by: Susanne Pacher
One of the things that Florida is known for is, you guessed it, is orange juice! The citrus industry has been playing a big role in Central Florida for many decades, and considering its importance, I wanted to learn a bit more about it.
So with the help of the Orlando Visitors and Convention Bureau I was able to locate "Florida's Natural Growers", a citrus-processing cooperative that produces the well-known "Florida's Natural" brand of juices. The cooperative was founded in 1933 and today more than 1000 independent growers are part of this cooperative processing and marketing organization.
Florida's Natural operates a 540 acre fruit processing center in Lake Wales, about an hour south of Orlando. They are now the largest employer in the Lake Wales area. The facility also offers a visitor center which educates tourists on the history of Florida's citrus industry, and the science and processes behind citrus juice production.
Gift shop at the Florida's Natural Visitor Center
I first viewed a 10 minute video which provided a very good overview of Central Florida's citrus industry. The organizational structure of Florida's Natural is quite interesting as well since it is not a corporately owned juice company like Minute Maid or Tropicana (owned by Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co. respectively), but rather it is a cooperative of local farmers that share in the production of the fruit and the juice. Florida's Natural prides itself in doing things a little differently from the big juice companies and its unique nature is reflected in its motto:
- We own the land
- We own the fruit
- We own the company
Orange cultivation was originally introduced by the Spaniards several centuries ago. Grafting resulted in stronger and more resistant trees which produced fruit in 3 years instead of 15 years. Fruits are still picked by hand, put into containers, which are boxed and shipped by truck to the processing plant.
Classic orange juice advertising posters
A variety of quality control processes are applied and fruit is washed and separated by size by grading inspectors. About 95% of Florida's orange harvest goes to juice production. Florida's Natural extractor machines can handle about 13 million pounds of oranges every 24 hours. Once the fruit has been squeezed, a so-called finisher removes the seeds. Then the juice is flash-pasteurized and packaged.
The key thing about Florida's Natural products is that they are not made from concentrate, but rather contain only pure unsweetened fruit juice. Different varieties of orange juice are stored and blended in order to ensure that the taste is consistent throughout the different harvests during the year. The organization prides itself that its juice is as close to the grove as you can get and it is the fastest growing not-from-concentrate brand. Florida's Natural 64 ounce cartons are shipped all over the globe.
Different varieties of citrus fruits Historical posters of citrus fruit varieties
In addition to juice, every part of the orange is used to produce other products, such as orange oil, for example, while seeds and peel are processed into cattle feed. Florida's Natural growers also believe in wildlife conservation and have created wildlife habitat areas while employing various methods for reducing water usage.
In addition to the video screening theater, the Visitor Center houses a gift shop in the front and a walk-through display area that provides information about various themes, including weather, the history of the citrus industry, the history of citrus juice packaging, two display panels on the indigenous species of wildlife, as well as a variety of classic orange juice advertising posters.
When I was done with the educational part of the Visitor Center I explored the Gift Shop where I found all sorts of souvenirs and citrus-related presents, including citrus-scented candles, jams, marmalades, creams, t-shirts, books, hats, everything you can imagine with a citrus theme. I picked up some orange-flavoured (and orange-shaped) Whetstone Chocolates as treats for my friends at home.
I also got to taste free samples of 4 varieties of juices which represent a good cross-section of Florida's Natural product line, which includes different types of orange juice (with varying degrees of pulp and some with additions of vitamins or calcium), ruby red grapefruit juice, apple juice, cranberry apple cocktail, lemonade, raspberry lemonade, and lemonade ice tea.
Dropping by the Visitor Center at Florida's Natural was a great introduction to one of the most important industries in Florida and gave me a real appreciation of everything that goes into producing that healthy, refreshing glass of orange juice that I enjoy in the morning.
About The Author
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions (www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys. Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest (http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River. "Life is a Journey Explore New Horizons". The story with photos is published at Stories and Photos (http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/orlando_regional_history_center.htm) Susanne Pacher sq@travelandtransitions.com
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Great Appetizers for Baby Showers and Other Parties
Great Appetizers for Baby Showers and Other Parties
by: Criss White
One of the biggest challenges for planning a baby shower or any other party is picking the right food. Appetizers and snacks are great for all types of parties, big and small. Here are some delicious appetizer ideas that you can make yourself or buy for your party:
1) Stuffed Mushrooms - Stuffed mushrooms are a tasty treat for any party. Larger mushroom caps of course are better and you can be creative with your stuffing choices. Some popular ingredient choices are cheese, bacon, and breadcrumbs.
