How To Use Organic Valencia Orange Zest

Named after the town in Spain known for their sweet orange trees, Valencia oranges are a hybrid variety of orange. They grow so well in Southern California that they gave Orange County its name, and continue to be a flourishing crop statewide.

Old Creek Ranch in Cayucos grows eight acres of organic Valencias, and they will be available at the Santa Cruz County Farmers Markets for the next couple of months. 

The Blanchards only pick their oranges for market, and the longer they stay on the tree, the sweeter they get.

“We’re still in our old crop, so they’re really nice and sweet. The ones we are selling at markets have been on the tree for 18 months,” said Terri Blanchard, owner of Old Creek Ranch.

These top-quality Valencias are sweet and delicious cut into wedges and eaten straight, but they can also liven up your culinary creations with an unexpected citrusy streak.

Here are a five ways to introduce oranges into your cooking:

• Keeping with their simplistic, ingredient-driven style of cooking, food bloggers Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin recommend using citrus zest to invigorate marinades and dressings. They also call for orange zest in a delicious Beet Salad with Blue Cheese, Crisp Candied Orange Zest, and Champagne Vinaigrette recipe. This salad is delicious served over a bed of microgreens, which you can find at the market at New Natives.

• If you have an espresso machine, consider adding a little orange zest to your after-dinner cappuccino. The Ugly Mug in Soquel’s “Ray of Friggin’ Sunshine” is a soy cappuccino, sweetened with a sugar cube and orange zest. The bitter flavor of the coffee mixed with a kick of citrus is a nice alternative to those Starbucks creations that are loaded with flavored syrups.

• When it comes to desserts, try using a few tablespoons of Valencia orange juice and a couple teaspoons of zest to make a glaze with powdered sugar. 

• Old Creek Ranch is also selling dried orange slices, so ask for them if you don’t see them on the table. Blanchard calls them “Orange Bursts” because they are sour yet tasty. She said osme people out of the bag and other put them in chocolate frosting.

• Blanchard tells customers about an orange and avocado salad she makes, assembled with a few oranges and ripe avocados. Just cut them up and add some pomegranate seeds, a bit of finely chopped onion, a couple teaspoons of olive oil, salt to taste, and a dash of apple cider vinegar. She also recommends using it with the Orange Muscat Champagne vinegar from , which makes for an unusual and intriguing side salad that pairs well with fresh salad greens and a protein like white fish or chicken breast.

Are you a fan of orange zest? How do you use it? Tell us in the comments!