Oranges are bountiful here in Southern California — after all, Hollywood itself started out as an orange grove!
Here are some of the many ways you can use a fresh orange in your home, from cooking to baking to cleaning, juicing, decorating and more!
8 uses for fresh SoCal oranges
Drinks
We have to start with OJ, of course. Squeeze a bag of freshly-picked oranges for the best glass of orange juice of your life — then make it fancy with some champagne for the freshest mimosa your brunch table has ever seen.
Don’t stop with OJ, though. Use freshly-squeezed oranges for carrot-orange-ginger smoothies, for a homemade Orange Julius, for mulled wine, for hot orange tea, orange hot chocolate and a myriad of orange-based cocktails. Use the peel to garnish your drinks, the juice to put inside them and the zest to add a bit of oomph to your final presentation!
Sauces & dressings
Use oranges as a base for both sweet and savory sauces.
The classic sauce for orange chicken can pair well with a number of other ingredients, such as tofu, cauliflower, shrimp, duck, beef and more!
You can also make an orange cream that’s lighter and more suited to pastas, seafood and veggies.
Orange is also a great base for salad dressings — especially salad dressings that already call for a citrus like lemon or lime. Try substituting lemon juice for orange juice next time you make your favorite salad dressing and see how you like it!
Otherwise, orange-ginger sesame dressing is a tried-and-true favorite of ours, as is orange honey mustard and this orange vinaigrette.
Jams & jellies
Jams and jellies aren’t as intimidating to make as they may seem, and they’re well worth the work!
Orange marmalade is a no-brainer when it comes to orange-based jelly-making, but you’d be surprised at how much you can get out of a single fruit. Orange jam is delightfully sweet and fresh, and you can add all kinds of spices to it to make it as cozy, spicy or tangy as you like. Plus, little jars of the stuff make for great gifts come the holiday season.
Honey & Co. on Instagram: "It’s citrus season, which means marmalade time! Cook along with us?
This is a blood orange marmalade but the recipe applies to any citrus. It’s a super simple recipe, using the same weight of sugar as you have chopped fruit, and you can scale this up. We only made one jar and now very much regretting this - this jar is very precious - how gorgeous is the colour?
🍊Start off by chopping your citrus, skin on - I used 4 blood oranges.
🍊Weigh your chopped oranges and add the same weight of water (300g for me!)
🍊 Weigh the same quantity of sugar and set this aside (300g for me!)
🍊 bring the oranges and water to the boil
🍊 once the orange skin is soft, add the sugar
🍊 keep simmering and skim every so often
🍊🍋🍊🍋🍊little break for some silliness
🍊keep skimming, you will see it start to thicken
🍊 time to test the jammy-ness on a plate - see how the liquid has thickened? This is what you want
🍊pour into sterilized jar
🍊enjoy
#honeyandco #jam #marmalade #citrusseason #cookalong #jamming #marmaladerecipe #bloodorange #honeyandcoathome"
252 likes, 5 comments - honeyandco on February 24, 2023: "It’s citrus season, which means marmalade time! Cook along with us?
This is a blood orange marmalade but the recipe applies to any citrus. It’s a super simple recipe, using the same weight of sugar as you have chopped fruit, and you can scale this up. We only made one jar and now very much regretting this - this jar is very precious - how gorgeous is the colour?
🍊Start off by chopping your citrus, skin on - I used 4 blood oranges.
🍊Weigh your chopped oranges and add the same weight of water (300g for me!)
🍊 Weigh the same quantity of sugar and set this aside (300g for me!)
🍊 bring the oranges and water to the boil
🍊 once the orange skin is soft, add the sugar
🍊 keep simmering and skim every so often
🍊🍋🍊🍋🍊little break for some silliness
🍊keep skimming, you will see it start to thicken
🍊 time to test the jammy-ness on a plate - see how the liquid has thickened? This is what you want
🍊pour into sterilized jar
🍊enjoy
#honeyandco #jam #marmalade #citrusseason #cookalong #jamming #marmaladerecipe #bloodorange #honeyandcoathome".
Baking
The real question is, what can’t you bake with oranges?
Orange juice, orange zest, orange peel — all of it can go into your next baking escapade. We’ll list 15 ideas off the top of our heads just now, just to prove it.
- Orange pound cake
- Orange curd
- Orange scones
- Orange cinnamon rolls
- French orange tart
- Orange mousse
- Candied orange peels
- Chocolate orange brownies
- Orange & poppy seed muffins
- Orange panna cotta
- Orange bars
- Orange cranberry bread
- Orange walnut cake
- Orange & cream cake
- Upside down orange cake
- And more!
Boom. You can’t go wrong!
Brooke and Emma on Instagram: "Lemon and orange mixed peel is a DIY recipe for homemade candied citrus peel. These fruit treats are blanched, steeped, and cooked in a simple syrup, then dried out and dusted with sugar. Use in cookies, cakes, sweet breads, and other desserts like French orangettes. This Christmas, make some for holiday gifts and your kitchen will smell heavenly—just like Grandmother’s.
