Orange juice makers consider using alternative fruit as prices skyrocket
A global shortage of oranges that sent prices soaring has prompted some orange juice manufacturers to consider turning to alternative fruits to make the breakfast staple.
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"There are three main factors driving the soaring price of orange juice, and it's drought, disease and demand," Ted Jenkin, oXYGen Financial CEO and co-founder, told FOX Business.
The spike stems from declining output in Florida, which is the primary U.S. producer, and disease and extreme weather events in Brazil, which accounts for about 70% of global production.
Orange trees in Brazil have been suffering from a disease known as citrus greening. Once infected, citrus trees produce fruits that are partially green, small, misshapen and bitter. There is no cure, and trees typically die within a few years of infection.
The disease, along with severe heat waves and drought that occurred during the pivotal phases of flowering and early fruit formation, have put Brazil on track to register one of its worst orange harvests in more than three decades, according to a new report published by Fundecitrus and CitrusBR.
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In the past, orange juice makers have avoided long-term shortages by freezing juice stock, which can be preserved and used for up to two years, according to the Financial Times. However, even that frozen stock is dissipating because of a three-year shortage build-up.
Cools said that manufacturers may have to consider using a different fruit, like mandarins, because their trees are more resistant to the greening disease. However, that could be a lengthy process.
Generic orange juice is a commodified product (ie, you can order a standard 1 tonne of frozen orange juice whenever).
The freezing process destroys a lot of the flavour, so some rind extract is included to bulk up the taste.
Freshly squeezed still has the original flavour, and not the added rind flavour.
(I didn't look this up, mind, it's possibly I've just repeated an old wives tale!)
can I just use the zester to get some of the acidic bite back into a fresh sqeeuzed thing?
The zest of an orange isn't particularly acidic. A bit of lime juice or straight citric acid would do it, or use a different variety or less-ripe orange.
The zest has a very concentrated flavor, but not really any acidity.
However, ook into "super juice" it had a moment in fancy cocktail circles somewhat recently as a way to get more citrus juice from less fruit and also a product that will last longer in the fridge without the taste degrading.
Basically you peel your citrus, mix the peels with some powdered citric and malic acid (the ratio of acids depends on which citrus, I think lemon juice gets straight citric, lime and orange get a mix) and let them sit for a while, the acid pulls some of the oils and such out of the peels making "oleo citrate", then you blend the oleo citrate and peels with water and strain out the solids and you're left with something that is nearly identical to actual juice (and you could, of course, mix in the actual juice from the fruits as well)
I feel like there is probably something there you could work with to punch up your juice a bit. Maybe if you're able to separate out the oleo citrate you could use that as sort of a citrus extract. Or if you just want more acidity and don't need the flavor enhanced you could just add a bit of acid to the juice.