Immune Boosting Orange Puree Recipe

Orange slices used in orange puree recipe

WHY EAT ORANGE PUREE?

We created a slow-cooked orange puree recipe (using the peels) to help you boost and protect your metabolism and immune system. It’s a prevention is always the best cure type of recipe you can eat daily. 

Orange peel nutrients are widely studied for their potential to prevent disease and virus infection, promote heart and gut health, aid digestion, reduce allergies, and calm inflammation.

Orange peel puree can also help you recover from viruses, colds, and flu infections.

ORANGE PUREE RECIPE

We use slow-cooking for this recipe to preserve as much nutrition as possible. But you can also boil the oranges, and we give you that option in the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

3 organic blood oranges

1/2 cup boiling water

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon monk fruit powder.

3 tablespoons of dark, organic, pure maple syrup.

EQUIPMENT

Slow cooker – 4 hours on low.

Stick blender.

Metric measuring spoons.

Glass storage jars.

INSTRUCTIONS

If you can’t source organic oranges, wash them thoroughly with detergent or a sonic cleaner to remove any wax or pesticide residues. Do not remove the peel.

Cut the oranges into quarters and then finely slice each quarter, and remove any seeds.

Layer the orange slices in your slow cooker.

Pour half a cup of boiling water into a glass measuring jug.

Add the cinnamon and monk fruit.

Whisk the ingredients until they dissolve.

Pour over the oranges.

Finally, stir the lemon juice into your fruit mix

Set the cooker on slow heat for 4 hours.

After 2 hours stir the fruit, bringing the bottom layers to the top, and press the fruit into the juices.

After four hours, turn the cooker off, take the lid off, and allow the cooked oranges to cool.

When cooled to room temperature, add the maple syrup to offset the bitterness of the orange pith.

Then get your stick blender and blend into a smooth orange puree.

Taste test and add more maple syrup if needed.

Pour your purée into clean glass jars and store it in the fridge.

Because this recipe doesn’t contain preserving sugar, make sure you eat the puree within two weeks.

 

 

RECIPE NOTES

A 1.5 litre slow cooker with a ceramic inner pot and glass lid was used for this recipe. You may need to adjust the cooking time if you use more oranges or a large slow cooker.

The oranges are ready when the peels easily break up with a fork.

If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can boil the oranges using the same recipe. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer with the lid on the pot for one hour. Keep the lid on the pot and allow the cooked oranges to cool to room temperature before blending.

If you can’t source blood oranges, use a sweet orange variety instead.

If you can’t source organic oranges, make sure you wash them thoroughly with warm water and detergent or use a sonic cleaner.

Vinegar is another way to remove residues from fruits and vegetables. You can soak the oranges for twenty minutes in four-parts water and one-part vinegar. Then wash thoroughly.

The amount of sweetener you add will depend on the variety and amount of oranges you use. Taste test and sweeten accordingly. Don‘t use sugar.

If you can’t source monk fruit, don’t worry – it’s a wonderful natural sweetener that offers health-boosting benefits – just add maple syrup after the oranges are puréed.

If you can’t source 100% pure organic certified maple syrup, use raw honey. Add honey once your cooked oranges have cooled so you don’t destroy the enzymes in the honey.

 

Pureed oranges in Orange Puree Recipe blog

 

ORANGE PUREE RECIPE IDEAS

You can eat 1 tablespoon of orange puree daily to boost your metabolism and immune system, and prevent chronic disease.

Slow cooking creates a stronger brew than boiling oranges. Make sure you dilute your orange puree in other dishes and drinks.

Add 2 teaspoons of orange purée to 2 tablespoons of coconut yoghurt. We use plain Coyo yoghurt because it doesn’t contain fillers. Avoid animal dairy products if you are congested with phlegm. 

If you can’t source plain, ‘live’ coconut yoghurt, add a tablespoon of orange puree to a small bowl of plain Greek yoghurt. Only use a live, plain yoghurt without fillers – they offer beneficial friendly bacteria that aid your gut health and digestion.

Add 1 tablespoon of orange puree to a mango and banana smoothie. See our Healthy Gut Reboot blog for more smoothie ideas.

Add a tablespoon of puree to individual 200mL coconut chia puddings.

Drizzle a tablespoon of orange puree on your cooked porridge.

Add 1-2 teaspoons of puree to a cup of lemongrass tea to clear lung congestion.

Add a tablespoon of orange peel puree to a bowl of fruit salad.

Add 1-2 teaspoons of puree to a delicious hot cacao drink with saffron honey to soothe coughing.

Slow cooking makes orange peels more palatable. But for greater nutritional value, you could also zest raw orange peel and add it to yoghurt, smoothies, salads, in dairy-free cream cheese frosting (try Sheese), and as a dessert topping.

You can also add a tablespoon of raw orange peel to fresh juices. Try fresh pineapple, carrot, orange peel, and ginger juice to alleviate coughing. CAUTION: pineapple is not recommended if you are pregnant or take blood thinning medication. Use organic apples instead.

 

Hot chocolate drink made from cacao, cinnamon, and orange puree

 

TRADITIONAL USES & BENEFITS

Orange Peel

Calms respiratory distress • reduces phlegm • histamine reducing for allergies • lung cleansing • liver protective • immune boosting • aids digestion and fat metabolism • reduces gut inflammation • cholesterol and blood pressure • natural anti-inflammatory • nutrient rich • helps regulate blood sugar • rich in flavonoids and antioxidants that help reduce oxidative damage • helps fight the symptoms of infection, colds and flu • disease prevention.

Cinnamon

Viral infections • anti-inflammatory • bacterial infections • Inhibits candida • promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria • decreases abdominal fat • improves fasting blood sugar • improves insulin resistance • anti-diabetic • rich in antioxidants • autoimmune symptoms • blood pressure (hypertension) • brain food • central nervous system • cholesterol • cognitive decline • protects colon • dental health • diabetes • fungal infections • protects against cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders • weight management • wound healing.

Pure Dark Maple Syrup

Rich in antioxidant properties (quebecol) • liver protective • ammonia reducing • aids digestion • anti-cancer compounds (MS-BuOH extract) • DNA protective • reduces LDL cholesterol • has a lower glycemic index than sucrose • anti-inflammatory • neurodegenerative disease prevention • aids diversity of the gut microbiome.

Monk Fruit

Used traditionally to relieve sore throats, cough, colds, and reduce phlegm • fructose and glucose free • antioxidant and anti-cancer properties • anti-fatigue, anti-diabetic and anti-hyperglycemic properties • 300 times sweeter than sucrose so use sparingly.

Always remember – your body is designed to heal!