In season: blood oranges

Blood oranges are here for a short time only, so get your fix. The reason they are called blood oranges is, of course, obvious once you see their red-stained flesh and scarlet juices.

It’s a mutant fruit, the splash of colour being due to anthocyanin, a pigment more common in red fruits and flowers.

Try juicing the oranges and whizzing with yoghurt and banana for breakfast.

Make a blood-orange curd instead of the more common lemon, or a creamy blood-orange tart instead of lemon or lime. Don’t expect blazing red cakes and sauces, however, as the colour mutes to a soft glow when baked or heated — terribly disappointing.

For a dazzling colour combination, toss cooked beetroot and sliced blood oranges in a warm salad, or dress the oranges alone with a little sliced purple onion and a strong vinaigrette.

Sizzle a few slices of blood orange in butter in a hot pan to serve with grilled tuna, or whip a little blood-orange juice into home-made mayonnaise to serve with seafood. As a finale, turn blood-orange juice into strikingly coloured jellies and custards.

For a super-fast dessert, peel and thickly divide a couple of oranges, dust with icing sugar and grill. Scatter with toasted flaked almonds and serve with a dollop of yoghurt.

In the cookbook: Blood orange and rosewater sorbet, from Casa Moro by Sam Clark and Sam Clark, Ebury Press, £25.