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Oranges
Oranges | John McPhee
40 posts | 5 read | 13 to read
A classic of reportage, Oranges was first conceived as a short magazine article about oranges and orange juice, but the author kept encountering so much irresistible information that he eventually found that he had in fact written a book. It contains sketches of orange growers, orange botanists, orange pickers, orange packers, early settlers on Florida's Indian River, the first orange barons, modern concentrate makers, and a fascinating profile of Ben Hill Griffin of Frostproof, Florida who may be the last of the individual orange barons. McPhee's astonishing book has an almost narrative progression, is immensely readable, and is frequently amusing. Louis XIV hung tapestries of oranges in the halls of Versailles, because oranges and orange trees were the symbols of his nature and his reign. This book, in a sense, is a tapestry of oranges, toowith elements in it that range from the great orangeries of European monarchs to a custom of people in the modern Caribbean who split oranges and clean floors with them, one half in each hand.
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Karisimo
Oranges | John McPhee
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When books collide! The tagged book has a whole chapter on orangeries and the other has a significant scene take place in the orangerie at the palace of Versailles (a location specifically mentioned in the first book)! A fun overlap of two extremely different books I happen to read at the same time! 🍊

Ruthiella Love that kind of bookish serendipity! 4mo
24 likes1 comment
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Karisimo
Oranges | John McPhee
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#summersouls #fruity @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

This prompt reminded me that I want to read this one! Especially because I grew up in Florida in the town where Tropicana orange juice was made! 🍊

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect 😍 5mo
Eggs Excellent 🍊🍊 5mo
24 likes2 comments
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NotCool
Oranges | John McPhee
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Mehso-so

There‘s an interesting microhistory here, but there is also misogyny, racism, classism and utter cluelessness too. It‘s like being stuck with an older relative who is talking about something interesting and then casually says something terrible. For McPhee and the men he interviews the history of oranges is Florida based and white, and wealthy, and male.

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LaraS
Oranges | John McPhee
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I haven't read this yet but I've got it on order from the library, based entirely on a quote from the book I read somewhere that keeps popping into my head for no reason:

Citrus does not come true from seed. What this means is: If you plant an orange seed, a grapefruit might come up. If you plant a seed of that grapefruit, you might get a bitter lemon.

#BatBrigade #scarathlonphotochallenge #Orange @clwojick @staycurious @catsandbooks

Catsandbooks 👍🏼🍊🧡 13mo
9 likes1 comment
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Itchyfeetreader
Oranges | John McPhee
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Went for a covid booster, treated myself at the local independent bookstore. Inadvertently only bought orange books

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TheBookgeekFrau
Oranges | John McPhee
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Eggs Superb 🎃🧡🤗🍁 14mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful 🧡 14mo
36 likes2 comments
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candc320
Oranges | John McPhee
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Well…still reading this one but at least it has an orange cover 🤣! It‘s actually pretty good but I‘ve had the hardest time concentrating on physical reading. Thank god for audiobooks! #scarathlondailyprompts #orange #scarathlon2022 #teamslaughter

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Charityann
Oranges | John McPhee
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TheSpineView Perfect 2y
Eggs 🧡🧡 2y
27 likes2 comments
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julieclair
Oranges | John McPhee
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TheSpineView 🧡🍊🧡 2y
readingjedi Love this! 2y
16 likes2 comments
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Kshakal
Oranges | John McPhee
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Eggs Beautiful 🧡🤎🧡 3y
17 likes1 comment
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Booksnchill
Oranges | John McPhee
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@britt_brooke thanks for the tag- my lovely orange folio edition of The Gastronomical Me by MFK Fisher💖 ok tagging @Chrissyreadit @rubyslippersreads @sisilia if you want to play- how about Green!

britt_brooke 😍😍 5y
48 likes1 comment
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Nessavamusic
Oranges | John McPhee
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The few #orange books I own and only one would fit in as a #Scarathlon theme - Annihilation trilogy.
#ChillingPhotoChallenge #TeamStoker
1 point
@TheReadingMermaid

BeansPage 🧟‍♀️ 5y
43 likes1 comment
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AsYouWish
Oranges | John McPhee
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Day 7 of #ChillingPhotoChallenge I found this cute little “orange” getting ready for Halloween on Google.

