The orange tree is nearing perfection. The fruit is fine to eat now, but it keeps getting sweeter, the longer it hangs on to the branches.Last year I contemplated orange marmalade and orange jellies. But you have to add sugar and maybe gelatin or pectin, and I don't want that. We mostly ate the oranges fresh.
Then
I have a dehydrator. I know how to supreme citrus.
So, not many hours later, I ended up with, basically, natural orange gummi bears.
Delicious. The thinner segments are not quite leathery, and some of the thicker ones burst with juice when you bite through their sticky "skin." The flavor is concentrated, of course. Sweet, and a little bit bitter.
They're real, and they're spectacular.
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25 comments:
What an amazing picture! How in the world did you do it? Congrats on making orange candy exactly to your taste!
Well, Zoomie... I stuck those three segments to the living room window (they are sticky). The background is my yard and fence. Then I used the "enhance" button on my photo app, and it decided the background ought to be blue. I'm fine with that. Cranky thinks it makes the oranges look like shrimp in some lab experiment.
That is an amazing picture. When I saw the title Free Tree Candy I thought you were going to tell about doing things to the skin (and then dipping it in dark chocolate).
Wild idea.
Morgan: That was another idea I'd contemplated, orangettes. Or even without the chocolate, you can just roll them in sugar. Might still give it a try.
xx
They sound just amazing! Great idea (and dying with jealousy about the orange tree!)
Kalyn: Just checking to see if I still have your address... Heh! Yes, I do.
Yeah, orange trees are not very Utah. But you have all that great native salt.
What if you put the citrus in the smoker or grilled it?
Biggles
That could so happen, Biggles. Zoomie suggested I put cayenne on it.
Possibilities!
I know you want some.
Wow. Dehydrated oranges. My mouth is watering. I love the picture. Makes me want to pop those oranges right into my mouth
Hahaha, I agree with everyone above on the mouth-watering-ness and amazing picture-ness of this post, but I also want to applaud the last line. Nice reference.
Ok, I thought they were little wheaty bug husks infesting a tree. I'm sorry. I'm usually not so morbid. But now that I've slapped myself upside the head, I find them lovely. And I applaud the staging of the photo.
If you do decide to do marmalade in the future, the oranges make their own pectin. The process is kind of a pain, but the results are so much better than anything you can buy here.
I want those.
Very badly.
you're welcome babe
totally fabulous photo
so glad you did it...
i'm jealous
You KNOW how I feel about oranges.
But.
Can I have one?
Nerissa: I, too, am so blown away. I only dehydrated four oranges, just enough to fill a sandwich baggie skimpily. Must do more!
Era: Wink, wink! Thank you.
Eugenia: The photo-enhance trick did do something sorta evil there, I agree.
As for marmalade... I just don't want any sugary jam at all, I'm afraid. It would go unused.
Sweet Bird: Easy peasy! You can do this, you can.
ceFRET: It was YOU! Thank you for outing yourself; I have corrected the post. Everybody, it was Claudia who recommended dehydrating the segments, and boy, was she right.
Sean: I was definitely thinking of you. These are super-oranges now, with the concentration, but I still want you to try one. xoxo
Mmmm.... This looks and sounds terrific! I want some!!
Cheers,
~ Paula
Paula: I'm just happy to be getting the word out. You have all responded so positively; now get out the dehydrator and start dehydratin'!
Really. Even if you have to buy the oranges.
oh cookie - that was very sweet but i wasn't looking for credit. my friend robert had recently sent me some... it was all his idea but he's not a blogger.
i'm just the one who is too lazy to supreme fruit...
hahahahh - I remember that Seinfeld episode. I get it.
Let's see - you're picking oranges, we got 3" on snow today...hmmmm.
Claudia: Supreming citrus is not very hard, it turns out. But it's very juicy and drippy. Too bad the weather is all wrong; this would be a perfect chore to do outside.
Italian Dish: Speaking of weather! Do you know we got four or five inches of rain TODAY? Wet, wet, wet. It is not letting up for at least a week. I know, that sounds lame, but constant cold sticky wetness is the worst. Bring on the snow.
She's so brilliant.
I want her to make me some pasta.
I want these too.
Jealous of your orange tree....
Britanny: I know! Her pasta!
We snacked on some of these oranges with chunks of chocolate last night, in front of the Oscars. Goes pretty good with champagne.
Was there shrinkage?
Peter: Been waiting for you, and that remark.
Of course there was shrinkage!
Love the photo but I really love the concept of drying orange segments.
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