what parts of the ornamental orange are usable?

[sepeters]

There are ornamental orange trees growing on the property, and while I am def. not interested in trying to eat this gross, fibrous and non-juicy fruit, I would like to make some use of it.

I know that the blossoms of most citrus are edible, what about ornamental orange blossoms? Do they taste different? I can't tell a tangelo blossom from an orange blossom, but lemon blossoms have a slightly different flavor. Wondering if this is the case here, as well.

And do you think I could use the zest? Or would it be too bitter and gross? They're not poisonous, but they're pretty nasty on the inside. How's the outside?

Anyone have success using any part of the ornamental orange?

[valley]

sepeters, You can try making a tinture. The peeling could be candied.

Years ago in Sacramento California, I saw these trees, lining the streets heavy with fruit in the capitol. I picked a couple, an old man walking by stopped and said " you can't eat those, go over to such and such street, they have good fruit their. I thought, who does he think he's kidding. I opened the orange, it was between disgusting and terrible, the after taste was nasty in the extreme.
I wonder: Why would anyone plant such a tree?

richard

[sepeters]

I wondered the same thing, Richard! The house I grew up in was on a citrus orchard, so I can't imagine planting what is essentially fake fruit!

They tend not to drop their fruit and usually don't get as large as other orange trees. They're planted just for the look of them, by people who don't want to pick and clean up oranges, I guess. These trees look like they're at least 30 years old and no one here has owned their condo long enough to remember when they were planted, or why.

They are all blooming and the smell is such a tease! I have been putting the blossoms on salads and used the nice thick rind to make a jar of marmalade. The salad hasn't killed me yet and it's much easier to use these for the rind than trying to scrape the pith off of an already juiced orange.

It's about time to start the holiday fruit cake, so I think I will take your advice and candy some of these peels.

[valley]

Hi, marmalade sounds great. We planted many fruit trees last year,at the high desert ranch, mostly stone fruit. They are full of flowers now, hope the wind doesn't blow them off, get mighty windy at times. Have a great one.



Richard

[Gary350]

If you put sugar in the juice it tastes as good as other oranges.

I have been putting an orange in each plant hole. Then I plant a tomato or some other plant on top. Arizona soil is 8.5 ph oranges are acid so the acid helps to lower the ph.

I picked up a bushel of oranges and lemons at Road Mart last Monday FREE. Road Mart is a different neighborhood every Monday the city streets are loaded with all kinds of things people don't want anymore. Throw your unwanted stuff on the street over the weekend and the city workers pick it up in dumk trucks on Tuesday. I found a large box of lemons in the street at one house, a much larger box of oranges at another house. I threw most of them in the compost. I found about 20 large bags of grass, 4 bicycles, 3 vacuum cleaners, 3 rolls of irragation hose, about 20 very large clay flower pots, and a lot more.

Road Mart = not Wal Mart = it is the name I gave to trash collecting city streets.

[valley]

Gary350, Sounds like a great haul. If by chance you pick up a model T I'd like a chance at it.

Richard

[valley]

I was reading, on line a day or so ago, and saw someone refer to these as cooking oranges. That may be part of the answer.

If you google cooking oranges you'll find lots of: how to and what for.


Richard

[sepeters]

I tried a glass of ornamental OJ sweetened with agave. Blech! Yuck! OMG! Thanks for the well-meaning tip, but I couldn't handle it! So sour and bitter! I guess my upbringing has spoiled me and I only like really good oranges and OJ. I am a citrus snob!

The marmalade turned out very tasty. I make liqueurs every fall for "winter holiday" gifts and the limoncello is always the most popular. Perhaps I will have to make some orangecello, curacao, and maybe even some sweet and sour, which is non-alcoholic. Dried ornamental orange rind seems to also be used extensively in Earl Grey tea. The oil is apparently also used for perfumes, but after all that zesting I am not up for extracting oils.

Luckily I do have an excellent food dehydrator.

PS-I found it interesting that when I googled "ornamental orange recipes" this thread was high on the list.

[valley]

That's funny.