HERBALPEDIA
ORANGE
bitter membranes. It is hardy to zone 9 and is
frost tender. It is in leaf all year. The scented
flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated
by Apomictic (reproduce by seeds formed
without sexual fusion) and insects. The plant is
self-fertile.
Citrus sinensis
[SIT-rus sye-NEN-sis]
Family: Rutaceae
Names: Naranja De China, Naranjo Dulce,
Orange Blossom, Orange Tree, Love Fruit,
Oranger Doux, Portakal, Sweet Orange,
Z'Orange Douce, China orange, Portugal
orange; oranger, bigaradier, bergamotier
(French); Orangenbaum, Bergamottenzitrone
(German); arancio, melarancio, bergamotta
(Italian); Naranja (Spanish), azahares, azahar
de Naranja
Description: An evergreen tree, smaller than
the bitter variety, less hardy with fewer or no
spines. The fruit has a sweet pulp and non-
Cultivation: Prefers a moderately heavy loam
with a generous amount of compost and sand
added and a very sunny position. Prefers a pH
between 5 and 6. Tolerates a pH in the range
4.3 to 8.3. Plants are intolerant of water
logging. When growing plants in pots, a
compost comprising equal quantities of loam
and leafmold plus a little charcoal should
produce good results. Do not use manure since
Citrus species dislike it. When watering pot
plants it is important to neither overwater or
underwater since the plant will soon complain
by turning yellow and dying. Water only when
the compost is almost dry, but do not allow it to
become completely dry. Plants dislike root
disturbance and so should be placed into their
permanent positions when young. If growing
them in pots, great care must be exercised when
potting them on into larger containers. The
seed is best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it
ripe after thoroughly rinsing it. Sow stored seed
in March in a greenhouse. Germination usually
takes place within 2 - 3 weeks at 45°F.
Seedlings are liable to damp off so they must
be watered with care and kept well ventilated.
The seed is usually polyembrionic, two or more
seedlings arise from each seed and they are
genetically identical to the parent but they do
not usually carry any virus that might be
present in the parent plant. When large enough
to handle, prick the seedlings out into
individual pots and grow them on in the
greenhouse for at least three growing seasons
before trying them outdoors. Plant them out in
the summer and give them some protection
from the cold for their first few winters
outdoors.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood,
July/August in a frame. Layering in October.
Use a bark, peat and grit mix of compost.
When rooted and established, pot up into a
loam-based compost and press down firmly.
Pick the flowers as them come into flower and
when in full flower. They can be dried or
frozen but are best preserved in sugar, oil,
syrup or butter.
History: Azahar simply means “citrus
blossoms” in Spanish, but when used to
describe a tea, it almost always refers
specifically to dried orange blossoms, a popular
sedative.
Properties: Appetizer; Blood
Carminative; Tonic; sedative.
purifier;
Medicinal Uses: Citrus species contain a wide
range of active ingredients and research is still
underway in finding uses for them. They are
rich in vitamin C, flavonoids, acids and volatile
oils. They also contain coumarins such as
bergapten which sensitizes the skin to sunlight.
Bergapten is sometimes added to tanning
preparations since it promotes pigmentation in
the skin, though it can cause dermatitis or
allergic responses in some people. Some of the
plants more recent applications are as sources
of anti-oxidants and chemical exfoliants in
specialized cosmetics. The fruit is appetizer
and blood purifier. It is used to allay thirst in
people with fevers and also treats catarrh. The
fruit juice is useful in the treatment of bilious
affections and bilious diarrhea. The fruit rind is
carminative and tonic. The fresh rind is rubbed
on the face as a cure for acne. The dried peel is
used in the treatment of anorexia, colds, coughs
etc.
Aromatherapy Uses:
EXTRACTION: essential oil by cold
expression of the fresh ripe or almost ripe outer
peel. Essential oil by steam distillation of the
fresh ripe or almost ripe outer peel. An oil of
inferior quality is also produced by distillation
from the essences recovered as a byproduct of
orange juice manufacture. Distilled sweet
orange oil oxidizes very quickly, and antioxidant agents are often added at the place of
product.
