It’s actually juice made from Cara Cara navel oranges, which make the juice darker orange than juice made from regular navels or Valencias, since Cara Caras have pink/darker orange to red flesh in comparison to the lighter orange flesh seen in those more common varieties.
Last week at wholesale produce we purchased a case of Cara Caras and they are amazing! For the most part, I like to peel and eat them, but I couldn’t resist making some juice just to showcase the beautiful deep orange color.
Why are Cara Cara oranges pink/dark orange/red? They contain more carotenoids, including lycopene, than regular navels and Valencias. The average Cara Cara orange doesn’t contain as much lycopene as a tomato, but it’s fun to know that Cara Caras can contribute to one’s dietary economy of lycopene.
The navel and Cara Cara orange samples I saw in Cronometer were not tested for lycopene, but Cronometer did have this interesting information:
Cara Cara orange – one medium
Vitamin C 41 mg
Calcium 57 mg
Alpha-Carotene 155.5 mcg
Beta-Carotene 238.7 mcg
Beta-Cryptoxanthin 626.8 mcg
Lutein and Zeaxanthin 212.5 mcg
Navel orange – one medium
Vitamin C 83 mg
Calcium 60 mg
Alpha-Carotene 9.8 mcg
Beta-Carotene 121.8 mcg
Beta-Cryptoxanthin 162.4 mcg
Lutein and Zeaxanthin 180.6 mcg
Another Cara Cara sample had 90 mg of vitamin C, which shows us that nutrient content can differ between samples. When looking at Cronometer or any other nutrient database, I always check out multiple samples and look for trends in nutrient content of the foods I’m examining. As we can see, Cara Cara oranges are higher across the board in the carotenoids listed in comparison to regular navel oranges, while both are similar in calcium content, which is an impressive yet expected amount for a single orange.
Cara Cara oranges are only around for a short period of time, so enjoy them while you can 😊.
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