few days. After several weeks the orange peels and herbs will impart a wonderful flavor to the oil. Decorate and give!

Make citrus sugar: Use fresh twists and add it to sugar, combining them in a jar Let the oil from the peel infuse the sugar and after a few weeks remove the peel.

Make citrus extract powder: Make zest or twists (lemons, limes, oranges or grapefruit) being sure to remove the pith and allow to dry, about three or four days for twists, less for zest. Put in a blender (or spice grinder) and pulverize into a powder. Store in a clean jar.

Reduce the odor in your trash area. Placing orange peel at the bottom of your trash can, before putting the bag or bags in is said to reduce odor and discourage insect infestation.
Make candied orange slices.

Make an infusion of honey with orange peels by placing twists and letting the flavors steep for a few weeks. Speed up the process by slowly heating them on the stove, being careful not to bring it to a boil. Remove the peels and store in a clean jar.

Try making your own orange oil extract: Caution! Orange oil is flammable and very corrosive. For most cleaning purposes, a quarter of an ounce mixed in with a quart of water should be enough to get the beneficial results. Always spot test before applying in quantity.

Are you looking for the perfect wholesome fruits to use as gifts for a 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 Oranges
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-561-3391