Oranges are among the most popular fruits of winter, both for their taste and for their health properties. It is said that it is advisable to eat large quantities of it to combat the ailments of the colder seasons, but then why not stock it up for the whole year?
Follow the citrus scent and discover with us how to preserve oranges in many different methods!
Natural conservation
In the colder months, too many precautions are not necessary. The best advice is to keep the oranges in a fruit box on the terrace. This way they will keep naturally up to about 30 days (but they are so good that it will be difficult for you to make them last that long!).
If you don’t have enough space on the terrace, you can also store them in the refrigerator, in the fruit and vegetable compartment. In this case, you will have to make sure not to clump them too much to avoid bruising, which would cause them to deteriorate sooner.
How to store oranges in syrup
If you like fruit in syrup, you can also keep oranges in this way, to have a delicious dessert that is always ready.
You will need 7/8 oranges, 700 g of sugar, and 500 ml of water. The process takes a little patience, but it’s quite simple:
- wash the oranges, remove the ends, and cut them into round slices;
- bring to a boil in a large pot and drain;
- boil 500 ml of water with the sugar and, after 10 minutes, add the oranges to bring them to the boil again (let them cook for about 15 minutes).
- Turn off the heat and let it rest for 24 hours, then drain the oranges, let the syrup cook for half an hour and add the oranges again, bringing them back to a boil until the syrup is slightly thickened.
- At this point, you can hermetically seal the oranges in syrup in the sterilized jars
How to store candied orange peels
Candied orange peels are a delicious treat to be consumed all year round.
To prepare them you will need 150 g of orange peel, 300 g of sugar, and 180 ml of water. If you have everything you need, proceed as follows:
- leave the orange peels overnight in a bowl with cold water.
- The next day, boil them for about 1 minute and drain, repeating the operation 2 or 3 times to eliminate the bitter taste.
- In a saucepan, bring 150 ml of water and 150 ml of sugar to a boil. When the sugar begins to melt, add the peels.
- When the water begins to thicken, remove the saucepan from the heat, leave the skins to soak for half an hour and finally drain.
- Repeat the operation with 30 ml of water and 150 g of sugar: when the liquid becomes a slightly sticky syrup, remove the candied peels, which must be soft.
- For the final touch, dip them in the sugar forming the typical crust.
At this point, you can keep your candied orange peels already portioned in food bags in the fridge but also in the freezer, if you want to keep them even longer.
