Got a question for all y'all. I have three orange trees that are loaded with fruit. In this area of north Florida oranges are a dime a dozen or less. Many trees just shed their fruit to the ground. I'd like to make some wine with these oranges and if successful I could put up a ton of it. Being naturally lazy I want to do this without too much work. Here's my plan. Pick the fruit, put it in my cement mixer with a small amount of bleach, let it roll for a while and then rinse. Buy or fabricate a grinder and reduce the whole lot to pulp. Skins, seeds & all. Put this pulp thru the ferment and rack then bottle it in qt fruit jars,(my wife has a ton of these and I can talk her into washing and sterilizing them. I don't want to stir a beehive here but I know there are among y'all many who would have some good advice. Please let er fly, and thank you very much. Codge.
Oranges
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WilliamSlayer
Well-Known Member
Bleach bad for fermentation, unless you rinse the heck out of them after 'cleaning' them with it. Just wash the fruit well with a common brewing sanitizer like star san or potassium metabisulfite.
Keeping the skins on will be easier, but will add quite a bit of bitterness and astringency to the final product. During your ferment one of our regulars (saramc) always reccomends getting those types of skins and seeds out asap (about three days or so). I would rack off the pulp and skins at that time, then rack again a few days later to get a good final product.
I wish you good luck. Keep us posted!
saramc
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the recall WilliamSlayer!
Codge...Mass processing of oranges. Well, in commercial arena the whole orange is 'squished', my fancy word of the day, and then the entire orange pulpy chunky mess is filtered to immediately capture/remove the peel, seeds and pulpy fiber & and then the juice is extracted. I would definitely choose NOT to ferment the whole orange. In fact, I would not even ferment on the orange peels unless you can remove all of the pith, and then it would be peels in moderation and even then it could be a crap shoot because not all orange varieties have a peel that you want to cook/bake/ferment with. As WmS mentioned, the pith does impart such a bitter and astringent component that it is almost impossible to correct... so avoid that at all costs. I would consider hand peeling some oranges, as in with a knife or veggie peeler, with the goal of getting strips of pith-free peel, zesting would be a PITA.
Avoid bleach products anywhere in/around/near your winemaking. Do not even clean things with bleach or bleach components. If you have heard of cork taint, well, a bleach product is typically in use somewhere on the premises. You have other alternatives to clean your fruit, k-meta being a great choice.
I do not even have words to express my concern about using a concrete mixer to clean/process fruit--perhaps my mind is in overdrive--but obviously you are wanting a tumbling motion to clean your fruit? Is the mixer powerwashed and clean, no toxic contents? I initially imagined a concrete TRUCK and oranges rolling down the chute! I read that someone put oranges in washing machine(which had been cleaned/sanitized) then turned on a gentle rinse cycle, using cold water, and used k-meta...they said it worked--I have no clue, no experience...but wouldn't that be awesome?
But for a grinder you can mount a new garbage disposal system over your collection container (5gal bucket, etc) which has been lined with a fine mesh straining bag-you can find schematics on YouTube, etc, and then using a fruit press (or improvise with buckets) you can extract the juice. Do any of your area grocery/health food stores have a 'fresh squeezed OJ extractor' on site? Perhaps you can make a deal and have them press your oranges for you? Put an ad in Craigslist, you may find someone willing to rent it to you--especially in today's economy.
As far as recipes for orange wine, results/reports from others have been hit or miss on the success of fermenting with oranges. I do know there is a Cuties Spiced Mead in the mead section which is noted as a success, and there have been posts noting variation in the recipe..you may want to check that out.
Chocolate orange port is good. A batch of JMAO mead. Imagining a grapefruit-orange blend. Man I wish I had a box of your oranges!!
In closing, be sure to inspect your fallen fruit and do not use damaged goods. Quality in, quality out is the goal.
Please, keep us posted. I want to read all about your escapades!