Get the full recipe and tips here: https://savortheflavour.com/lemon-and-orange-mixed-peel/
#mixedpeel #candiedpeel #citruspeel #lemonrecipes #orangerecipes #homemadecandy"
95 likes, 2 comments - savortheflavourblog on August 8, 2024: "Lemon and orange mixed peel is a DIY recipe for homemade candied citrus peel. These fruit treats are blanched, steeped, and cooked in a simple syrup, then dried out and dusted with sugar. Use in cookies, cakes, sweet breads, and other desserts like French orangettes. This Christmas, make some for holiday gifts and your kitchen will smell heavenly—just like Grandmother’s.
Get the full recipe and tips here: https://savortheflavour.com/lemon-and-orange-mixed-peel/
#mixedpeel #candiedpeel #citruspeel #lemonrecipes #orangerecipes #homemadecandy".
Cooking
Like lemon juice and lime juice, orange juice can add an essential splash of acid to your dish, as well as an extra level of complex flavor. As such, there are a ton of different ways to incorporate oranges into your culinary creations!
Add orange to savory dishes like:
- Carrot soup
- Chicken glazes
- Roasted beets
- Spinach salads
- Shrimp salads
- Roasted purple carrots
- Baked salmon
- Grilled chicken kebabs
- Lettuce wraps
- Pulled pork sandwiches
- And more!
Grilled oranges are especially delicious, so add a few slices to your grill to season the grate before grilling meat or vegetables!
Homemade cleaners
If you’re interested in making your own household cleaners, then oranges can be super useful in your DIY cleaning arsenal.
Use orange peel or orange oil to add a fresh scent to your eco-friendly diy all-purpose cleaner, or use an orange half and some salt to scrub porcelain surfaces.
Erica Williams | Arbonne Girly✌🏻 on Instagram: "Non-toxic home swap👉🏻
Make your own multi purpose cleaner with oranges and vinegar.
All you need is oranges (orange peels), vinegar, a spray bottle (the ones I use are linked in my profile under “shop my favorites”), and a mason jar.
•Peel oranges, fill a jar with peels.
•Pour vinegar and fill jar, secure lid.
•Let set for 3-4 weeks.
•Drain liquid to pour into spray bottle.
•Clean until your heart is content❤️
It’s really that easy to stop using harsh chemicals that are commonly found in household cleaners. Need a harsher cleaner such as ovens? Add some baking soda for a tougher clean👌🏻
#nontoxichome #nontoxicliving #householdswaps #householdcleaning #naturalcleaningproducts #diycleaningproducts #orangecleaner #homesteading #livesimply"
51 likes, 3 comments - simpleerooted on February 13, 2024: "Non-toxic home swap👉🏻
Make your own multi purpose cleaner with oranges and vinegar.
All you need is oranges (orange peels), vinegar, a spray bottle (the ones I use are linked in my profile under “shop my favorites”), and a mason jar.
•Peel oranges, fill a jar with peels.
•Pour vinegar and fill jar, secure lid.
•Let set for 3-4 weeks.
•Drain liquid to pour into spray bottle.
•Clean until your heart is content❤️
It’s really that easy to stop using harsh chemicals that are commonly found in household cleaners. Need a harsher cleaner such as ovens? Add some baking soda for a tougher clean👌🏻
#nontoxichome #nontoxicliving #householdswaps #householdcleaning #naturalcleaningproducts #diycleaningproducts #orangecleaner #homesteading #livesimply".
Decorations
Oranges make for great holiday decorations! Slice the orange into thin slices and place them in the dehydrator until fully dry. They’ll last for ages strung up on a Christmas tree or as a stringed wreath on the wall!
Claire Burgdorf on Instagram: "I could not be more obsessed with this Orange Garland, and it’s SO easy to make!
🧡 Thinly slice a few oranges depending on how long you need your Garland
🧡 Place orange slices on parchment paper on a baking sheet
🧡Bake at 250 degrees for 3 ish hours. Keep an eye on them, once they start turning golden brown / brown they’re on their way to being done!
🧡 The drier they come out, the longer your Garland will last!
🧡 String through the flesh of the orange slices, not the rind.
🧡I used a knife to cut holes for my string, some people use a needle!
🧡Hang your Garland where desired!"
542 likes, 102 comments - claireeburgdorf on November 18, 2020: "I could not be more obsessed with this Orange Garland, and it’s SO easy to make!
🧡 Thinly slice a few oranges depending on how long you need your Garland
🧡 Place orange slices on parchment paper on a baking sheet
🧡Bake at 250 degrees for 3 ish hours. Keep an eye on them, once they start turning golden brown / brown they’re on their way to being done!
🧡 The drier they come out, the longer your Garland will last!
🧡 String through the flesh of the orange slices, not the rind.
🧡I used a knife to cut holes for my string, some people use a needle!
🧡Hang your Garland where desired!".
Body scrubs
Finally, you can use oranges for a homemade sugar scrub that will leave your skin feeling fresher and softer than ever!
All you need is sugar, coconut oil, dried orange zest and some orange essential oil (for extra aroma). Mix it all up and use it for yourself or give them out as gifts! You can’t go wrong!
Oranges are incredibly versatile fruits, and with so many fresh oranges available here in Southern California, it’s a crime to not take advantage of nature’s bounty. Head to your nearest farmers market near our Southern California apartments, grab a bag of fresh oranges and get inspired!
Good luck!
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Featured photo by Tyler Shaw on Unsplash
View All Posts by Colleen Ford