Save the bright flavor of fresh citrus to use in recipes throughout the year. These fermented oranges are easy to make and will make your cooking sing.
You can preserve the flavors of citrus in sugar, too — check out this easy orange sugar recipe.
Early in the year, our local citrus trees are bursting with fruit. Wanting to preserve some of that goodness, I decided to try fermenting oranges.
You might be familiar with an assortment of fermented vegetables (sauerkraut, cauliflower, peas…) but fermented fruits are a little less common.
Using salt to preserve citrus fruits (most notably lemon) is common in Indian and Moroccan cuisine. Before the advent of supermarkets filled to the brim with fruits year round, preserving them allowed for the bright flavor of citrus even when the fresh fruit was not in season. Smart tactic!
Fermented Oranges (and Other Citrus)
Preserving oranges using the lacto fermentation method works much like recipes for other fermented foods. In a nutshell, it’s easy.
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Ingredients
Oranges — Start with fresh oranges. Since you’ll be using the entire orange, you might consider opting for organic oranges to avoid harsh pesticide residue.
Salt — Use sea salt or kosher salt, NOT table salt. Table salt often has anti-caking agents that can interfere with the fermentation.
Optional seasonings — If you’re inspired to get creative, you can feel free to add a variety of dried spices. Black peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, and cardamom are all possibilities.
Starter cultures — This is another optional ingredient. You don’t need any sort of starter, but if you have liquid left over from another fermenting project, you can add a tablespoon or two to help kickstart the fermentation process.
Cutting the Fruit
The traditional method of making salt-preserved citrus calls for cutting the fruit in quarters, almost all the way through, leaving a portion of the quarters attached at the bottom. I’ve found it’s just as easy to cut oranges into eighths for packing into jars. Either way works, and you’ll see both in action here.
Start by thoroughly washing the fruit. You can see here that my homegrown citrus is imperfect, with some skin blemishes. This will not impact the final product.
Making Fermented Citrus
One lesson I learned the hard way: Don’t use one of your nice jars. The combination of salt, moisture, and time will cause the lid to rust. Theres no need to use a mason jar (though you can).
I do NOT recommend using a pretty wire bail jar, as the salt in the brine will cause the wire to rust. If you use a jar with a metal lid, place a piece of waxed paper between the lid and the jar.
Prepare jars by washing in hot water and drying. One quart sized jar will hold five to six medium sized oranges. Measure one teaspoon of salt into the jar.
Cut fruit into pieces or use the traditional method to cut the fruit. For fruit cut into pieces, layer the fruit in the jar with salt, using a teaspoon of salt to top each fruit. If you use the traditional method of preparing the fruit, place one teaspoon of salt inside each piece of fruit.
Press fruit firmly into the jar to release the juice, adding more fruit until the jar is nearly full. The liquid should cover the solids. If there’s not enough fruit juice, top off the liquid with a little filtered water.
Screw a lid on loosely and place the jar on the counter at room temperature; let it ferment for two to three weeks. Release the lid once a day or so to “burp” the jar and allow gasses to be released.
Once fully fermented, store the jar in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to a year. Or more.
But is it SAFE?
Fermenting foods increases their acidity. Botulism cannot survive in acidic conditions. To be sure your ferments are acidic enough, I highly recommend investing in pH paper to test your products. Note: The Hawaii Master Food Preservers suggest a pH of 4.2 or lower in the tropics. In other regions, the recommended pH is 4.6 or lower.
Using the Oranges
Let’s be clear – preserved lemons and other salted citrus is not for eating out of hand. The preserved fruit is salty and best reserved for cooking.
You can use the preserved oranges as is, or rinse with fresh water to remove some of the salt.
- Add to salted lemons to marinades and salad dressings.
- Stuff preserved oranges inside a chicken before you roast it.
- Chop salted lemons or limes into salsa or chutney.
- Use in Moroccan dishes like this tagine.
- Chop finely and add to a pasta dish or couscous.
And don’t forget about the fermented orange juice that’s surrounding the solids. That can be used to flavor recipes, too.
