Orange Peel, Oil, and Flavor

[project]

  Trying for some orange flavor, added some orange

  juice. Trying for more orange flavor, tried some

  orange peel.

 

  So, took four pounds of Valencia oranges, rinsed

  them, used a simple grater, and an hour or so later

  had 1/4 C of fragrant wet oily grated orange peel.

  It tasted strongly of orange but was also quite

  bitter.

 

  Managed to avoid contaminating the 1/4 C with fresh

  finger meat or blood!

 

  After all that work, wanted to preserve the results,

  so mixed in 1/2 C sugar, covered it, and

  refrigerated it. So, got about 3/4 C.

 

  Used all of it.

 

  Now, want to know and do more, and want to avoid

  spending an hour with a simple grater.

 

  So, with a simple Google search, find that getting

  flavor from orange peel is not nearly new, by a long

  shot.

 

  Instead, there is a big industry out there. Partly

  the industry sells into the fragrance market. And,

  they sometimes sell into the food market.

 

  Google also pointed to Cargill, and they sell such

  things. They have at least four products, some

  water based and some oil based.

 

  Uh, they've been there, done that, and got the

  T-shirt: They sell 55 gallon drums, 390 pounds per

  drum. That's their small size. Their other size is

  a railroad tank car.

 

  Further, orange oil is cheap enough that it is sold

  just as cleaning fluid.

 

  So, lots of people have been there, done that.

 

  Extracts from orange peel is big business.

 

  Net, for cooking, there should be no shortage of

  orange flavor.

 

  Is the 'gourmet' world up to date on such things?

 

  Orange can be one of the best flavors for both sweet

  and savory dishes.

 

  Started this thread to see if we can exchange enough

  information to get caught up, get to the state of

  the art, get real, about getting and using orange

  flavor.

 

  Go for it, guys!

[foodgeek]

Ok, its not the info you're looking for, but a better zester coulc have made your work easier, and they aren't expensive. Here's one:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00...=I2PZZEYOL44ZGM

Btw...I grated a lemon yesterday for quince jelly. :) The jellycame out yummy. :)

[Toby]

Chinese dried orange peel is sold in little plastic packages and is called chen pi.

[helenas]

There is an Italian olive oil produced by crushing together olives and different citrus fruits: lemons, oranges or tangerines. Agrumato is one of such products available in US.

[project]

  Jayask:

 

  Thanks!

 

  Ok, its not the info you're looking for, but a

  better zester coulc have made your work easier,

  and they aren't expensive. Here's one:

 

  Yes, it IS some of the information I'm looking for.

  I looked for a good citrus zester recently and

  didn't find one. The one you pointed to seems to

  have good recommendations, and now one is on the way

  to me from Amazon.

 

  Gee, you mean that such a zester is how Cargill gets

  a railroad tank car of orange oil? Maybe not.

 

  Also, now see that

 

  http://www.boyajianinc.com/Top.html

 

  has citrus oils intended for cooking.

 

  So, they get one tank car from Cargill, one million

  little glass bottles from Corning, and sit beside

  the railroad siding filling the little bottles?

  Hmm!

 

  They do say

 

  Our citrus oils are natural essences that are

  cold-pressed from the rind of the fruit. It

  takes approximately 220 oranges, 330 lemons, or

  400 limes to produce 5 ounces of oil. You may

  use our citrus oils in place of zest in

  practically any recipe for a burst of flavor

  (1/2 tps. per cup of dry ingredients plus 1/4

  tps. per cup of liquid).

 

  They don't say that the stuff is cheap enough to use

  for cleaning fluid.

 

  Of course, their bottle has a foil covered neck like

  wine bottles -- no doubt the foil helps the flavor!

 

  On-line, they want $6 per 5 ounce bottle.

 

  Maybe theirs is better than cleaning fluid!

 

[Spoonful]

Here's one:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00...=I2PZZEYOL44ZGM

You beat me to it! I have one of those and it works well.

Another company is Boyajian oils and flavorings also available in gourmet shops. A little goes a long way.

[foodgeek]

<HTML>

<PRE>

  Jayask:

 

  Thanks!

 

       Ok, its not the info you're looking for, but a

       better zester coulc have made your work easier,

       and they aren't expensive.  Here's one:

 

  Yes, it IS some of the information I'm looking for.

  I looked for a good citrus zester recently and

  didn't find one.  The one you pointed to seems to

  have good recommendations, and now one is on the way

  to me from Amazon.

 

  Gee, you mean that such a zester is how Cargill gets

  a railroad tank car of orange oil?  Maybe not.

 

 

Glad to help. :)

I've seen big bags of dried orange zest in Middle eastern Groceries and spice stores, but it always had such a dull color and a lot of pith, so I never bought it.

[Suzanne F]

Boyajian really makes good products. I received a set of samples -- 1 oz. bottles of Pure Orange Oil, Toasted Sesame Oil, Garlic Oil, and Vanilla Vinegar. And I bought the Pure Lime Oil. They are wonderfully aromatic and concentrated. Just a few drops are sufficient to perfume a dish. The same with "O" California Olives crushed with Organic Blood Oranges. A drizzle on grilled fish -- mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Once you get your Microplane, you will also be able to grate fresh cheese on your pasta, and grate fresh horseradish, and and and. One of the greatest kitchen implements of all times.

[FoodMan]

To get zest from citrus I usually just peel the thin skin with a vegetable peeler (without the bitter white stuff). Then just chop, slice or chiffonade based on what I need it for. It is quick, easy and flexible.

FM

[Spoonful]

Once you get your Microplane, you will also be able to grate fresh cheese on your pasta, and grate fresh horseradish, and and and.  One of the greatest kitchen implements of all times.

Oh and you musn't forget the chocolate!