Without eggs, and with just a bit of coconut sugar, this 2-ingredient bitter orange curd is a delicious, pectin-rich, aromatic and sunny treat with a low GI.
First and foremost: pick organic oranges and make sure that their peel is safe to consume.
WHY VEGAN ORANGE CURD OF ALL THINGS?
Why not? 🙂
I came up with the curd idea as I was chopping orange fillets for my porridge the other day. I felt a bit exhausted and thought I might be getting a cold, and was looking for a power breakfast to cheer me up. And the peel that I cut away, all that bright orange, soft white, and sweet and juicy pulp bits – seemed just too good for the garbage bin.
Instead, I have chopped all of it, and grated some peel to obtain those slightly oily, and highly fragrant super-bright orange flakes, added one tablespoon of coconut sugar (though agave sugar would have been a perfect match, too), threw in one tablespoon of fresh orange juice, and let the mix simmer until the sugar was dissolved and the peel got visibly softened – but of course not overcooked. Don’t let it boil; you want a slow heat for maybe 20 minutes, and you need to watch it constantly. I call it cooking meditation.
Then simply blend the mix to obtain the desired texture, but don’t overdo.
You’ll notice that it gets more jelly-like as it sits in the fridge: hello pectin!
LOOK AT THAT 2-INGREDIENT GOODNESS!
Closer look at an orange (per 100g):
GI: 45
Rich in vitamin C
ORAC: 1819
Closer look at coconut sugar (per 100g):
GI: 35
Rich in minerals
ORAC: 2200
That’s why I wanted to keep the ingredients raw and the yield small: one full 140ml mason jar.
Stored in the fridge, it remained fresh, fragrant and delicious for 5 days and would last probably longer, but I think 5 days are just fine.
The possibilites to use the curd are manifold: from scones to cake frosting, from smoothies to sauces.
Awesome!
😉 thank you
Clever 🙂
and super-easy! as date stuffing, it TOTALLY beats orange marzipan.
I would think so.