One of the healthiest and increasingly popular gifts to send during the holidays or some special event is a citrus fruit basket. Citrus fruits are enjoyed by just about everybody, and they are an important food source which contain essential vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin C and many others. In ancient times the fruits and flowers of citrus trees became renowned for their fragrance, which was used to perfume rooms, repel insects and sweeten breath. Some believed that citrus fruits were remedies for poison or sickness. Alexander the Great brought the first citrus fruits from India to his empire in Greece in 4th Century BCE, and later in 1493, Christopher Columbus introduced citrus fruits to the New World. Florida and California are now the largest producers of the world’s finest fresh fruits which go into the best citrus fruit baskets.
The most common citrus fruits that go into a citrus fruit basket are traditional favorites that are generally available in the United States all year long, such as grapefruit, orange, clementine, tangerine, mandarin, lemon, lime, kumquat and pummelo. Many gourmet citrus baskets also include pears, figs, apples or grapes as well as nuts, crackers and cheese to add a variety of taste as well as aroma and elegant decoration. Occasionally, other more exotic citrus fruits are included if they are seasonal and appropriate to the celebration or event.
You simply won’t go wrong when you send a citrus basket as a present. Because the live fruits in a citrus basket are a celebration of life, they are most appropriate gifts to honor the birth of a baby, a wedding or anniversary, graduation or even a new job. At the same time, the gift of a citrus fruit basket as condolence and sympathy in a time of grieving is more practical than sending flowers. Sending a citrus basket to a mourner allows him or her to focus more on grieving for the departed loved one rather than having to cope with providing food and snacks for visitors paying respects.
The most traditional times of the year to send citrus fruit baskets are Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah when many people and businesses are expecting visitors and need to serve snacks that almost everyone will enjoy. But a citrus fruit basket can also be enjoyed on more personal holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. The gift of a citrus fruit basket is smart, thoughtful, and money-savvy yet can lead to years of appreciation on your investment, whether you send it to a business or to your family.