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What Happens if You Boil An Orange?

Oranges are one of the most popular types of fruit around the world. They are tasty, usually inexpensive, and versatile. There are also many great health benefits that an orange delivers and this includes the peel. They have been cultivated in China since 2500 BC so have a long and rich history both in recipes and natural remedies.

If you boil an orange, the process softens and mellows the flavor of the pith and extracts the goodness from the pith and rind in the peel. It’s usually quite difficult to incorporate the peel into our diet because of its toughness and bitterness. It’s also not a good idea to eat the peel unless it’s from organic fruit so that can get in the way. However, an organic orange has many healthy properties. While it’s fairly common to grate the rind into dishes or dressings, using the pith can take some more creativity.

Today, I’m going to show you how to make orange water so that you gain more nutrients from just 1 orange. First, let’s look at some of the medicinal benefits they offer.

The Medicinal Benefits Of Oranges

It’s no secret that orange juice and the inner fruit are a great source of Vitamin C. However the peel is also a great source of nutrients, containing higher levels than the inner fruit in many cases. Here are some of the benefits you can get from an orange peel:

  • It has nearly 3 times the amount of Vitamin C than the inner fruit.
  • It has 4 times more fiber.
  • It has a higher concentration of polyphenols.
  • It contains essential oils, most of which are made of limonene.
  • It contains other important nutrients such as folate, Vitamin B6, calcium, riboflavin, and thiamine.

I’m not saying the inner fruit isn’t good though, but combining all of the fruit you get the best that an orange has to offer. Here are some of the benefits for your body and different health conditions that oranges can help prevent and/or treat:

Anemia – they help to increase iron absorption of foods.

Cholesterol – regular consumption can increase HDL (good cholesterol) levels.

Collagen – help in the process of making collagen which is good for your skin and healing wounds.

Immune system – help to keep your immune system strong and healthy due to their anti-inflammatory properties.

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) – slows down the advance of AMD which affects vision.

Cardiovascular Disease – they can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The hesperidin found in oranges can also lower high blood pressure.

Cancer – the flavanones can help protect against cancer.

The Health Benefits Of Drinking Water

As well as the orange in the recipe, drinking enough water each day is essential. As well as keeping us hydrated it has many other medicinal benefits.

Here are some of the benefits that water has on our bodies:

What Happens if You Boil An Orange

  • It flushes bacteria from the bladder.
  • It helps to stabilize the heartbeat and blood pressure levels.
  • It regulates our body temperature.
  • It can relieve joint pain by lubricating the joints.
  • It carries oxygen around the body.
  • It’s essential for the bowel and digestive system.
  • It dissolves nutrients and minerals so that it’s possible for them to travel around the body.

The Best Way To Boil An Orange

Now that we’ve looked at the health benefits, I’m going to show you how to get the most of your oranges by boiling the orange peel. The water will absorb the beneficial properties, meaning the nutrients will be leached into the water. You don’t want to boil the inner fruit as this will harm the vitamin C content and it’s easy to extract this portion of the fruit just by juicing the orange.

There are approximately 47 calories in each orange. Oranges are considered a low-sugar fruit. However, they still contain sugar (approximately 12 grams per fruit) so limit yourself to one of these drinks a day, and reduce that further if you need to watch your sugar intake. You can drink this orange water at any time of the day but it’s best before lunch or in the early afternoon. Oranges are considered a high-energy food because of the Vitamin C they contain and the sugar so they can give you a boost. This isn’t usually a good idea before bed.

Ingredients
  • 1 x organic orange
  • 1.5 x cups of filtered water
Equipment
  • 1 x small cooking pot
  • 1 x orange squeezer
  • 1 x container or vessel
Method

The reason I use an organic orange in this recipe is to avoid pesticides. If you can’t get organic oranges make sure you wash your orange extra carefully under running water first and use a vegetable scrubber to ensure it’s as clean as possible.

