Any idea what to do with a whole bunch of ornamental (sour) oranges? They're very sour, about the size of a golf ball or smaller.

These came off of my ornamental orange tree. I'm not really a jam person but maybe some kind of spicy chutney?? The zest of these things tastes like tangerines to me, the innards are just massively sour.

Barb
  • Posted by: Barb
  • June 23, 2014
  • 17615 views
  • 14 Comments

14 Comments

bigpan June 24, 2014
Another vote for Yucatan Pork. (I use a pork hock...hind leg if possible). You will need some Achiote - usually a small brick of compressed powdering spices and peppers. Find in a mexican deli. You toss that into a blender with the juice of the sour oranges. (Google a recipe). And, wrap in banana leaves and bake in the oven. Banana leaves are usually in the frozen section of an asian deli. I did my yucatan pork for 5 hours at 325F and the meat was falling off the bone delicious.
 
Barb June 24, 2014
This sounds amazing too. Now I wish I had more of the little buggers.
 
veritymo June 24, 2014
If they're similar to Seville oranges, then this Nigella recipe is DIVINE, and very easy!
http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/no-churn-bitter-orange-ice-cream-176
 
J D. June 24, 2014
If they are anything like the bitter oranges that are all over Athens, Greece, you could make a beautiful preserve from the skin. (The trees are everywhere in the suburbs and the fruit goes unused for the most part). Google bitter orange "spoon sweets" for recipes. One local recipe strings the curled up slices of skin on a thread before poaching them. Quite lovely when finished. A friend also made a nice marinade with the juice for pork tenderloin w/ olive oil and capers. Another recipe from Lesvos has you grill pork chops with halved bitter oranges on the grill (cut side down). Then squeeze the juice from the grilled and slightly charred orange half over the chop while it rests.
 
cpc June 23, 2014
They might be calamondins. They're used in Asian cooking but you could candy them or poach them in a simple syrup.
 
henandchicks June 23, 2014
My dear late grandmother had such a tree, and used them in cocktails instead of limes. I always thought her to be hopelessly sophisticated and charming- if cocktails aren't your thing, maybe in fizzy water or an orangeade?
 
Barb June 23, 2014
Oh, cocktails are definitely my thing! I did use a few to infuse some tequila, it's just that they're so sour, maybe even more sour than limes. And I have so many...
 
ChefJune June 23, 2014
2nd vote for Cochinita Pibil. Aren't you lucky to have the oranges already on hand? Or if you have a lot, I'd make some marmalade.
 
amysarah June 23, 2014
Maybe try preserving them with salt - like Middle Eastern preserved lemons - to use in tagines, etc.?
 
Barb June 23, 2014
That is a really interesting idea. I think I'll try that with at least a few if them. I like experiments.
 
savorthis June 23, 2014
Achiote chicken!
 
Barb June 23, 2014
Thanks all, these are good ideas.
 
aargersi June 23, 2014
Cochinita Pibil! Much Yucatecan cooking calls for sour oranges (as does Cuban) I would recommend searching online for some things to cook from those regions. My recipe combines orange and lime juice but your sour oranges would work great:

https://food52.com/recipes/3377-cochinita-pibil
 
HalfPint June 23, 2014
Since the oranges are so sour, I would make mojo and marinate some meat in it.
http://icuban.com/food/mojo.html
 
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