CHARACTERISTICS: a yellowy-orange or
dark orange mobile liquid with a sweet, freshfruity scent, richer than the distilled oil; A pale
yellow or colorless mobile liquid with a sweet,
light-fruity scent, but little tenacity
BLENDS WITH: lavender, neroli, lemon, clary
sage, myrrh and spice oils such as nutmeg,
cinnamon and clove
ACTIONS: anti-inflammatory, antidepressant,
antiseptic, bactericidal, carminative, choleretic,
digestive, fungicidal, hypotensive, sedative
(nervous), stimulant (digestive and lymphatic),
stomachic, tonic
CONSTITUENTS: over 90% monoterpenes,
mainly limonene. The cold expressed oil also
contains auraptenol and acids
USES:
Skin care: (use the expressed sweet orange oil
as it is not phototoxic) dull and oily
complexions, mouth ulcers
Circulation, Muscles and Joints: obesity,
palpitations, water retention
Respiratory System: bronchitis, chills
Digestive System: constipation, dyspepsia,
spasm
Immune System: colds, flu
Nervous System: nervous tension and stressrelated conditions
Other Uses: sweet orange peel tincture is used
to flavor pharmaceuticals. Extensively used as
a fragrance component in soaps, detergents,
cosmetics and perfumes and in the food and
rinks industry.
Language of Flowers woman's
chastity; bridal festivities, generosity
worth;
Ritual: Gender: Hot. Planet: Sun. Element:
Water. Parts Used: Fruit and flowers. Basic
Power: Love. Add dried peel to love sachets
and charm bags. The fruit, eaten, hinders lust.
Add the fresh or dried blossoms to a bath to
make one attractive. Orange juice is often
drunk in libations during magical rituals in
place of the more commonly used wine. Add
the fresh or dried blossoms to a bath to make
one attractive. The blossoms are often used in
weddings, having the magick of romance and
of a fertile future about them.
Cosmetic Uses:
Orange Flower Toner
1 Tbsp orange flowers
1 tsp rose petals
2 Tbsp vegetable glycerin
1 cup distilled water
Bring water to a boil and remove from
heat. Add herbs and steep for 45 minutes in a
covered pot. Strain. Slowly add glycerin,
stirring constantly. Store. Use 1 teaspoon per
application. Shake vigorously before each use.
(The Herbal Body Book)
Orange-flower cleansing cream
2 Tbsp soy oil
2 Tbsp almond oil
1 oz cocoa butter
1 Tbsp beeswax
2 Tbsp orange-flower water
1/8 tsp borax
5 drops essential oil of neroli
Mix and warm the oils. Melt the cocoa
butter and stir it into the soils. Melt the
beeswax then beat it into the oil mixture, a little
at a time. Warm the orange-flower water and
dissolve the borax in it. Beat this into the main
mixture. Leave to thicken and cool. As the
mixture starts to thicken, stir in the essential
oil. Once cool, spoon into prepared jars and
label. (Herbs)
Culinary Uses: Fruit - raw. Sweet and
delicious. The juice is often extracted from the
fruit and sold as a refreshing and healthful
drink or used in jellies, ice cream etc. The rind
of the fruit is often used as a flavoring in cakes
etc or made into marmalade. The sweet,
pungent flowers are good in both savory and
sweet dishes. The whole flower is edible but
make sure you detach the green pits. If you are
sensitive to pollen, remove the center stamens
and just eat the petals.
Recipes:
Orange Blossom Special Salad
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup orange juice
3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp lemon rind, finely grated
2 Tbsp ginger, finely grated
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups carrots, finely grated
½ cup almonds, thinly sliced
1 cup golden raisins
½ cup calendula petals
¼ cup orange petals
15-20 nasturtium leaves
Whisk together juices and honey. Mix
in lemon rind, ginger and cayenne. Add
carrots, almonds and raisins. Just before
serving, toss in calendula petals and orange
petals. Serve on a bed of nasturtium leaves.
(Edible Flowers from Garden to Palate)
Drunken Shrimp with Orange Vinaigrette
1 lb large shrimp, unpeeled
8 oz orange liqueur
2 heads mizuna, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 head spotted red radicchio
4 oz baby garden greens
1 ripe papaya, peeled and cut in diagonals
edible flowers for garnish, including orange
blossoms
Place shrimp and orange liqueur in a
nonmetallic bowl. Toss shrimp to cover with
liqueur. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Remove shrimp from liqueur. Pour liqueur into
sauce pan and bring to a boil. Peel shrimp.
Add to boiling liqueur and cook for 30 seconds.
Remove from liqueur and set aside. Place
mizuna around plate. Spread radicchio and
baby garden greens in center of plate. Arrange
papaya around greens. Cut shrimp in half
lengthwise and place over greens. Streak
Orange Vinaigrette over top. Decorate with
flowers and serve.
ORANGE VINAIGRETTE
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbsp scallions, julienned, white part only
2 Tbsp red pepper, julienned
3 Tbsp orange liqueur
10 orange blossoms
½ cup peanut oil
salt and pepper to taste
Blend all ingredients together well.
