Have you ever had the pleasure to taste a cara cara? If not, you must! These oranges - yes - navel oranges with red flesh instead of the typical orange flesh - are absolutely delicious! At first you might think you've opened up a small grapefruit due to the color and tangy flesh, but unlike grapefruit, cara caras are sweet and very low in acidity. They are an excellent source of Vitamin C (150% of your daily need) and Vitamin A (30% of your daily need), folate (15% of your daily need) and potassium (250 mg of your daily 2000 mg needed). These sweet & delicious citrus also contain lycopene and beta carotene. Did you know...beta carotene does not mean Vitamin A? Beta carotene is just one of the carotenoids needed to convert Vitamin A in your body. It's an antioxidant, protecting your body from the abundance of free radicals we all seem to be battling. But that's a different lesson in food chemistry!
A cara cara is the perfect, seedless snack for a lunch box, to bring on a hike or to the beach or as an afterschool treat. They are yummy in a salad or served over grilled chicken. Super juicy, they will quench your thirst on a warm spring day, or boost your immune system on the crazy cold days many are having this spring. We source ours locally and organically in our Good Life Organics CSA box and look forward to cara cara season every year!!
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