  1. Rinse your orange under running water in case there is any debris or dirt on it.What Happens if You Boil An Orange- washing the orange
  2. Cut your orange in half.
  3. Squeeze the orange using a squeezer and reserve it for later.What Happens if You Boil An Orange- squeezing the juice
  4. Cut your two orange peel halves in quarters, so that you have 8 pieces.
  5. Add your orange peel pieces and 1.5 cups of filtered water to your pot and turn the stove on to high heat.
  6. What Happens if You Boil An Orange- cutting the orangeBring it to a boil and leave boiling for 3 minutes.What Happens if You Boil An Orange- boiling orange
  7. As soon as the time is up, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the hotplate or stovetop and let it steep for approximately 10 minutes if you want to drink it warm or until it has cooled down if you want to drink it cold.
  8. Pick out the orange peel pieces with your hands if cold or use tongs if the water is hot, then discard the pieces.discard the oranges
  9. Pour the contents into a container along with the rest of the juice that you reserved and mix it together, then pour it into a glass or mug. It’s ready to drink.finished drink

In the cooler months, it is lovely to drink this while it’s still warm. This is also nice with a sprinkle of cinnamon stirred in when you have it warm. If it’s really hot where you are, feel free to throw some ice cubes in for a refreshing and healthy thirst-quencher.

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Wouldn’t boiling deplete any nutritional value?

My thoughts, exactly. I have read that heat destroys vitamin C.

If you read the whole article she explains it ALL

No. It won’t because you boiled for 3 minutes only…

Hello Kristen,

The oranges are squeezed and the juice is put aside, to be added at the end. This way, the vitamin C isn’t boiled away.

Many blessings and good health!

so sorry but doesn’t the vitamin C in the skin get killed through heating the skin? This is where I’m confused sorry

It says in the article why you can boil thr outer and not the inner flesh for this reason. Maybe read it again.

I understand I can also do this with grapefruit peels, will do this with my next crop due in about 6 weeks.

So is my homemade marmalade healthy then, it uses all the peel?

I will share this with my Mom she had to go see a heart doctor today because of high blood pressure and a candidate for a heart attack they said.. Thank You

Hello Jacquelin,

We are glad you find this article helpful! We wish your mom the best of health!

God bless!

You are throwing away the pulp. That is a waste!

What else would you do with them after juicing and boiling? Genuinely curious. I can’t imagine they would taste very good.

Hi Amanda,
There’s only one way for us to find out…try the recipe and see what it tastes like! 🙂

Let them dry out, then burn in the fireplace for and orange scent.

Hi Danny,
You are correct; there is value in the pulp also. However, after others read this info that Crissy took the time to share, it would be more helpful to state what you think should be done with the pulp (added to the brew, etc.) rather than just criticize her. Informative info: always welcome. Simply criticism: not so much. Just sayin’. Peace.

compost.

Thanks for taking the time Crissy, I’ll give it a try!

Hello Phil,

Thank you for your kind words!
We are glad to hear you like the article. Let us know if you try the recipe.

Many blessings and good health!

This works with getting quinine from grapefruit so will give the orange a go. Great information and walk through pictorial process, thanks Chrissy 🙂

Hello Rosina,

Thank you for your comment!
We are always thrilled to hear that our readers enjoy the articles and want to try the recipes themselves. Let us know how it turns out.

Many blessings and good health!

can this juice combo be frozen and maintain benefits?

Hello Iris,

The juice can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days, however, to reap the maximum benefits, it is best to make a fresh batch every time.

Many blessings and good health!

What about the pesticides? How do you get them off? Anyone know?

The article points out that you only want to do this with organic oranges (or any other citrus fruits) and wash well before using. Non organic citrus has some nasty chemicals sprayed on them.

Is this a good process for all citrus fruits? I realize some would be pretty sour. Would this short cooking time release the quercetin in the peels too?

Hello Kelly,

You can also go through this process with lemons, limes or grapefruits.
You can reap the benefits of quercetin from eating fruits and vegetables, such as citrus fruits, onions, kale, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, parsley, sage, grapes, blueberries, and apples.

Many blessings and good health!

Also for pineapple, except you can eat the fruit first, just boil the peels after cutting which I may have gotten info from this site 🤯

@The Lost Herbs – I agree with Phil, the snarky responses were not helpful in the least, but, still, a few readers (me included) are apparently confused by the seeming contradition of “You don’t want to boil the inner fruit as this will harm the vitamin C content” vs. subsequent instructions to boil the peel which “has nearly 3 times the amount of Vitamin C than the inner fruit.” Are we to infer that the peel protects the vitamin C contained therein from degradation when boiled? Please advise.

I have the same question.

I was considering to dry the peelings, then chop them in a food processor. When finely chopped, follow the same process, but consume the peel with the orange water.

I have a bunch of orange peels saved and dried that I usually add to a fire or as a simmer pot. I was wondering if I could either grind them up and use in a tea bag or boil them them as you describe and drink as a tea. Add a bit of raw honey and that sounds delightful!

Hi, after boiling could I use the peel to make cleaner with vinegar. Or what the boiling have taken out of the skins what is needed for the cleaner? Thanks

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