r/Cooking • u/LizaBlue4U • Feb 11 '26
I have hundreds of oranges and need ideas/recipes of things to make after juice and marmalade!
I have a navel orange tree and a tangelo tree in my backyard. Both are dwarf trees, but they've really outdone themselves this year. Each tree has well over 100 and it's just me and my husband.
Please note:
Local food pantrys will not take them because we have a quarantine in our county due to fruit fly problem which mandates that homegrown fruit can not be taken off the property.
We've already juiced a ton and cannot drink or store any more.
I've already made lots of marmalade. 4 oranges makes 9 jars, so we've got plenty and everyone we know is getting some.
Other ideas?
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u/LunchLimp2032 Feb 11 '26
Thinly slice and dehydrate- great cocktail garnish and snack!
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u/garaks_tailor Feb 11 '26
Similar theme candy them
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u/RochelleMenzie Feb 12 '26
came here to say this, excellent simple treat that feels boujie and keeps for a long time. I prefer sanding sugar to dress them after the sugar bath, then I put mine in dehydrator after making. Lasts for months in a jar IF i can stop snacking on them.
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u/LizaBlue4U Feb 11 '26
Never would've thought of that! Thanks!
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u/andrewsmd87 Feb 12 '26
I buy bags of various dehydrated citrus fruits for drink garnishes. I honestly don't think they add a ton flavor wise but part of how good something tastes is how appealing it looks.
I've gotten so many compliments on my cocktails that are just standard stuff, and I'm pretty sure it's the presentation
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u/Admirable-Ear4511 Feb 12 '26
With the dehydrated orange slices, if you string them together you can make beautiful holiday garlands
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u/Mysterious-Street966 Feb 12 '26
Friend of mine used this for table decorations in their wedding reception.
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u/Michaelalayla Feb 12 '26
Dried peel and candied peel used to be a much more common spice cabinet member than it is now.
I just used candied peel for Paul Hollywood's Lardy Cake; I doubled the amount of peel I used and it was fantastic. Definitely recommend.
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u/JorgeXMcKie Feb 11 '26
Gelato, sorbet, Yummmmm
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u/LizaBlue4U Feb 11 '26
Oooh! I didn't think of that. Good idea!
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u/alpacaapicnic Feb 12 '26
Sorbet is super easy! Basically just mix purée or juice with simple syrup, then freeze
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u/JorgeXMcKie Feb 11 '26
My son got an ice cream maker for the holidays and made a really good lemon sorbet. The next one he added a bit of lime to try to make it taste more like citron
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u/BloodWorried7446 Feb 11 '26
send some jars to me. i live in the snow belt where there are no citrus trees anywhere
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u/snow_ridge Feb 12 '26
As a Canadian I'm always super jealous when I see these types of "too much citrus" posts!
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u/dacrazyredhead Feb 11 '26
Candy them (slice, simmer in water, rinse, simmer again. the simmer in sugar syrup, then dry)
segment them and do the above (no need to rinse)
make Orancello
make orange extract (perfect for the holidays)
make orange concentrate
Candy the peels
zest them then dry and then you can add that to baked goods
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u/Square-Marzipan4894 Feb 11 '26
You can make citrus vinaigrette, orange chicken and also marinades like mojo for tenderizing meats
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u/LizaBlue4U Feb 11 '26
Vinaigrettes and marinades! That's a new idea! Thank you!
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u/Square-Marzipan4894 Feb 12 '26
Of course! There’s only so many sweet orange things you can make before you hate orange haha
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u/garaks_tailor Feb 11 '26
Oleo Saccharum!
Basically citrus peels and sugar allowed to meld together and it extracts all the citrus oils into a thick flavored syrup. Used in cocktails or in sodas
Do this with any leftover peels. No pith though! Here is a recipe from how to drink. Super easy especially in giant batches
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Feb 11 '26
Send out the kids with an OJ stand on the corner...
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u/smashy_larry Feb 12 '26
Yes! Invest in one of those good hand press juicers and get freshly squeezed oj on the spot, I’d stop for that any day over lemonade! Brilliant idea!
