Red oranges

Their red-purple colour comes from anthocyanins, pigments that develop as the fruit ripens, especially when days are warm and nights are cool. The colour can vary between fruit, even on the same tree.

Choose one that feels heavy for its size and smells fresh and citrusy near the stem. Red patches on the peel are not a reliable ripeness test: some ripe blood oranges have mostly orange-coloured skin.

Keep them in a cool, airy place if you will eat them within a few days; refrigerate them to keep them fresh for longer. Bring chilled fruit to room temperature before eating for a fuller aroma.

Roll the orange firmly on the worktop, cut it across the middle and squeeze gently with a reamer. Avoid scraping or crushing the white pith, which can add bitterness.

Try the Sicilian-style combination of blood orange, thinly sliced fennel, black olives and a little olive oil. The fruit’s sweet-tart juice also works well in a dressing for bitter leaves.

Yes: use them in the same quantity for cakes, tarts and marmalade. Their juice and zest bring a vivid colour and a more berry-like, tangy flavour; remove the seeds before cooking.

They are well-known blood-orange varieties. Moro often has the darkest flesh and a pronounced berry-like flavour, while Tarocco is usually sweet and Sanguinello tends to have a more tart, aromatic taste.