tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8745493398948198755.post3250466917056242883..comments2024-03-28T12:23:06.497-07:00Comments on Food History Jottings: To Preserve Green OrangesIvan Dayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500437663759868535noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8745493398948198755.post-51165307656607483132019-07-29T03:30:06.116-07:002019-07-29T03:30:06.116-07:00I’m doing it! I have about 30 orange trees in my g...I’m doing it! I have about 30 orange trees in my garden as well as lemons, limes and finger limes, so they’re all brining at the moment. The process is similar (at the end) as making stem ginger which I have successfully done as I couldn’t find it here in Portugal where I live. I’ve just pickled sever jars of walnuts, these need brining for two weeks after pricking all over, then they have to sit in the sun for several days. Nothing comes easy !Property For Sale In Central Portugalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17942852832794854579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8745493398948198755.post-88640965211818515082013-07-18T14:11:47.160-07:002013-07-18T14:11:47.160-07:00Ivan - I'm very interested in the preserved gr...Ivan - I'm very interested in the preserved green lemons as there are a some French recipes which use "green lemons", but it hasn't been clear to be what this means. La Chapelle in "Le Cuisiner Moderne" has a recipe for seringue fritters (Entremis des Bignets Seringuez) that uses " œuf de bon beurre, de l'écorces de citron verds râpé, de l'écorces de citron confit, de la fleurs-d'orange pralinée", this goes into "The Whole Duty of a Woman" as "a Bit of Butter, the Bigness of an Egg, with some green Lemon-Peel rasp'd, preserved Lemon Peel, and crisped Orange-flowers".<br /><br />These read like the green lemon is used fresh, but maybe not so.<br /><br />Regarding the source of the oranges:<br /><br />It might depend on the culinary use? I've picked bitter oranges in July in Seville, their condition wasn't perfect (pulp quite dry and a bit fermented), but the rinds were sound enough. If they were ever exported late in the season, I wonder if they were cheaper and of good enough quality for some preserving methods. <br /><br />It could be that they are sour oranges but not the Seville type? There are a number of early 18th century Scottish manuscripts that have the same recipe for preserving oranges whole. One from 1710 starts off by saying:<br /><br /> "Take Bar-Mauda orranges if you can get ym, but not your high-colloured orranges, and pair ym thin as possible you can get ym, and rub ym well wt Sault..."<br /><br />For comparison Wellcome MS.1548/10 (circ. 1690) has a recipe for the same that is slightly different:<br /><br />"Take the high colloured thick reded oranges pare them thin as possible you can then rub with salt..."<br /><br />So it is possible that oranges are being being obtained from various sources.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8745493398948198755.post-16125445274824595362013-07-04T17:25:49.212-07:002013-07-04T17:25:49.212-07:00Somehow, Latin American cooks use bitter oranges y...Somehow, Latin American cooks use bitter oranges year round. I'll have to ask around to see how this is possible. I had never considered before how they had access to the fruit outside its normal season. Maybe they just leave it on the tree, as suggested above. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8745493398948198755.post-69701455539635621562013-07-03T11:23:13.763-07:002013-07-03T11:23:13.763-07:00As the granddaughter of an orange grower, and some...As the granddaughter of an orange grower, and someone who has a sweet orange tree in her own garden, I can confirm that sweet oranges will stay sound and ripe if left on the tree, for many months. I live in a Mediterranean climate and it's not unusual at all to have last year's crop of oranges and this year's crop of blossoms, or this year's crop of green oranges, on the tree at the same time. The older ripe oranges get a thicker skin as the weather heats up, and can last through to summer if allowed to remain on the tree. South Bay Ladies' Tea Guildhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16270038375307806132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8745493398948198755.post-63822488528513944502013-07-02T14:41:14.242-07:002013-07-02T14:41:14.242-07:00Yum! But rather you than me, it sounds like a job ...Yum! But rather you than me, it sounds like a job for a professional like yourself who has time and patience to do it. I will await the pictures of the finished product with great interest. Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.com