(Edible Flowers from Garden to Palate)
Orange Sorbets
4 large oranges
½ pint water
3 oz granulated sugar
3 Tbsp orange flowers
1 egg white, whisked
Cut the tops off the oranges and scoop
out the pulp into a saucepan. Put the orange
skin shells into the freezer to use later as
serving bowls. Add the water, sugar and one
tablespoon of orange flowers to the orange pulp
in the saucepan and bring slowly to the boil,
stirring from time to time to make sure the
sugar does not stick to the bottom. Simmer for
approximately eight minutes. Strain the liquid
and check for sweetness. If it is too sour add
some more sugar. Allow to cool before
pouring into a freezing tray and putting in the
freezer. Leave for ten minutes, then using a
whisk or fork, mash it up. Keep doing this
until the mixture resembles a slush. Then mix
the whisked egg white well into the slush and
add a further tablespoon of flowers. Spoon the
mixture into the frozen orange skin shells and
put back in the freezer. Take out of the freezer
ten minutes or so before serving and decorate
with the remaining tablespoon of flowers.
(Good Enough to Eat)
Orange Blossom Dressing
1 lb cottage cheese
1 6 oz can frozen orange juice concentrate,
thawed
1 cup orange blossoms
Mix ½ cottage cheese and orange juice
in a blender 1-2 minutes. Add remaining
cottage cheese and orange blossoms. Great
over mixed fresh fruit. (Edible Flowers: a
Recipe Collection)
Four Flower Liqueur
4 cups brandy, vodka, kirsch or white wine
1 inch piece cinnamon stick
2 cloves
8 oz scented rose petals, white heels removed
8 oz clove pink petals
8 oz orange blossoms or 3 oz dried orange
blossoms
8 oz sweet violet flowers
sugar to taste
Put the alcohol, spices and flowers in a
large glass jar with a tight-fitting lid or cork.
Place in a sunny or warm position to infuse for
1 month. Filter through coffee filters. Add
sugar, stirring until dissolved. Bottle in strong
glass or pottery. (The Complete Book of
Herbs)
Orange Spiced Bread Pudding
2 ½ cup orange juice
6 Tbsp sugar, divided
2 Tbsp orange zest (1 orange)
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp mace
butter as needed
1 loaf French bread, sliced ¾” thick
2 ½ cup s milk
½ cup raisins
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 400F. Heat orange
juice, 4 tablespoons sugar, zest, honey and
mace till sugar is dissolved. Butter bread and
dip in orange juice mixture. Place bread in a
buttered 9” x 13” glass baking dish, with slices
of bread overlapping. Extra may be arranged
around the edges. Warm milk with raisins to
soften. Add beaten eggs to warm milk. Whip
cream with remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Fold into milk, raisins and eggs. Pour over
bread, lifting slices so the liquid goes down
between the bread. Scatter raisins evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes, till puffed and golden.
Serve warm with Vanilla Bean Custard.
Vanilla Bean Custard:
2 cup half and half
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 eggs
1 vanilla bean, 2” piece
Place half and half, sugar, cornstarch,
and eggs in blender container. Blend quickly
until well mixed. Place in medium saucepan
and add vanilla bean, which should be split
with sharp knife. Cook over medium heat,
stirring constantly until thickened and custard
coats spoon. Remove from heat. Remove
vanilla bean. (Herbal Harvest Collection)
2 cups plus 1 oz sugar
2 ¼ cups distilled water
Into a half-gallon or gallon jug place the
petals and the alcohol. Cap and let stand for 4
days. Make a syrup of the sugar and water.
When thoroughly cooled add to the orange
blossom infusion and let stand an additional 4
days. Filter and bottle. This makes an excellent
flavoring for fruit cups, puddings, delicate cake
icing, etc. (Herbally Yours)
Orange Cheesecake Bread
½ cup butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 ½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 ¼ cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp orange rind
1 cup milk
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup orange juice
Cream butter and cream cheese; add
sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and beat
well. Combine dry ingredients and add
alternately with milk. Mix well. Add nuts.
Pour batter in 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at
375F 55 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes;
sprinkle orange juice over loaves.
Orange Tea Loaf
¼ lb butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
grated rind of 1 orange
¼ cup juice from orange in Orange Rhine Wine
¼ cup Orange Rhine Wine
1 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup sour cream
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup pecans
Preheat oven to 300F. Grease a loaf
pan. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with
sugar. Slightly beat eggs in a medium-size
glass bowl. Add orange rind, juice from orange
in wine mixture, wine, orange juice
concentrate, and sour cream. Stir with a fork
until well blended. Add to creamed mixture
and blend well. Stir in flour, baking powder,
and baking soda until well blended. Add
pecans. Pour into loaf pan. Bake 1 hour, or
until set in center. Let cool in loaf pan for 10
minutes before inverting onto cooling rack.
