Today's recipe for Braised Fish with Orange and Soy uses frozen orange juice concentrate as a quick way to give dishes the sweet and tangy flavor that comes from time-intensive and expensive fresh-squeezed juice. Though it might seem dated, we have recipes that make this canned classic look fresh. Read on for our test kitchen's advice for buying and using frozen orange juice concentrate.
Bright buy
O.J. concentrate is made by removing some of the water from orange juice before freezing it. Look for a brand with "100% juice" label, which means it has no extra sugar or additives. Scoop out just what you need to thaw, then tightly cover remaining concentrate and freeze, up to 6 months.
Try these recipes
Give simple, skin-on chicken thighs a zesty, sweet-tart kick with an addictive glaze made from orange juice concentrate, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and hot sauce with our recipe for Sticky Orange-Glazed Chicken Thighs.
Make Creamy Orange Pops by mixing orange juice concentrate with yogurt and vanilla, for a sunny treat. If you don't have popsicle molds, you can make them in disposable paper cups.
Other quick ideas for orange juice concentrate
- Mix with tahini and toasted sesame oil for a tasty salad dressing
- Stir into sliced carrots sauteed with grated ginger
- Whisk with soy sauce to make a marinade for pork or other meat
- Blend with strawberries and yogurt for a smoothie
- Stir into whipped cream and serve over pound cake
Check back tomorrow for our post on instant ramen with recipes that go way beyond just-add-water applications.