#Scarathlon #TeamStoker @TheReadingMermaid

BeansPage 🧟‍♀️ 5y
Linsy Awww 🧡 5y
50 likes2 comments
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Kappadeemom
Oranges | John McPhee
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ericarobynreads 😍😍 5y
Clwojick I wish my house looked like that! 5y
Linsy Oooh, I‘m loving your house!! 5y
Kappadeemom @Linsy it‘s not my house, I found it on Pinterest!! 😄 5y
Linsy Oh, ha! Now I‘ve actually read your post, lol. Great find! 🦇 5y
60 likes5 comments
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Kappadeemom
Oranges | John McPhee
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#TeamSlaughter 🎃🎃🎃🎃
@Clwojick

julesG 😂😂 5y
Liatrek 🤣🤣🤣 5y
azulaco 😂 5y
Clwojick 🙈 🙈 5y
52 likes4 comments
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thebluestocking
Oranges | John McPhee
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OriginalCyn620 👌🏻📚🧡 5y
CoffeeCatsBooks Pretty! 🎃 5y
60 likes3 comments
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Kshakal
Oranges | John McPhee
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SilversReviews Great photo. 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome photo 🧡🧡🧡 5y
robinb Gorgeous 5y
OriginalCyn620 Great pic! 🧡 5y
Nute Love this photo! 5y
34 likes5 comments
review
Waynegjr
Oranges | John McPhee
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Pickpick

One of my favorite books about oranges. Seriously though. This book is so good.

BarbaraBB One of them? 😀🍊 6y
38 likes1 comment
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Eggs
Oranges | John McPhee
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MallenNC
Oranges | John McPhee
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Some #orange from my shelves. And for #InternationalWomensDay all except Andre Agassi‘s memoir have a woman author or coauthor. #readingresolutions #marchinbooks @Jess7 @maich

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B00kNerd746
Oranges | John McPhee
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AlaMich
Oranges | John McPhee
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I had more oranges than I thought. 🧡

@Jess7 #readingresolutions #orange

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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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Pickpick

A fascinating micro-history of oranges and orange growers, first published in 1967. Lovely, lively, humorous writing style. I thoroughly enjoyed this! Samin Nosrat recommended it in Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and I had some difficulty finding a copy but fortunately was able to get one on interlibrary loan. 🍊❤️

shawnmooney I have two silly comments: (1) Nothing about the orange-maned pretender currently misruling south of the border? (2) I wonder what Jeanette Winterson would say about this book? 😂😂😂😘😘😘 7y
Lindy @shawnmooney 1) Trump would have been about 20 when this was published. I smiled when I read about a new product that had orange growers worried: a precursor to Tang. 2) I think Winterson would approve of the excellent prose style. 😊 7y
54 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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In 1529 the Archbishop of Milan gave a 16-course dinner that included caviar & oranges fried with sugar & cinnamon, brill & sardines with slices of orange & lemon, 1,000 oysters with pepper & oranges, lobster salad with citrons, sturgeon in aspic covered with orange juice, fried sparrows with oranges, individual salads containing citrons into which the coat of arms of the diner had been carved, orange fritters, candied peels of citrons & oranges …

LeahBergen I'm thinking they wouldn't be needing their vitamin C supplements that day. 😉 7y
Texreader @LeahBergen 😂😂😂 7y
BethFishReads Love his work. I have this on my list 7y
41 likes3 comments
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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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Fresh orange juice [in contrast to frozen concentrate] is probably less consistent in flavour than any other natural or fermented drink, with the possible exception of wine.

Leelee.reads I've read a bit about how Simply Orange brand orange juice is put though an elaborate, "hyper engineered" blending process in order to maintain a consistent flavor in their product year-round. Did the book talk about this? I found it fascinating. 7y
SkeletonKey ...I never drink orange juice and now I have a MIGHTY NEED to have some. Wow. 7y
Lindy @Leelee.reads The author did cover some of the tricks used to make frozen concentrate taste consistent ( and not like water with aspirin in it) but he wrote it in the 60s, so no doubt there have been changes. 7y
Lindy @SkeletonKey I‘m very susceptible to suggestion. I wanted oranges all through the book. 😉 7y
43 likes4 comments
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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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It is difficult to walk in the orange groves because you sink to your shins in sand. All of Florida was under water 50 million years ago and the Ridge is the remains of a string of submarine hills. Clay and limestone are under the sand, but the sand is about 20 feet deep.

Mommamanzi And this is why I can hardly grow a dang thing! 7y
Lindy @Mommamanzi Ha! I guess you might not have room for an orange tree, but have you tried carrots? 7y
Mommamanzi Haha ACTUALLY the land my house is on used to be an orange grove. Once we are done clearing out all the over growth we will plant a couple. The land was left for years unattended until we bought it. My husband did just build me a raised garden so I got to plant in that. I have heirloom carrots in it 🥕 and a few other things 😍 7y
Lindy @Mommamanzi May your thumbs turn green. 🤞🍀 7y
38 likes4 comments
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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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Going back to the helicopter, we walked beside a rushing stream, which might have been a trout stream in Vermont, full of boulders, pools, eddies and tumbling cascades. “That water is coming from the evaporator,” Griffin said. “It was inside oranges a few minutes ago.”

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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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Certain historic orange trees have borne as many as 12,000 oranges at one time, but the average yield is closer to 1,500.

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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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Before the Second World War, about 40% of all oranges grown in Florida were eliminated at packinghouses and dumped in fields. Florida milk tasted like orangeade.

