Do you like oranges? Then you should know that, in addition to the fruits themselves, their zest (orange peels) is no less useful. Application of this product is found in various fields. Fragrant crusts are used in cosmetology, medicine and cooking. In this article, we will talk about how to create delicious and very healthy dishes from orange zest.
Product Benefits
The benefits of orange peels have been well studied in antiquity. The zest contains phytoncides (natural antibiotics) used to treat wounds. Today it is known that the use of this product in food has a beneficial effect on the state of the whole organism. Orange peels normalize the level of cholesterol in the blood, save from edema, heal the heart and blood vessels, eliminate diseases of the oral cavity, relieve the condition of women with painful periods. All this happens because the zest contains a lot of useful substances: calcium, phosphorus, vitamins C, A, P, B1, B2 and beta-keratins.
Varieties of oranges
The recipe for orange peel jam is passed on by many housewives from generation to generation. The main secret to cooking is choosing the right fruit. Only thick-skinned oranges are suitable for jam, since they contain a large amount of zest. You can use Italian Korolevka - a variety that is distinguished by its average size and reddish peel. Unfortunately, these fruits are not very popular in our country. Jaffa oranges are also praised. However, they are grown only in Palestine and Israel, in Russia they are quite difficult to find. For want of a better one, you can choose other pachydermic oranges. Delicious recipes with photos will help to prepare aromatic jam from them.
Jam from orange zest. Ingredients
Cooking this treat is very simple. To prepare it, you will need only three ingredients:
- granulated sugar - 1 kilogram;
- orange peels - 1 kilogram;
- citric acid (to taste).
Cooking Orange Zest Jam
- First you need to collect the accumulated orange peels. The application of this product is easily found in the kitchen by every diligent housewife.
- Then the crusts must be placed in a large container, filled with water and put on fire.
- Next, you need to bring the product to a boil, let it boil for ten to fifteen minutes and drain the water. This procedure should be repeated three more times to get rid of the bitterness in the orange peels.
- Now the zest needs to be cooled and weighed. The fact is that the amount of sugar that must be put in the jam depends on the weight of orange peels. Usually products are taken in a ratio of 1: 1.
- After this, crusts should be scrolled through a meat grinder, add sugar to the resulting mass and cook for about forty minutes. At the end of cooking, you can add citric acid.
- Next, you need to lay out the finished treat in sterile jars and roll up the lids.
The proposed recipe uses only sugar and orange peels. The use of this product in cooking is almost always associated with the preparation of desserts. Wonderful candied fruit can be made from orange zest. Moreover, the composition of the necessary products will be the same as in the manufacture of jam. The recipe for candied fruit will be described below.
Candied fruit ingredients
In order to please ourselves and loved ones with this delicacy, we need:
- citric acid - 2-3 grams;
- orange zest - 1 kilogram;
- water - 450 milliliters;
- sugar (for syrup) - 1.8 kilograms;
- sugar (for decoration) - 1.5 cups.
Candied fruit. Cooking method
- First of all, you need to remove the bitterness from fresh orange peels. To do this, they must be kept in cold water for four days. In this case, the fluid needs to be changed two to three times a day.
- Then the orange peels must be cooked over moderate heat for ten to fifteen minutes. After that, they need to be thrown into a colander, slightly dried and cut into neat slices.
- Next, place the orange peels in an enameled basin or other roomy dish.
- After this, you need to prepare the syrup. To do this, put sugar in water and cook until completely dissolved. Then the syrup should be filtered and filled with orange peels.
- Now you can cook candied orange. The recipe says that they must be cooked in three stages. The first two should last ten minutes. In this case, the crusts must be kept on low heat until boiling, then soaked in syrup for ten hours.
- At the very end of the third cooking, you need to add citric acid to candied fruits and boil them to the desired density. The process will take approximately 20-25 minutes.
- Now you need to throw the orange peels boiled until fully cooked into a colander. They will not find application soon: first, let the candied fruit stand for one hour until the syrup is completely drained, and then dry them for 24 hours at room temperature.
- After this, crusts should be rolled in sugar and kept in the open air for another day.
Candied fruits are ready! They should be stored at room temperature in a closed container. The process of creating this dessert is quite laborious. However, it is better to make candied fruits at home than to buy them in a store. Delicious recipes with photos will help even a novice cook to quickly master the cooking process.
Cooking tincture
The following products are needed to create this liquor:
- water - 350 milliliters;
- vodka - 0.5 liters;
- sugar - 120 grams;
- zest of one orange.
Tincture. Cooking process
- First you need to mix water and sugar and boil the syrup over low heat for ten minutes. After this, the product should be cooled. You should get about 250-300 grams of viscous liquid.
- Next, rinse the orange peels thoroughly. Zest can be found quite quickly, but it must be remembered that manufacturers often apply a special preservative to its surface, which increases the shelf life of fruits. You can get rid of this substance if you rinse the crusts under hot running water.
- Now you should mix sugar syrup and vodka and pour the resulting mixture into a container with a peel.
- After that, the jar should be closed with a lid and placed in a warm place for about five days. First, the zest will gather at the top, under the very neck of the can. Then, after a couple of days, it will swell and gradually begin to sink to the bottom, and the liquid in the container will turn yellow.
- After the specified period, the jar must be opened, strain the vodka and bottled for long-term storage.
- So the fragrant tincture on orange peels is ready. It should turn out to be a fortress of 27-32 degrees with a characteristic fruity smell and taste. The shelf life of the drink in the basement is 12-15 months.
As you can see, in no case should you throw orange peels. They will always find application. Having spent a little time, you can create real culinary masterpieces from the orange zest that will be appreciated by all members of your family. Enjoy your meal!