2) Cheese and Crackers - Cheese and crackers are a simple snack idea for any party. This snack is also great for health conscious people. For upscale occasions, cheese logs or gourmet cheese balls can be used.
3) Fruit Platter - Another healthy and simple idea is fruit salad or a fruit platter. These platters can contain canned fruits, fresh fruits, or a mix of both. Some...
Great Appetizers for Baby Showers and Other Parties
Fruit > Great Appetizers for Baby Showers and Other Parties
Attracting Birds to a Tropical Garden
Attracting Birds to a Tropical Garden
by: Brian Ramsey
Some individuals enjoy bird watching but prefer to do their bird watching in their back yard. Below is some advice on attracting wild birds to your back yard.
Firstly it depends upon having wild birds in the general area where your house is located and then you can attract then to your backyard.
The method used to attract the birds will depend upon what is the diet of the bird. If the bird is a nectar feeder e.g. bananaquits or hummingbirds, then large flowering plants will attract them. Hummingbird bills are perfectly adapted to the various types of flowers that they feed on, so different types of flowers will attract different hummingbirds. Some hummingbirds have especially curved or elongated bills that allow them to feed on special flowers, eg the White-tipped Sicklebill hummingbird whose downward curving bill allows it to draw nectar from
heliconias. The
Ruby-Topaz...
Fruit > Attracting Birds to a Tropical Garden
A Thing To Do With A Basket After The Fruit Is Gone
A Thing To Do With A Basket After The Fruit Is Gone
by: Mike Barus
Once you have consumed the fruit and other contents of your fruit basket, do not throw out the basket itself! These containers that hold a bevy of edible goodies are perfect for a number of clever uses around your home. From storage to decoration, the basket portion of your gift will allow you to keep enjoying the present long after the fruit has been enjoyed.
Today?s fruit baskets are using more unique and less traditional containers, ranging from colanders to planters. If your fruit basket has a container that is other than a basket, then you will probably already have a good idea for which it can be used. However, many fruit basket recipients find themselves puzzling over how to use their baskets. If you find yourself in this head-scratching crowd, consider these fantastic options:
? Storage: Baskets today are making a comeback and are used for storing everything from...
A Thing To Do With A Basket After The Fruit Is Gone
Fruit > A Thing To Do With A Basket After The Fruit Is Gone
Everything You Need To Know About Shea Butter
Everything You Need To Know About Shea Butter
by: Wayne Kiltz
Natural shea butter is extracted from the pit of a fruit that grows only on the magnifolia tree in Central and Western Africa. The pits are taken from the fruit, boiled, and then sun dried for 3 ? 5 days before they are roasted to complete dehydration. Afterwards, the shea butter is extracted by hand from the pit of the fruit. This long, arduous process has provided what is commonly called ?The most beneficial all-natural skin product today.?
Shea butter is now becoming one of the best-selling and most highly recommended skin care products found. Dermatologists everywhere are starting to recommend this product to their patients, and many cosmetic companies in France and the USA are putting shea butter in their products. The information below will prove very useful and give you a better understanding of why shea butter is something so many people are using today.
Healing properties:...
Everything You Need To Know About Shea Butter
Fruit > Everything You Need To Know About Shea Butter
Christmas Recipes: Delicious Christmas Puddings
Christmas Recipes: Delicious Christmas Puddings
by: Amy Tylor
Pudding Recipes given here are easy to cook and absolutely delicious.
Properly made Christmas puddings will be extremely tasty and make your Christmas celebrations a memorable experience.
Enjoy these Puddings with your loved ones during this Christmas.
Christmas Pudding (1).
Ingredients of Christmas Pudding:-
1 lb. raisins (stoned), 1 lb. chopped apples, 1 lb. currants, 1 lb. breadcrumbs, 1/2 lb. mixed peel, chopped fine, 1 lb. shelled and ground Brazil nuts, 1/2 lb. chopped sweet almonds, 1 oz. bitter almonds (ground), 1 lb. sugar, 1/2 lb. butter, 1/2 oz. mixed spice and 6 eggs.
Instructions:-
Wash, pick, and dry the fruit, rub the butter into the breadcrumbs, beat up the eggs, and mix all the ingredients together; if the mixture is too dry, add a little milk. Fill some greased basins with the mixture, and boil the puddings from 3 to 4 hours.
Christmas...
Christmas Recipes: Delicious Christmas Puddings
Fruit > Christmas Recipes: Delicious Christmas Puddings