Orange juice with zest: bitter. But why?

[CSY]

Hi,

I read that citrus zest, when mixed with the juices, gives a strong and more than one-dimensional taste. It worked perfectly with lemons(same procedure as below). So this time I used orange:

1. Zest the orange with a zester(I tried my best not to include any pith)

2. Juice the orange and add juice to the zest

3. Sieve and serve

I tried two infusion times: “5 hours then serve” and “sieve and serve immediately”. Smells wonderful yet both taste quite bitter(the 5H version much more so) .

Any ideas why?

TIA~

[Tiny]

When you say "zester" are you using the kind with the 4 or 5 holes on the end of what kinda looks like a can opener? If so, that is your problem, zesters like that take off the zest but also the pith. It is best to use a microplane for all your zesting needs and to remove just the zest as the pith is very bitter (unless you blanch it a few times)

[judec]

I also find even the topmost layer of orange rinds bitter. It's just how it is and should be used sparingly.

In cooking, heating the zest seems to mellow out the bitterness, but in your orange juice where it's raw a tiny pinch should be enough.

[CSY]

Hi Tiny and Judec,

I tried again, different fruit(Yuzu), different tool(no zester this time, box-grater as I don't have a microplane with me. Very careful, avoiding any possible pith, skinniest translucent zest only). Still bitter, tho. not as intensely so as the oranges.

The zest is for the juice, guess I cannot blanch them..

[SugarGirl]

I've cut off pieces of orange pith alone to taste and always found them to be bland -- it seems like it's the translucent part that's bitter.

Also, if you're using Valencia oranges, I've found that their peel is more bitter than Navels.

[judec]

Still bitter, tho. not as intensely so as the oranges.

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How about just squeezing the rind over the juice so only the oils get in your drink? It's done for some cocktails and makes all the difference.

[reenicake]

Hi,

I read that citrus zest, when mixed with the juices, gives a strong and more than one-dimensional taste. It worked perfectly with lemons(same procedure as below). So this time I used orange:

1. Zest the orange with a zester(I tried my best not to include any pith)

2. Juice the orange and add juice to the zest

3. Sieve and serve

I tried two infusion times: “5 hours then serve” and “sieve and serve immediately”. Smells wonderful yet both taste quite bitter(the 5H version much more so) .

Any ideas why?

TIA~

←

citrus oils themselves are quite bitter... with lemon it does not come through as much because of the sourness. Yuzu and orange are much sweeter so you taste the bitterness much more. Cooking helps eliminate this, (as is used with curds and sauces) but straight juice with zest will be quite bitter. HTH!

[Dianabanana]

You know, just the other day I was remembering the orange juice machines they had in the Publix supermarket when I was a kid. I seem to recall that you would just buy your oranges by the pound and dump them into the machine, and out would come your delicious orange juice. How in the world did they separate the rinds, or keep them from making the juice unbearably bitter? I remember that the whole produce aisle would have strong smell of orange zest.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Do they still do this?

[Batard]

Diana, you mean something like this?

http://www.cecilware.com/displayproduct.as...=147&subcat=355

You'd have to juice a lot of oranges to pay for it.

Edited June 6, 2008 by Batard (log)

[tim]

Hi,

I have always wondered about the bitterness in orange juice.

When I was a kid, they served very bitter orange juice at school. I assume that this was a result of squeezing oranges that had a lower sugar/higher acidity content. In example, California oranges as opposed to Floriday oranges.

As far as orange peels, I am also perplexed that longer steeping of microplaned orange peels (no pith) in vodka, yields an orangecello that needs more sugar to eliminate bitterness. Longer steeping of lemon peels improves the limoncello.

Any experts out there?

Tim

[Dianabanana]

Diana, you mean something like this?

http://www.cecilware.com/displayproduct.as...=147&subcat=355

You'd have to juice a lot of oranges to pay for it. 

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Yes, exactly like that!