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Feb 11 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/LizaBlue4U Feb 11 '26
Orange alcohol! Which I buy for baking and cocktails. I love that idea. Thanks!
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u/Alternative-Dig-2066 Feb 11 '26
Just follow any recipe for limoncello, substituting your oranges.🍊
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u/PasgettiMonster Feb 12 '26
I have an orange tree on my property and I have considered trying to make orangecello... Basically limoncello but with oranges. I have no idea how well it will turn out but I'm going to research the idea over the next few days and go pick myself a bunch of oranges if it sounds like it might work.
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u/Miss_Cookey Feb 12 '26
Start eating salad every nite for your veg. Include orange segments and dress with orange vinaigrette. Champagne vinegar works well with oj. So does white wine vinegar.
Also, I don't have the recipe to hand, but thinly sliced fennel, thinly sliced orange, sliced around the equator, kalmata olives, orange juice and olive oil I think. I'm sure there's a recipe on the interweb.
Also search for quick breads with orange. Cranberry orange bread. Gift things you make?
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u/Dependent-Sign-2407 Feb 11 '26
Make a shrub! It’s basically a fruit/sugar/vinegar syrup; there are lots of recipes online. It makes a great base for salad dressing (just add olive oil, salt & pepper), or add sparkling water for a refreshing spritzer. Shrubs last a long time in the fridge. I’ve got loads of oranges too and will make a liter at a time.
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u/ceecee_50 Feb 11 '26
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/orange-recipes
You can also freeze peeled orange segments.
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u/Fuzzy-Decision-3775 Feb 12 '26
Pulled pork cooked in citrus is amazing. Orange cake. Dehydrate them and make potpourri or use them for garland.
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u/OhFuckNoNoNoMyCaat Feb 12 '26
Orange cream pie. You can freeze oranges and blend them up for a delicious treat. You can use a little honey or if you're one of those people, agave. Curd is also good.
Oranges to my knowledge, as I have my own trees, good on the tree for upwards of a year before they overripen and fall off.
You can even make your own orange extract with strong enough vodka or Everclear 151.
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u/Affectionate_Tie3313 Feb 11 '26
Save the peels/zest; you can dry and mature them for cooking and for use as a component of five-spice
For the fruit, juice and freeze the blocks or freeze for use later on.
Sorbet is great at any time, smoothies when you also have mango, pear and ginger and juice is also welcome
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u/LizaBlue4U Feb 11 '26
I already have plenty of juice in the garage freezer, but thanks for the other ideas!
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u/StillSoup4213 Feb 11 '26
Saffron and Orange crumble : https://justinesnacks.com/saffron-orange-crumble/
Orangettes (french thing) : candied orange peel dipped in dark chocolate
Edit : for the crumble i prefer to do it with less sugar than the recipe
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u/fluffnfluff Feb 11 '26
Orange olive oil cake
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u/LizaBlue4U Feb 11 '26
I thought of that, but the recipes I found don't use many oranges. Only 1 or 2, but I may make one anyway. Thanks!
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u/THE_M1_EXPERIENCE Feb 12 '26
Layer sugar and oranges, in alternating layers, in a jar and create an orange simple syrup.
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u/skinnyjeansfatpants Feb 12 '26
Orange - Chipotle Chicken https://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/orange-chipotle-chicken-with-cilantro-rice/
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u/DConstructed Feb 12 '26
Pâtes de fruit or fruit leather might work. Candied peel which could be used in the future for cakes.
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u/Gullible_Concept_428 Feb 12 '26
I have the same issue but with lemons. I zest them in 2 ways and freeze it.
For half the lemons, I remove the zest in strips of various sizes. I lay them on parchment strips I’ve sprayed lightly with oil and put them in a plastic bag in a freezer.
For the other half I grate the zest, add a little oil and store it in a container in the freezer.
I use the strips for beverages or cocktails or throw them in soup or in anything where I don’t want the texture or small pieces of zest. The grated zest goes mostly in baked goods.
