Orange Meringue Pie

It's that time of year again! Florida citrus fruits are in season--tangerines, navel oranges, and ruby red grapefruit--yet another reason I love this time of year. I can remember lugging bags of oranges and grapefruit onto airline flights before I moved to Florida. Now that I live here, I can just hop in the car and find a local fruit market, orchard, or even a friend's backyard. Some of the best grapefruit I've ever tasted came from a neighbor's tree. We recently moved away from that neighborhood. That means it's back to buying fruit again. No more freebies. But don't feel sorry for me. Citrus fruit grown along the Indian River has never disappointed me...it's always sweet and delicious. So, I'll happily make my purchase from a roadside vendor, from the back of a truck, at an orange grove, or from a fruit company that sells Florida fruit online.

Florida citrus fruits are still one of my favorite things to give as a gift, and they are always well received. It's the only gift I've given that consistently merits a thank you phone call from the gift recipient. I love to send fruit gifts as a "thank you" at Thanksgiving, and I've also sent oranges and grapefruits as a Christmas present.

So let me tell you how to add a little Florida sunshine to your holiday feast. How about a great dessert? My mom loves to bake and always provided our family with a variety of pies, cookies and cakes for the holidays. Here's a variation on her old-fashioned lemon meringue pie, this time made with oranges.


FLORIDA ORANGE PIE WITH MERINGUE TOPPING

1 cup orange juice
1 cup orange sections cut in pieces
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons cornstarch
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter

Combine orange juice, orange sections, orange rind, sugar and cornstarch. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and clear. Add a little of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, then add back into the orange mixture. Continue cooking the hot mixture five minutes longer. Remove from heat and blend in lemon juice and butter.

Pour into baked pie shell or a store-bought graham cracker pie shell.

MERINGUE:

3 egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
6 tbsp. sugar

Combine ingredients and beat on high speed until you create soft peaks. Add sugar slowly and continue beating until peaks are high and stiff. Heap meringue over filling, carefully sealing to the edge of crust. Bake at 350 degrees 10 to 15 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned.

If you're looking for a gift for a friend or family member (or perhaps yourself!), you can find gift baskets and boxes, jellies & marmalades, cakes, sweets, nuts and gifts online. Florida citrus season runs from autumn to spring, with shipping dates depending on variety and supplier. Here is a general idea of the shipping season...

Oranges
November-April/May

Ruby Red Grapefruit
November-April/May

Tangerines
November-March

Honeybell Tangelos
January only

Temple Oranges
February only

Valencia Oranges
March-May


HYATT FRUIT COMPANY CATALOG