DivaDiane Interesting! 7y
36 likes1 comment
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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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Okay, this is only tangentially related to books, but reading Oranges has me paying more attention to citrus of all kinds. At the Granville Island Market I came across these unusual teeny tiny finger limes and bought one. One! It cost $3.90. I hope the taste will be worth it. Are any of you familiar with these?

silentrequiem Yes! Finger limes. Slice them in half and squeeze the pulp out. 7y
Lindy @silentrequiem I will try it when I get back to my friend's apartment this afternoon. Do you eat it alone or with other foods? 7y
silentrequiem @Lindy Either. They are really strong in flavor. I liked putting it on crackers and cheese to help cut the tartness. 7y
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Lindy @silentrequiem Good idea. I will pick up some cheese while I'm still at the market. 7y
silentrequiem @Lindy A friend had a tree of these. I'm shocked how much they sell for! 7y
Lindy @silentrequiem Let your friend know to look for export opportunities! 7y
ReadingEnvy A cookbook I am reviewing has a recipe that calls for these! 7y
ApoptyGina69 No way! Before I read what you wrote, I just stared thinking, “what the heck are those?” Loved all your photo accompaniments to this title, btw. Love McPhee too, so, #stacked! 7y
Reviewsbylola Sounds intriguing! I like the idea of eating it with 🧀 and crackers. 7y
44 likes9 comments
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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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Most citrus trees consist of two parts. The upper framework, called the scion, is one kind of citrus, and the roots and trunk, called the rootstock, are another. In Florida, most orange trees have lemon roots. In California, nearly all lemon trees are grown on orange roots.

Jokila Fascinating! 7y
Lindy @Jokila It's possible that growers have changed their preferred rootstocks over the years since this was published (1966). Still, it's because of environmental conditions that these choices are made. 7y
AmyG Who knew? It's nice to learn something new. 7y
Megabooks 😎😎 7y
emilyhaldi Been loving your citrus updates throughout today! Who knew?! 🍊🍋 7y
42 likes5 comments
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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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Scientists wanted seeds in order to grow a virus-free strain and they "cut up 1,885 Persian Limes and found no seeds at all. So they went to a concentrate plant and filled 2 dump trucks with pulp" & "found 250 seeds and planted them. Up from those lime seeds came sweet orange, bitter orange, grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, limequats, citrons—and two seedlings which proved to be Persian Limes."

UrsulaMonarch 😲 I've got to reread this! Thanks for posting these fascinating excerpts! 7y
Lindy @Lkelly I'm glad you are enjoying them. More to come. 😊 7y
UrsulaMonarch 👍👍👍 7y
34 likes3 comments
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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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[Certain orange types] when they are harvested, are usually green as grass. They have to be ripe, because an orange will not continue to ripen after it has been picked. Many other fruits—apples & pears for example—go on ripening for weeks after they leave the tree. Their flesh contains a great deal of starch & as they go on breathing (all fruit breathes until it dies & should be eaten before it is dead) they gradually convert the starch to sugar.

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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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Citrus does not come true from seed. If you plant an orange seed, a grapefruit might spring up. If you plant a seed of that grapefruit, you might get a bitter lemon.
(Internet photo)

TheKidUpstairs What?!? Really?!?! That boggles my mind! 7y
Lindy @TheKidUpstairs I was surprised too at how easily they crossbreed. 7y
LeahBergen 😮 7y
33 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Lindy
Oranges | John McPhee
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I've gone from 🍎 to 🍊 in my 📚. Interesting cover design here, with the title so small in comparison to the author's name, yet the brilliant font colour helps the title stand out anyway.

28 likes1 stack add
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Liberty
Oranges | John McPhee
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I put all the entries from the #ORANGEYOUGLAD giveaway into the random name generator and @PandaPanda won! Thanks to everyone for participating. I'm rolling out giveaways all weekend so stay tuned! 🎉📚😘

Jess_Read_This 🎉Congrats!! @PandaPanda 🎉 8y
PandaPanda Yayyyy!! I never win anything! 8y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yay!!!! 👏🏻🎉🎊🎈 8y
See All 8 Comments
JanuarieTimewalker13 @PandaPanda congrats and enjoy!!! 💫 8y
Cinfhen 🎉 🎉😁 @PandaPanda 8y
Laura317 Hooray!! Congrats, @PandaPanda 🎉🎉🎉 8y
Robothugs Congrats @PandaPanda ☺️ 8y
100 likes1 stack add8 comments
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Liberty
Oranges | John McPhee
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GIVEAWAY #3: Next up: books with orange covers! To win all six, make a post about a book with an orange cover, use the hashtag #ORANGEYOUGLAD, and tag me in the photo. Do this by 3pm EST (April 22nd), and I'll randomly select one winner. (US only, sorry.) Good luck! 🍊 🍊🍊

Nicole 😍 8y
Bookladylinda I love orange!!!! 8y
Rachel.Rencher I realized in doing this that a lot of my favorite books have orange covers 🖒 8y
Betty Loving this Orange theme 8y
katycronk Really hope I get this one 😁 8y
110 likes1 stack add5 comments