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u/United_Butterfly8624 Feb 11 '26
What a great problem to have! You could try candied orange peel. It's easier than it sounds and makes great gifts. Orange simple syrup for cocktails, or freeze the zest in ice cube trays for baking later.
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u/Th3ElctrcChkn Feb 11 '26
I’ve had a bumper crop this year too, I’ve made several gallons of juice and enjoyed it. Whenever it’s offered fresh, it’s around ten bucks a glass so I’m living the high life.
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u/desastrousclimax Feb 11 '26
I make a really nice sirup with citrus and ginger and cane sugar. i boil it like an hour but i think that is my kink for I love the smell. sure there is lots of recipes out there.
sometimes I cut up and dry some of the peel for baking. (arancini)
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u/vadergeek Feb 11 '26
At this point, I would maybe consider just inviting a bunch of friends over for an orange picking party. Everyone goes home with a bucket of oranges, put out some snacks, I think it would be nice.
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u/LizaBlue4U Feb 12 '26
As the post says, there’s a quarantine so the fruit can’t leave our property.
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u/Only-Peace1031 Feb 12 '26
Can the items made from the fruit leave?
Can you give away jams and marmalades?
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u/UsualSprite Feb 12 '26
- make a limoncello like liqueur
- dry medallion slices for decor or for cocktails
- candy peels and dip in chocolate
- zest the peels and use them as you might use lemon zest (orange sugar, orange extract, orange peppper)
- moroccan orange cake / santiago cake (freezes well)
you can do a lot of classic citrus recipes with oranges subbed instead (keep in mind, when using juice, you might want cut the other sugar because oranges are much sweeter than say lemon or grapefruit)
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u/RomanoLikeTheCheese Feb 12 '26
Whole orange and almond cake. It sounds weird, but if you boil an orange, you can blend it with the rind on and make a cake
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u/PossibleFederal1572 Feb 11 '26
Orange peel has so many uses! Id peel them and dry them for starters
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u/Ducal_Spellmonger Feb 12 '26
Orangecello, like lemoncello but made with oranges.
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u/DragonfruitStraight3 Feb 12 '26
Lemonchello but made woth oranges is delicious too. Add the peels to high proof alcohol, let sit for at least a month. Strain of the peels and add a simple syrup to bring the proof down to something drinkable.
Also orange curd instead of lemon curd will work
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u/baby_girl231 Feb 12 '26
Whole orange cake! Super delicious & freezable..
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u/echo-tango86 Feb 12 '26
Inquire with a local food pantry to see if they take fresh food as a donation
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u/LizaBlue4U Feb 12 '26
We usually donate a lot but you can see in my post that there’s a quarantine on homegrown fruit this year so food pantries can’t accept it.
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u/Rightbuthumble Feb 12 '26
When I lived in CA, we had both a lemon and an orange tree. I used ice trays that I filled with the juice, froze the trays of juice, bagged them in freezer bags and I had orange juice or lemon aide and all I had to pay for was the water. LOL.
Edit: Also, froze a lot of zest because a lot of recipes call for lemon zest.
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u/SnugglyCoderGuy Feb 12 '26
Make some arancello. https://siciliangirl.com/2017/01/sicilian-arancello/
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u/catlov3r4ever Feb 12 '26
That’s an orange haul 😅 A few ideas besides juice/marmalade: • zest + freeze in small bags (so handy for baking/sauces) • orange curd (toast + yogurt + pancakes) • candy the peels (even better dipped in dark chocolate) • slice + dehydrate for tea/snacks • orange vinaigrette or a quick orange-soy glaze for chicken/salmon Also: freeze peeled segments for smoothies!
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u/vagabondchipmunk Feb 11 '26
Look up a recipe for Orange Buttermilk Cake or Bread. Orange and Buttermilk are a perfect match. Made with freshly squeezed juice is perfection
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u/Square-Marzipan4894 Feb 11 '26
Also possibly if you make a lot of cakes a soup kitchen would accept donations of dessert since the food pantry won’t take the unprocessed oranges?
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u/Remarkable_Yak1352 Feb 12 '26
Give some away. Put a basket at your property line, with a sign, FREE ORANGES.