My apologies for the novella,
Sara
Codge...Mass processing of oranges. Well, in commercial arena the whole orange is 'squished', my fancy word of the day, and then the entire orange pulpy chunky mess is filtered to immediately capture/remove the peel, seeds and pulpy fiber & and then the juice is extracted. I would definitely choose NOT to ferment the whole orange. In fact, I would not even ferment on the orange peels unless you can remove all of the pith, and then it would be peels in moderation and even then it could be a crap shoot because not all orange varieties have a peel that you want to cook/bake/ferment with. As WmS mentioned, the pith does impart such a bitter and astringent component that it is almost impossible to correct... so avoid that at all costs. I would consider hand peeling some oranges, as in with a knife or veggie peeler, with the goal of getting strips of pith-free peel, zesting would be a PITA.
Avoid bleach products anywhere in/around/near your winemaking. Do not even clean things with bleach or bleach components. If you have heard of cork taint, well, a bleach product is typically in use somewhere on the premises. You have other alternatives to clean your fruit, k-meta being a great choice.
I do not even have words to express my concern about using a concrete mixer to clean/process fruit--perhaps my mind is in overdrive--but obviously you are wanting a tumbling motion to clean your fruit? Is the mixer powerwashed and clean, no toxic contents? I initially imagined a concrete TRUCK and oranges rolling down the chute! I read that someone put oranges in washing machine(which had been cleaned/sanitized) then turned on a gentle rinse cycle, using cold water, and used k-meta...they said it worked--I have no clue, no experience...but wouldn't that be awesome?
But for a grinder you can mount a new garbage disposal system over your collection container (5gal bucket, etc) which has been lined with a fine mesh straining bag-you can find schematics on YouTube, etc, and then using a fruit press (or improvise with buckets) you can extract the juice. Do any of your area grocery/health food stores have a 'fresh squeezed OJ extractor' on site? Perhaps you can make a deal and have them press your oranges for you? Put an ad in Craigslist, you may find someone willing to rent it to you--especially in today's economy.
As far as recipes for orange wine, results/reports from others have been hit or miss on the success of fermenting with oranges. I do know there is a Cuties Spiced Mead in the mead section which is noted as a success, and there have been posts noting variation in the recipe..you may want to check that out.
Chocolate orange port is good. A batch of JMAO mead. Imagining a grapefruit-orange blend. Man I wish I had a box of your oranges!!
In closing, be sure to inspect your fallen fruit and do not use damaged goods. Quality in, quality out is the goal.
Please, keep us posted. I want to read all about your escapades!
My apologies for the novella,
Sara
It seems when running through the interwebs and looking at Orange wine recipes that work they always have additional flavors added. Seems like most recipes that have only sugar, oranges/orange juice, and other normal wine additives just make rocket fule. I broke down and opened my last year+ old JAOM and it is nice, sweet but a little harsh on the alcohol.
I agree with Saramc and to not use the peel/pith & seeds at all. If you do the only way to counteract the bitter is overly sweet wine & that does not always pan over well. I have seen people rave about adding White grape juice, Banana, pine apple juice, mango, a multitude of berries & spices.
I would attempt a recipe that was at least three parts orange juice/pulp volume and one part White grape juice or another favorite juice. then add tannin, nutrient, pectic enzyme after a sulfite hit and 24 hour rest & sugar to bring gravity to about 1.11. Finally would use a yeast like Red Star Cote de Blanc.
But don't take my word on it. I am just speaking on my little experience with JAOM and from what I have read. I may try something like the above loose recipe in the future if I get bored. Take that with a grain of salt.
I agree with Saramc and to not use the peel/pith & seeds at all. If you do the only way to counteract the bitter is overly sweet wine & that does not always pan over well. I have seen people rave about adding White grape juice, Banana, pine apple juice, mango, a multitude of berries & spices.
I would attempt a recipe that was at least three parts orange juice/pulp volume and one part White grape juice or another favorite juice. then add tannin, nutrient, pectic enzyme after a sulfite hit and 24 hour rest & sugar to bring gravity to about 1.11. Finally would use a yeast like Red Star Cote de Blanc.
But don't take my word on it. I am just speaking on my little experience with JAOM and from what I have read. I may try something like the above loose recipe in the future if I get bored. Take that with a grain of salt.
