pectin. And riding atop the albedo is the skin,
a thin, pigmented layer with tiny spherical
glands that create and store volatile oils.
Flexing a piece of citrus peel will burst the oil
glands and send a visible, aromatic — and
flammable! — spray into the air.
Citrus Color and Flavor Citrus fruits owe
their yellow and orange colors (orange comes
ultimately from the Sanskrit word for the
fruit) to a complex mixture of carotenoids,
only a small portion of which has vitamin A
activity. The fruit peels start out green, and in
the tropics often stay that way even when the
fruit ripens. In other regions, cold
temperatures trigger destruction of
chlorophyll in the peel, and the carotenoids
become visible. Fruits of commerce are often
picked green and treated with ethylene to
improve their color, and coated with an edible
wax to slow moisture loss. Pink and red
grapefruit are colored by lycopene, and red