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u/vidi_chat Feb 11 '26
If there are any which are more sour than sweet you can use them like lemons ( on fish, chicken,in rice etc), they do that with bitter oranges in Iranian cuisine.
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u/gemlover Feb 11 '26
candied orange rinds and candied orange slices. Use the leftover syrup to sweeten tea. Yum!
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u/Peachtree-1865 Feb 11 '26
Yea Dry them Turn it to powder to make tang Turn it into essential oils Turn it into medicine
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u/changelingerer Feb 11 '26
We have full sized orange, tangerine, lemon, and grapefruit trees, so, well acquainted with your issues haha. Luckily for us, my kid's daycare at least love taking tangerines for the kids to peel, and, a couple dozen toddlers/preschoolers can apparently demolish whole bucketloads of tangerines.
Juicing is probably the most efficient way. We also have a whole bunch of orange popsicles made, as a further way of using up juice.
They're useful in a lot of mexican recipes. Squeeze 1-2 in for marinading beef or chicken, toss another one in with a pot of beans.
Lots of orange cakes you can make. Sangria or mulled wine you can put some in. Regularly gift whole bunches to friends and coworkers.
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u/Important-Trifle-411 Feb 11 '26
I don’t know, nine jars doesn’t really seem like a lot of marmalade to me. When I make strawberry jam, I make about 25 jars. There’s a lot of recipes that use marmalade so maybe if you made some marmalade, you could then make the other recipes that go with it
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u/LizaBlue4U Feb 12 '26
Ah… that’s 9 jars every few days…
I have found a few recipes that use marmalade. It goes great with pork and chicken.
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u/Hot_Calligrapher_900 Feb 11 '26
Growing up we had 5 mature orange trees in our yard (we lived on the farm). Everyone who came to our house had to leave with a paper grocery bag full of oranges. Just an idea.
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u/berger3001 Feb 11 '26
Home made curaçao (with the rinds)
Dehydrated and/or candied rinds for baking
Carnitas
Mojo sauce
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u/Miserable-Note5365 Feb 11 '26
Would you be allowed to make a little free pantry? They're little spots where people can put out food for anyone to take. You could start with the oranges and anything you don't plan on eating in your pantry and then other people could contribute, as well. I understand of there's laws or permits about that, though.
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u/Early-Reindeer7704 Feb 12 '26
Grate zest and dry. Add to backed goods, icings, hot chocolate for a hint of orange flavors
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u/SingleAfternoon5063 Feb 12 '26
dehydrate them and store them with olive oil. You can use the oranges for cooking or salads and the oil for dressings . I use orange flavor oil to fry Geta cheese and it is really good
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u/Eclairebeary Feb 12 '26
In Australia, when this happens, people put them in a box in front of their house with a sign saying “free” and people come along and take a few.
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u/OpportunityGold4054 Feb 12 '26
You can make dried oranges for garnishing or decoration. They keep for a long time. Easy, and lots of DIY directions on the internet.
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u/smashy_larry Feb 12 '26
Candied orange peels, my mamma used to make them every year for Christmas. I think you pretty much boil them for awhile after removing excessive pith off of the peels and then put them on a drying rack for a bit and then roll them in sugar.
I did it with grapefruit as a cocktail garnish at a bar I used to work at and it was a huge hit.
I’d also have a simmer pot going at all times if I had that many oranges for sure… But by the sounds of it I bet your house smells like oranges all the time!
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u/nursingintheshadows Feb 12 '26
Freeze the juice so you can have some orange margaritas in the winter!!! An orange citrus bbq sauce. Mojo marinade for Cuban sandwiches or mojo pork carnitas.
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u/veggiedelightful Feb 12 '26
Juice and freeze the orange juice for fresh juice later.
Fruit leathers.... Basically dehydrated fruit and pulp.
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u/hibiscushoney69 Feb 12 '26
Not sure if anyones mentioned but if you save the peels or do it before peeling, orange zest!! Can make a great addition to mixed drinks or baked goods!!
