downtown fresno blog

Posted by Kim Schoelen

I can’t seem to get around to doing a good orange recipe.  Last time I had a bunch of citrus on hand I had the best of intentions, but ended up sharing a recipe for a teetotalers mimosa. LAZY.

I stopped at the Ferry Farm’s tent with high hopes for an elaborate recipe.  Ferry Farms has been family grown, owned and operated for 6 generations, which is nothing to sneeze at. I wanted to make something equally impressive.  I grabbed a jug of Blood Orange OJ and a bottle of OJ, excited about the orange adventure I’d have, visions of muffins and sauces were dancing in my head.

Then I hit a wall.  Figuratively, of course.  What’s better for utter exhaustion than Orange Juice?  Nothing.  It’s liquid sunshine. It’s a kick in the head when you’re almost asleep at your desk.  It’s a lifeline.  I guzzled, and guzzled heavily.  Ferry Farms needs to put a warning label on their products: “Caution, contents are highly addictive.”

By the time my work day was over I had about 1/3 of the Blood Orange Juice left.  Forget the regular, that was decimated long ago.  This juice is so good, guys.

Then it hit me- I would not be baking with this juice.  This had a much higher calling.  Long exhausting days call for the real deal.  No more of this teetotaler stuff.  It was Blood Orange Mimosa time!  The best part?  It doesn’t take much juice, so even with my irresponsible orange juice consumption during the workday I was able to make plenty of mimosas!

So now that I’ve established myself as a lush, let’s talk about 10 fun ways to use orange juice!

10. The Obvious.

Mimosas.  Duh.  They’re simple and if you could have asked me what I wanted more than anything on Mother’s Day, it would have been one of these and a foot rub.  But the zoo in the heat of the afternoon while I was starving was nice, too.

9. The Oddly Textural Experience.

Orange Chia Pudding.  If you haven’t used chia seeds before and you’re trying this, don’t worry, that’s whats supposed to happen. They get a little weird as they soak and make a gel-like pudding-y substance that may be a little strange to some first timers.  Open your mind and your mouth and give it a whirl, though.  Chia seeds are for more than just planting on ceramic heads!

8. The Childlike Wonder.

Make a Popsicle.  DIY Paleta time!  You can get popsicle molds at the dollar store and pour the juice in and freeze.  Yum!

7. The Meat Masker.

Okay, okay, so it’s a marinade.  Meat freaks me out so this one is for you, eaters of meat. Use OJ as your base for your marinade for a tangy way to flavor a roast, or whatever it is that you guys do.  This would also be fantastic for baked tofu!

6. The “Put The Body Shop Out of Business”.

No, I have no qualms with The Body Shop (as my credit card transaction log would testify to) but I do like saving some cash when they aren’t having buy one get one sales.  This is a sugar body scrub that is easily made with things you probably already have at home- Sugar, Honey and OJ.  Perfect.

5. The Salad Booster.

Orange Juice can be great in a salad dressing. Try this recipe, found here.

Orange Mango Dressing

4. The “I Yam what I Yam.”

3. The Face the Facts, You’ve Got Wrinkles.

2. The Terminator.

1. The Smooth Talker.