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Have an abundance of oranges? Try dehydrating oranges, too!
What if my oranges become discolored?
While my salted lemons and tangerines remained very true to color for the first couple of years, it’s actually quite common for the fruit to turn brown as they age further.
Can I mix a variety of citrus together?
Certainly! The flavor of each type of citrus will be less pronounced (especially in the juice) but it’s perfectly fine to preserve a combination of citrus.
★ Did you make this recipe for preserved citrus? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Easy Fermented Oranges
Preserve oranges when they're in season using the lacto-fermentation method. You'll be happy to have the bright flavor of citrus in a ready to use form for cooking!
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium-sized oranges
- 3 tablespoons salt (sea salt or kosher)
Instructions
Cut the fruit
Make four equally spaced, vertical cuts almost to the center of the fruit. You want the core to hold the fruit together, but the deep cuts allow salt to enter the fruit. Alternatively, cut each orange into eighths.
For traditionally cut fruit
- Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt on the bottom of the jar.
- Put a teaspoon of salt in the center of each fruit.
- Add fruit to the jar, pressing down to release the juices and pack tightly.
- When jar is full, press to make sure the solids are covered with liquid. If necessary, top off with filtered water.
- Place a weight on the fruit to hold it under the liquid and screw a lid on loosely.
- Ferment at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.
For fruit pieces
- Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt on the bottom of the jar.
- Place eight pieces (one entire orange) into the jar and sprinkle on one teaspoon of salt. Continue layering in this manner, pressing the fruit to release juices.
- When jar is full, press to make sure the solids are covered with liquid. If necessary, top off with filtered water.
- Place a weight on the fruit to hold it under the liquid and screw a lid on loosely.
- Ferment at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.
Notes
You don’t need any sort of starter culture for this recipe, but if you have liquid left over from another fermenting project, you can add a tablespoon or two to help kickstart the fermentation process.
If you’re inspired to get creative, you can feel free to add a variety of dried spices. Black peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, and cardamom are all possibilities.
This recipe can be made in upcycled jars. Theres no need to use a mason jar (though you can). I do NOT recommend using a pretty wire bail jar, as the salt in the brine will cause the wire to rust. If you reuse a jar with a metal lid, place a piece of waxed paper between the lid and the jar.
You can use this recipe to ferment a variety of citrus: lemons, tangerines, grapefruit are all game.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 32 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 13Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 595mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 0g
Hi Kris – I love this article, thank you! 3 questions please: May I ask what you use to weight the citrus in order to keep it covered initially in your fermentation process? And at first you say to not close the lid tightly but then in answering a question above, you do say to close the lid tight! Which do you prefer? Lastly, In past attempts I’ve had a bit of mold on top after a few months – is the entire jar ruined or is it too risky to remove a few inches off the top? Don’t want anyone getting sick or dying here!!! Thanks so much!!
1. I use glass fermentation weights. 2. Sorry for the confusion. I tend to keep the lids loose, just in case. 3. How moldy? A little bit can probably be safely removed. A lot will flavor the citrus. (But probably not kill you.)
I have purchased several sets of glass fermentation lids. They, just like lids, other glass jars upside down, ALL FALL to the bottom.
What is the trick? I don’t ferment because of this issue. NOTHING will remain on top of the product being fermented to keep it under the liquid. NOTHING
The only thing I can think is that you’re not packing your jars with enough product for the weights to sit on. Every once in awhile I have a jar in which the weight tips sideways a bit; they are always jars that have less product in them.
I have a Meyer lemon tree, and they are so juicy! There was no problem getting plenty of juice for my jar. They have some plastic screw tops for mason jars that are great for ferments. When I made my lemons I placed them in the refrigerator after 4 days. I did not realize it was something that could sit in a cupboard. Will this affect the lemons do you think?
They should be fine! They’ll ferment quicker on the countertop and slower in the refrigerator.
Is it normal that the fermented orange smells bad?
Oh, no! It shouldn’t smell unpleasant at all.