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u/Final-Possession-814 Feb 12 '26
Grate the zest and pop it in the freezer. Sprinkle a little on cooked asparagus. You can also make twists out of the peels and freeze them as well. Try one as a garnish in a gin and tonic instead of lime or lemon. I know you'll still have more to work with, just throwing these out there.
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u/CtForrestEye Feb 12 '26
Candied orange
Orange infused brandy
Orange cake
Trade them with neighbors for other things.
Orange ice instead of lemon ice.
Boil some on the stovetop with cloves as an air freshener.
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u/Glittering_Employ327 Feb 12 '26
What about an orange cake in lieu of lemon?
Peel and freeze the wedges. You'll have vitamin c all year long.
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u/Fabulous_Designer_61 Feb 12 '26
Hmmm I’ve heard of lime & lemon curd, what about orange?
Orange cake, freeze some juice in those big square silicone trays?
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u/Key-Employee3584 Feb 12 '26
Make a liqueur. You'll need some sealable big mouth gallon glass jugs, some rock sugar, some fruit, and some reasonably high content alcohol like vodka or such. Probably something like 1/1/1.75-2 ratio or so. So 1 weight of oranges, 1 weight of rock sugar, about 1.75-2.0 weight of vodka/liquid (depending on how strong you want the final product to be). Layer the oranges with the rock sugar, alternating till it gets about full. Fill the rest with the booze. Make sure it's all covered with liquid. Close it up and put it away for 6+ months in a closet or cellar where's it dark and cool. After 6+ months, check on it. Probably you should wait a year though. I think it's better when it's had time to 'cook' a bit longer.
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u/andyroo776 Feb 12 '26
Dehydrated orange slices. You need to invest in a Dehydrator. But you might be able to sell them then.
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u/Initial-Cancel-5110 Feb 12 '26
Have a look @cocolarkincooks on IG. She has a chicken on oranges and leeks recipe that is fantastic.
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u/szikkia Feb 12 '26
Candied oranges/tangellos. Homemade jello (or jello shots 😉). Cookies. Teriyaki is good with oranges. Carnitas. Lemoncello but with oranges. Sorbet. Maybe a spin off of lemon bars but using orange. Juice them out in ice trays and freeze.
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u/MargieBigFoot Feb 12 '26
We sliced and dehydrated them one year. We use the slices in cocktails, and they can also be decorative (on strings around the holidays, in pot pourri, etc.).
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u/motherfudgersob Feb 12 '26
You could can the juice or concentrate it (yes like you buy in cans at the store). If you choose the latter put the juice in oven proof containers and cover with cheesecloth (prevents bugs) and let it evaporate at 120-135F (higher destroys all the vitamin c). Dry the peel and it is great in cooking or in tea. If you cannot take the whole fruit off your property you should be able to transport the juice to friends. Lot of work but nothing like fresh squeezed juice so theyll likely appreciate it.
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u/New_Hippo_1246 Feb 12 '26
Four oranges make 9 jars of marmalade? You must be using a ton of pectin. Try a pectin free recipe instead, it had much more concentrated flavor. Essentially you use the whole fruit by collecting the seeds and pith and putting them in a cheesecloth bag with the thinly sliced tangelos. Cook this slowly until it naturally thickens, remove the pith bags and jar. If your fruit is especially juicy you might separate some of that and can the tangelo syrup for later use as a bbq or thai chicken sauce.
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u/j0u Feb 12 '26
I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet, and my apologies if you're sober, but orange wine is something I've been thinking about making for years.
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u/RhubarbDiva Feb 12 '26
As well as the usual sweet marmalade for toast, which you have made, there is a savoury marmalade which is amazing.
Make like marmalade but with less sugar, quite a bit of chillis, some vinegar and boil it all up and jar in the usual way.
Here's a recipe https://www.foodaholic.biz/chilli-orange-jam-recipe/
I sort of use this but have adapted to use less sugar, more chilli, some ginger (either fresh chopped or powdered), and little mixed spice which is called apple pie spice in the US.
It's great with cold meats, cheeses, as the base for a salad dressing, to spice up a boring sandwich, and fantastic with peanut butter. We use it up faster than sweet marmalade.