Cool completely before slicing.
Orange Ratafia
Peel and juice of 6 oranges
2 cups granulated sugar
6 bruised sweet cicely seeds
1 mace blade
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 ½ cups brandy
Stir the orange peel and juice, sugar and
spices together until the sugar has dissolved.
Stir in the brandy, pour into a wide-mouthed
bottle and cork tightly. Leave in a warm place
for 1 month. Strain and rebottle. It can be
drunk immediately. (The Complete Book of
Herbs and Spices)
Orange Blossom Liqueur
2 full cups clean orange blossom petals
1 pint plus 1 oz 100 proof vodka
Orange Rhine Wine
1 large navel orange
2 cups Rhine wine
Cut orange six wedges and place in a 1quart jar.
Pour wine over and cover.
Refrigerate for at least 2 weeks before testing
flavor. (Herbed-Wine Cuisine)
Basil Orange Cookies
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup shortening
1 egg
½ cup milk
2 ½ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup orange juice
1 ½ Tbsp grated orange rind
½ tsp vanilla
1/8 c dried basil leaves
Preheat oven to 350F. In large bowl
cream sugar and shortening for 3 minutes. Add
egg; blend well. Add milk; mix well. Sift
together flour, baking soda and salt; add to
mixture. Add juice, rind and vanilla. Stir in
basil by hand. Drop by heaping teaspoon on
greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 1012 minutes or until top surface springs back.
Remove to rack to cool
Frosting:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
½ Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp orange juice
pinch salt
chopped pistachio nuts
Combine all ingredients except
pistachios in mixer bowl. Beat until smooth.
Frosting should be rather thick; add additional
sugar if needed. Spread a generous amount on
each cookie; sprinkle with nuts. Herb flavor
becomes more pronounced as the cookies ripen.
They taste best at room temperature. Freeze
well. (8 Years of Cooking with Herbs)
Gold Water
1 piece of stick cinnamon
6 whole cloves
4 mace blades
rind of 1 lemon
3 tsp coriander seed
2 oz dried orange blossoms
2 leaves gold leaf (from an art supply shop)
2 pints 100 proof vodka or brandy
Place all of the dry ingredients (except
the gold leaf) in a glass jar or large bottle. Add
the spirit and let it infuse for 6 weeks. Then
filter through paper coffee filters and add sugar
to taste. Shake to dissolve the sugar. Cut the
gold leaf into tiny pieces and add to the liqueur.
Rebottle. Shake before serving to make sure a
little of the gold goes into each glass. (Edible
Flowers)
References:
8 Years of Cooking with Herbs, Arizona Herb
Association, 1996
The Complete Book of Herbs, Lesley Bremness,
Viking, 1988; ISBN: 0-670-81894-1
The Complete Book of Herbs & Spices, Sarah
Garland, Viking, 1979; ISBN: 0-671-05575-5
Cupid’s Cuisine, Susan McCreary, 1985;
ISBN: 0-9608428-4-5
Edible Flowers: A Recipe Collection, Marilyn
Lande, 1994, Lan-Design Publications; ISBN: 09637596-1-2
Edible Flowers from Garden to Palate, Cathy
Wilkinson Barsh, Fulcrum, 1993: ISBN: 155591-164-1
Good Enough to Eat, Jekka McVicar, Lyle
Cathie, 1997; ISBN: 1-85626-227-8
The Herbal Body Book, Stephanie Tourles,
Storey, 1994; ISBN: 0-88266-880-3
Herbal Harvest Collection, Herb Society of
America South Texas Unit, 1995
Herbed-Wine Cuisine, Janice Therese
Mancuso, Storey Publishing, 1997; ISBN: 088266-967-2
RD Home Handbooks Herbs, Lesley Bremness,
Editor, Reader’s Digest, 1990; ISBN: 0-89577355-4
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils,
Julia Lawless, Element Books; 1996; ISBN: 156619-990-5
Infusions of Healing, Joie Davidow, Fireside
Books, 1999, ISBN 0-684-85416-3
Magical Herbalism, Scott Cunningham,
Llewllyn Publications, 1982, ISBN: 0-87542120-2
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http://www.herbalpedia.com Editor: Maureen Rogers. Copyright 2014.
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