acid oranges

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hi raw fooders'

just for interest, below is a copy of a message i sent to the brixtalk egroup. reply #1 is from rex harrill who is the brix list moderator and brix site owner. reply #2 is from bob avery who posts to several raw groups. both men a raw fooders.

 

 

 

 

Fri, 24 May 2002 21:40:33 -0400 R. Harrill <brixmanRe: acid oranges

 

5/23/2002 10:45:51 PM, "kelpguy" <kelpguy wrote:

 

> i've been eating organic valencia oranges lately that are brixin in the> typical low/med category. after eating, i have to rinse my lips with fresh> water to reduce the sting. does anyone know the why's, etc. of this> 'stinging'? is it associated with the fruit variety, or low brix, harvested> to soon, etc. ??? is this the stuff that reduces the enamel on our teeth?> if so i would think it would work on your bones also. 8/

 

Norm, there is a mandated sugar/acid ratio that comes into play for commercial oranges. I don't know the exact numbers offhand, but they are in any citrus handbook.

 

As the fruit develops, total acid quantity drops even as the brix rises. My thought is that this is a way the tree keeps animals from eating the fruit before the seeds are fully developed. I carry that further to contend that the best fruit, i.e., highest brix, will then be taken first and most aggressively spread. My logic thinks this chain is the reason trees pack as much brix as they can into their offerings.

 

However, not all groves pay attention to the standards---particularly organic groves that don't sell into the commercial channels.

 

The acid oranges you described were simply picked too soon. MN is telling you, "This fruit is not quite ready to eat---wait a while."

 

Having said all that, I have personally found that very high brix citrus (17-18) is low in acid and you can eat your fill without any lip burning or tummy upset.

 

Regards,Rex Harrill

 

 

 

Fri, 24 May 2002 21:08:07 -0400 Bob Avery <rwaveryRe: acid orangesNorm wrote;i've been eating organic valencia oranges lately that are brixin in thetypical low/med category. after eating, i have to rinse my lips withfresh water to reduce the sting. does anyone know the why's, etc. ofthis 'stinging'? is it associated with the fruit variety, or low brix,harvested to soon, etc. ??? is this the stuff that reduces the enamelon our teeth? if so i would think it would work on your bones also. --OK, since you asked:--I think Rex will tell you that low pH is a function of picking unripefruit. Maybe it's a function of low brix too. I don't know.--Yes, those acids will wear away at your teeth and probably other bones,and I've lost a lot of tooth enamel from one whole year of eating 1 or 2lemons/day just straight like apples. Not recommended. For other hardcitrus like oranges and grapefuit, I confine them to the winter seasonwhen I don't have a lot of choice, though I mostly prefer subacid fruitslike apples and pears instead.--When the persimmons come along, I delve into those, then it's back tocitrus until the mangoes and melons start to come in. And I'll eatbananas anytime.--Maybe you should rinse your whole mouth, not just the lips. Take alook at your teeth from time to time. If you see the tips begin tobecome translucent, the teeth are beginning to demineralize. The nextstep is that they chip away. You can also feel ridges on the sides ofthem with your tongue, sort of a rough texture.--Remineralization of teeth does occur at night while you sleep, providedthat your saliva is well-mineralized and has sufficient protein content,and you breathe out through your mouth. (The CO2 combines with thesaliva to form a weak carbolic acid that allows the protein and mineralsin the saliva to bond with the teeth.)--A friend of mine swears that leaving his citrus in the window sill fora couple of days causes the acids to turn to sugars to some extent, andthey become sweeter and less biting. Another friend and Nikkendistributor claims that wrapping the citrus in the far-infrared comforterhe sells will do likewise. I've tried the window sill method, but am notconvinced...Bob Avery