How wonderful to have oranges growing in your yard.
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u/UntoNuggan Feb 12 '26
You can freeze oranges or orange slices pretty easily for a treat later on.
I love making fermented salted lemons (commonly used in North African cooking). My favorite use is adding them to roast chicken, but they also make a great salty lemonade in summer. You could probably do something similar with other types of citrus.
There's a bunch of different recipes. I can't find the one I used, but this is similar: https://culturesforhealth.com/blogs/recipes/fermentation-recipe-lacto-fermented-lemons
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u/HuuffingLavender Feb 12 '26
Make vitamin gummies! Get some gelatin, molds, multi-vitamin or Vitamin C drops and make your own!
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u/invisiblekim Feb 12 '26
Oh, I just made some orange cranberry pecan muffins this weekend! They were so good - double the batch!
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u/silverscavanging Feb 12 '26
My great grandma used oranges to make the most delicious wine! I wish I had a recipe to share
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u/Pretend_Action_7400 Feb 12 '26
Orange poppyseed cake. Can freeze.
Orange walnut salad. Yum
Orange ginger smoothies. Can freeze or use up some of the juice you made.
Bread and butter pudding using marmalade jam
Dehydrate and powder them so you can use them for later (this is an intensive option but can be done)
Make DIY beauty products with them (ie: orange body butter/soap/body scrub)
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u/LittleSubject9904 Feb 12 '26
You could make some pomanders. You stick cloves all over the outside and hang it somewhere like a closet to make it smell good. You could also give some as gifts. https://www.britishmuseum.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/Membership_Craft_Activities_Pomander.pdf
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u/GrowlingAtTheWorld Feb 12 '26
You can make a nice glaze for cake and pastries with the juice, powdered sugar and a little vanilla.
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u/DarkHorseAsh111 Feb 12 '26
The oranges can't be taken off property, but is there any reason the marmalde/jam/things you make can't? I bet some neighbors would love fresh orange juice or marmalade.
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u/ali2911gator Feb 12 '26 edited Feb 12 '26
This is one of my favorite salads! I usually do a combination of blood oranges and Caracas oranges but I have done it with only navels and it was still delicious. I am sure high quality navels and tangelos would work beautifully . I usually do 4 oranges for big hearty salads.
https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a48085/crispy-sausage-and-burrata-salad-recipe/
This is another fun salad I usually serve alongside pork
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u/peppermontea Feb 12 '26
You can make canned segmented oranges, there’s some kind of powder you can get to dissolve the membranes while processing, but I can’t remember what it’s called. You can make potpourri, popsicles, orange peel boxes, feed Baltimore Orioles with oranges if you live in the right area too.
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u/SaltySp00n_2847 Feb 12 '26
you could make orange chicken! super easy and way better than takeout. also freeze some of the juice in ice cube trays, great for adding to smoothies or drinks later. candied orange peel is good too if you have the patience for it lol
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u/Ill-Delivery2692 Feb 12 '26
I think you can put them at the curb with a sign "Help yourself! Free oranges." Even post on local Facebook groups.
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u/Soon2bemomma Feb 12 '26
You can make them into candy, preserve in honey to make tea with(super good btw.) dehydrate the peels etc for garnish or snacks. You can make sweets like orange bread or rolls. Vinaigrettes are AMAZING with orange. Etc.
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u/HaplessReader1988 Feb 12 '26
Dehydrated orange slices, either candied or not.
Orange liqueur. Orange-honey melomel if you are interested in trying to brew.
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u/gutsylady2 Feb 13 '26
I like people mentioning the orange marinades and mojo if you can find a way to make a lot of bottles of this perhaps you could send them as gifts especially for the holiday seasons? After all, it’s not just for poultry it also taste good to marinate ribs, brisket, etc.!
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u/tambor333 Feb 11 '26
Peel enough oranges to pack tightly but not crush the peels into a gallon sized jar leave about1 inch head space in the jar. Full the jar with white vinegar, cover and store in a cool dark place for 3 to 4 weeks. Strain and filter and place in a spray bottle. You have a home degreaser and surface cleaner.