I tried this but after a couple months mine molded on top of the juice. What did I do wrong? I used a LOT of salt…
The only thing I can think is that maybe you didn’t turn the jar to redistribute the salt often enough?
The last time I made some preserved lemons and used both regular and meyers. I added a long red hot chili pepper and a cinnamon stick. Star anise is also a great addition. I use them almost everyday – in place of salt in savory dishes, dressings and sauces.
I tried this but the saltiness is so strong I can’t taste any lemon….even tried rinsing them but they are terrible. Did I do something wrong?
They DO end up being salty, but the lemon flavor is usually strong.
I saw in other recipes that the lemons need to be completely covered with juice. I tried this recipe and the juice is just at the bottom of the jar (about one inch). Is this ok?
I’ve never had a lot of juice in mine. Just turn the jar occasionally to keep the citrus coated.
As I use the preserved lemons, should I keep adding more salt to keep the remaining lemons fully covered?
You shouldn’t need to.
Some suggest that you rinse them before using them. Also, do you find that the pith is bitter to taste. I find that it is in lemons. I have a jar of oranges that I did two months ago that I am going to try to use on chicken, but I don’t know if I am to rinse them or not. Mine was done in slices. My plan is to push a slice under the skin of some chicken quarters.
thanks,
Pat
You can rinse them if you’re using in a recipe where they might be too salty.
Hi there! I’m excited to try this. I have a question about the level of freshness of the fruit that can be used. I discovered some getting kinda shriveled oranges in my crisper. Can I preserve them? Or do these need to be juicy, fresh fruit? Thanks so much!
I haven’t tried this, but my guess is it should work.
add some sugar + ice cubes + sparkling water to make a refreshing drink in hot summer days
Ah, that’s a fun idea!
My favourite is salted Meyer lemon. The peels are much thinner and they have a sweet and sour flavour. Yum.
At what point can u tighten the lid for storage? Ie, how long must the lid be kept loose for the fermentation process? Thanks
These will not ferment and bubble as some do. You can tighten the lid right away.
What a fun idea! I have an abundance of apricots and I was looking for interesting ways to preserve them. I may try this.
I like to chop these into pasta salad.
This is GREAT! I don’t have citrus trees, but when the citrus is on sale, I can now buy with reckless abandon. Lol! We cook with citrus all the time. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Do you use the peels or just the fruit?
The peels, too, unless you don’t like them.
In India we pickle lemons this way. Red chilli pwd ,ginger,n Garam masala( a combination of hot spices) r added to it.It is served with food.
You can purchase plastic lids for your canning jars. This solves the rusting issue.
Kris, I love this. I have had two failed attempts at preserving lemons. In both cases the fruit started molding at the top of the liquid. Now I see my problem. I was trying to do it like pickles and I didn’t have enough salt. Yay! I think I can do this now. Thanks so much. Shared!
I was pretty blown away with HOW well preserved these end up!
Pickled lemons, introduced in Morocco, I believe, have been around for ages.
I have been living in Egypt. The ancient Egyptians preserved lemons : )
This is very interesting and applicable to me since we live in SoCal and it’s citrus time! Thanks for posting it. How do you know when it’s done curing? Do you need to set it out in the sun, or can you just wait until the salt and citrus juice incorporates and it looks like your final picture?
Well, two years is certainly not necessary! I’d give it a month or two. And no need to set out in sun – I’ve stored mine in a cupboard.
Aloha!
May I use plastic jar for it?
yes.
What can you make with salted citrus?
I would imagine any of the things listed under “How to use your salted citrus” in the article would be excellent places to start/
We’ve used salt-preserved lemons in stews, and it’s really good steamed with rice. I also like to use the salt while cooking. Great article!
doubtful you could use it for anything really.
I cook with preserved lemons and oranges regularly. They add a wonderful, floral essence to savory dishes.
I adore lemons preserved this way. They are great when you have a sore throat. I just eat them.
Oh, now there’s a use I hadn’t thought of! Thanks!