hollowing oranges?
So here's the thing...I want to make an orange bread(ie, bread with/flavored by oranges, not like orange colored), and i thought it might be cool to actually bake or serve them in orange rinds, but i really can't think of a way to get the orange rinds without the oranges(or at least, get the orange rinds in such a way to keep the round shape)...any suggestions?
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12 Comments:
Safety consideration! Back before the dinosaurs, we saved all citrus peels and dried them in the oven after it was turned off and dinner was out. The peels get thin and hard and are full of natural oils. My grandmother used them for kindling in her coal cookstove. She said there was nothing to get a really hot fire going like a dried orange peel. Hotter than a coal fire is really hot.
If you were able to hollow the peels, I'm afraid they would turn your good bread into Molotov cocktails.
Blue Iris at 7:54PM on 09/21/08
Now you got me thinking about it, maybe you could cut the top third off the oranges, scoop them out, and make a bread-like steamed pudding. Something like English Christmas pudding or Boston brown bread. Nobody says dishes made like that have to be sweet.
Blue Iris at 8:11PM on 09/21/08
that's kinda the thought, yeah--i was going to make it like a quick bread(so more batter than dough, i guess), and it seems basically feasible. the only thing would be figuring out how to remove the pulp while keeping the rind intact.
rasellers0 at 8:58PM on 09/21/08
Maybe you could get some of those tangerines with real loose skin. Cut off the top third or quarter of the peel. If there was a lot of space in the center you might be able to work that first section out through the hole in the top. Then the rest might be easy.
Blue Iris at 9:20PM on 09/21/08
hmmm... the pith is always so bitter. i'd be afraid that baking something in the shell would impart an unpleasant bitterness to the finished product.
cybercita at 9:44PM on 09/21/08
Try a grapefruit knife - they're curved and serrated on both sides. It'll help you get down around the peel without damaging it.
thinkingincrayons at 9:57PM on 09/21/08
I always see orange sorbetto and other frozen desserts served in orange and lemon shells, so I'm assuming they just take a spoon and massacre the inner flesh, leaving the outer shell.
Baking/steaming cake in an orange is an old camping favorite, no? Check it:
http://www.bestcamprecipes.com/no-utensils/Campfire-Cake-Orange-Shell.html
BangieB at 10:58PM on 09/21/08
I would agree with cybercita the pith might well affect the quality of the finished goods, freezing wouldnt have that problem but baking? You might want to look for some of those novelty pans they sometimes sell, but I wouldnt bake in citrus peels personally. Good luck though and let us know what happens.
huneybumper at 7:07AM on 09/22/08
Here's the Martha Stewart instructions for hollowing out an orange: Slice off the top quarter of each orange, and reserve for lid. Using a grapefruit spoon or paring knife, scoop or cut out interior of oranges. Reserve flesh for another use, such as fresh orange juice.
As for planning to bake in a hollowed out orange, I'm with the "don't do it" group. If you'd like to try it with one orange as an experiment and report back, I'll be all ears (and appreciate your experience). If you want to do something in a hollowed orange, try an orange custard (spooned into the orange after cooking), citrus sorbet or ice cream.
Oranges are not quite as sturdy as, say, a pumpkin or a hard winter squash in which I bake stuff frequently.
therealchiffonade at 9:58AM on 09/22/08
I agree with cyper, hunny and realchiffthat the white is so bitter I would worry about the taste absorbing. I have cut them in half and scooped out the miuddle for stuff like jello molds so .... but that is a thought that you couold cut it in half and it might round up nicely and be pretty. Hope you find something you like.
http://luv2cooktoomuch.blogspot.com/ ">luv2cook
love2cook at 8:54PM on 09/22/08
I'm with the doubters, too. Just concerned about the bitter pith.
As for hollowing out oranges, it's quite do-able. Have you ever seen those super thick lemon twists or orange twists in cocktails? They're made by scooping out the citrus' innards. We just use a bar spoon or any thin spoon to cut out the flesh more or less whole.
@blue iris--I'm going to tell my husband about the dried orange rind as a fire starter.
wookie at 4:33AM on 09/23/08
Just this week, I baked a cupcake (sponge cake) in a hollowed-out orange, and it turned out great! Here's my post on it.
Whisk at 5:46PM on 09/25/08