Oranges aren’t the only fruit! However, they are packed full of oxidants and good stuff. Cooks, DIY beauty addicts, and even those rustling up an orange cocktail might be wondering, “can I use orange essential oil in place of orange juice?”
There are so many different kinds of products which use oranges. It can sometimes be difficult to know which is best! how much oil equals a teaspoon of juice? more importantly, can use orange oil in place of orange juice in baking and recipes?
This article will give you everything you need to know about orange essential oil and if it can be substituted for orange juice and find out once and for all!
Let’s get going with the mini takeaway so you can get started!
Can you use orange essential oil in place of orange juice? Orange essential oil can be substituted for orange juice but won’t give 100% flavor and aroma. Orange oil is made with orange rind and skin with added alcohol. Whereas, orange juice comes from the flesh which is more acidic and fresher. Orange oil is better as a substitute for orange zest.
With the quick takeaway answer covered, let’s begin by looking at the differences between these two well-known orange products.
So let’s find out more to help us more easily understand if you can use orange essential oil in place of orange juice.
Is orange juice the same as orange essential oil?
Although you can use essential oil in place of orange juice, they have different properties and are made differently.
Orange juice is the fresh orange juice squeezed straight out of the pulp of the fruit. Whereas orange essential oil is the extract taken from the orange rind and the skin.
Remember though, the flavor and aroma of fresh orange juice is much lighter, more acidic, and less intense.
Commercial orange juice in cartons
Commercial orange juice is made by removing the oxygen from the fruit and pasteurizing. This is what gives it a longer shelf life than the orange juice you have squeezed yourself.
Orange juice sold in cartons often has added sugar so it’s only useful for drinking. If you are thinking of using carton orange juice in place of essential oil, I wouldn’t recommend it.
In the same way, orange essential oil is not a good substitute for your morning glass of orange juice!
“Orange juice sold in cartons often has added sugar so it’s not good to use it in place of essential oil”
How is orange essential oil made?
The natural oil found in orange rinds is how essential oil is made. The oil is often made by a process called ‘cold pressing’. Sometimes the flowers and leaves might also be used.
The oil is also extracted from the orange by the steam distillation. Using this method you end up with around 1 teaspoon of orange oil for around a whopping 35 tablespoons of peel!
Orange essential oil is directly taken from the rind and the skin,. This means the scent, flavor, and aroma they can give are much stronger than natural orange juice.
“Using a steam distillation method you end up with around 1 teaspoon of orange oil for around 35 tablespoons of peel! “
Orange oil is a great replacement for orange zest
Orange essential oil cannot 100% duplicate the acidity and lighter flavor than orange juice,. However, it is a great substitute for orange zest.
The reason for this is because both the skin and rind of oranges are the main ingredient in orange essential oil.
Can I use orange essential oil in baking?
So for any recipe that calls for orange zest, such as cupcakes, tea loaves, or any other type of baking, orange essential oil is a good substitute.
Obviously, this relates only to taste and aroma. This means it won’t work well for any recipes that call for flecks of orange rind to be the main focal point of the recipe.
Does your recipe require orange zest as a garnish or decoration? If so, then it’s best to grate some zest from a fresh orange to use.
It’s also worth noting that many types of cooking processes will lessen the overall intensity of both orange essential oil and juice.
So it’s worth taking this into account to arrive at the right flavor profile for your recipe or DIY beauty project.
Orange aroma
Orange essential oil smells much like the zest of an orange, unlike the fresher cleaner smell of natural orange juice.
Orange essential oil has a more concentrated aroma and scent because orange essential oil is a mix of both oil and alcohol. It also has less water than traditional orange juice.
This means that orange essentialoil will always have a far more intense aroma and flavor than orange juice from the flesh.
So now we’ve got started with some basics, let’s find out if orange essential oil is a good substitute for orange juice in terms of its flavor.
‘Orange essential oil smells much like the zest of an orange, unlike the fresher cleaner smell of natural orange juice.’
Does orange essential oil substitute orange juice flavor?
If you are wondering if you can use orange oil in place of orange juice, it’s worth understanding about the flavor profile of both products.
The short answer is that both orange juice and orange essential oil can give an orange flavor.
However, the acidity levels, concentration, and depth of flavor depth of both juice and oil do significantly differ.
Orange essential oil may also give a slightly more bitter taste than its fresh counterpart.
Too much orange essential oil in place of orange juice may result in a sour taste.
So how much essential oil in place of orange juice should you use?
Read on and find out.
How much orange essential oil do I need?
Orange essential oils have a beautiful intense flavor and especially the aroma. This is mainly because it isn’t diluted with the liquid in the fresh orange juice.
This means that a little orange essential oil can go a long way!
So make sure you don’t substitute the same amount of orange essential oil as you would orange juice!
This is really important to remember.
- In general 2-3 drops of orange essential oil equals around a teaspoon of fresh orange juice. Adding any more will depend on your own preference, but only add one drop at a time until you are happy with the final taste.
- For a natural zest flavor, one teaspoon of orange essential oil equals 2 teaspoons of freshly grated orange zest.
It’s easy to see from those measurements that orange essential oil has a much stronger flavor and aroma profile than fresh orange juice.
Essential oil has more aroma than acidic content. So it’s always recommended to use essential oil at the end to preserve most of the flavor and aroma.
If you can’t add it at the end in desserts, add it to the batter before baking.
“In general 2-3 drops of orange essential oil equals around a teaspoon of fresh orange juice.”
Use a dropper for oil
might you be a little heavy-handed with simply using a bottle to dispense your orange essential oil? It’s always best to use a dropper wherever possible.
So you are looking at fresh orange and oil substitutes. You might also be wondering if you can use fresh juice in your diffuser?
Check out my helpful blog article What Can I Put In My Diffuser, Besides Oil, to find out!
And finally…
So are you are frantically searching for fresh orange next time you are making a batch of cupcakes, dessert or even a salad dressing? If so,it will be perfectly ok to use essential long as you remember not to use the same amount of essential oil as orange juice.
Don’t forget that the taste will be more like grated orange zest and more intense in flavor and smell.
If you love the smell of orange essential oil check out my new blog to find out what orange essential oil blend well.. with no less than 39 oils! Along with blend recipes.
