Orange & Vinegar by Fruchtwerker. Orange vinegar made from whole organic oranges with peel – bittersweet and vibrant.
Orange & Vinegar by Fruchtwerker is an orange vinegar from Talkau in Schleswig-Holstein, for which whole organic oranges from Spain are processed into a mash—peel and all—and macerated cold in vinegar. 25 percent fruit, sugar, spirit and wine vinegar, only 3 percent acidity – no concentrate, no added flavoring, no coloring. 250 ml, mild and slightly bitter – a gentle fruit vinegar instead of a sharp seasoning vinegar.
Orange vinegar is the variety that Matthias Hüttmann invented himself first, after taking over the raspberry recipe from the farmer Emma. The idea was as simple as it was unusual: process oranges into a mash along with the peel instead of juicing them. The essential oils from the peel thus enter the vinegar and provide the fine bitterness familiar from English orange marmalade. In our shop, it is our best-selling variety after raspberry vinegar – which goes to show that the idea works.
Navelina orange, a hint of bitter, then acidity
The orange vinegar smells like freshly grated orange peel and tastes in three stages: first the sweetness of the fruit, then the acidity of the vinegar, and finally the slight bitterness of the peel. The bitterness remains in the background; it is the element that distinguishes this vinegar from an orange soda. In the glass, it is golden yellow to orange, slightly cloudy from the fruit particles.
The sweetness comes from sugar and the oranges themselves, the acidity largely from the spirit vinegar. Together, this creates a balance that is more reminiscent of an aperitif than a salad vinegar. With 52 grams of sugar per 100 grams, it is clearly sweet, which in the kitchen means: less honey, less sugar in the vinaigrette.
If you avoid bitter notes, you are better off with the Apple & Vinegar or the Honey & Vinegar from the same producer – both are round and without the bitterness of the peel. And if you are looking for a strong, acidic vinegar for pickling, this bottle is the wrong choice – it is too sweet and too mild for that.
Fennel, beetroot, chicken from the oven
Orange vinegar belongs with vegetables that can handle sweetness and bitterness: fennel in thin slices with olive oil and a tablespoon of vinegar—a salad in two minutes. Carrots, freshly grated or from the oven. Beetroot – the earthy sweetness of the tuber and the orange bitterness complement each other, whether as a salad or as a beetroot carpaccio with fresh goat cheese.
In the kitchen, it has a task that Fruchtwerker themselves recommends: brush oven-baked chicken with this vinegar two or three times during the last ten minutes. The sugar caramelizes, the skin becomes crispy, and the orange flavor is preserved. The same works for duck breast or grilled salmon. A pumpkin ginger soup gets a teaspoon at the end; it lifts the sweetness of the pumpkin without overpowering it.
As a drink: a splash in sparkling wine or over ice with mineral water and a sprig of rosemary. Those who want to try the citrus twin will find the sour, tangier version in Lemon & Vinegar – together, the two make a good basic kit for summer cooking.
Good to know: Use it for brushing only at the end of the cooking time. If applied too early, the sugar will burn before the meat is cooked. For dressings, the rule is: mix vinegar, salt, and mustard first, then oil – that way, everything emulsifies.
An idea for winter: red cabbage, which is usually prepared with apple vinegar and sugar, cooked with two tablespoons of this vinegar. The orange pairs with the cabbage like an orange slice with a Christmas goose, and the bitterness keeps the sweetness in check. It works the same way with glazed carrots or oven-roasted parsnips.
If you discover the vinegar as an ingredient for drinks, you only need mineral water and ice: two centiliters in a large glass, plus a slice of orange. In summer, it’s the lemonade everyone misses, and in winter, with hot water and a clove, it’s a non-alcoholic punch. Those using the bottle as a shrub base will find the bitterness an advantage – it prevents the drink from becoming cloying.
From 15-liter pots in Schmielau to the manufactory in Talkau
The first bottles of this vinegar were created in Schmielau near Ratzeburg, in cooking pots with a 15-liter capacity. Hüttmann had just taken over the raspberry recipe and wanted to know if the process would work with other fruits, too. Oranges were the first attempt – and the first success. Today, Fruchtwerker produces in Talkau with a 200-liter cooking system, around 300,000 bottles a year, and the vinegar is a permanent part of the core range.
The oranges arrive as organic produce from Spain, untreated, because the peel goes into the vinegar. Hüttmann visits the plantations regularly because, with a fruit using the peel, the origin is decisive. The fruits are processed into a mash with the peel, and the mash sits cold in the vinegar for several days. Only after pressing is the liquid boiled down with sugar. This takes longer than the concentrate method used by other manufacturers, and it explains why the vinegar contains the genuine bitter note of the peel instead of added orange flavoring.
Fruchtwerker is a small business that does only one thing: soak fruit in vinegar. The average fruit content across all varieties is around 25 percent. This is the standard by which everything else in the range is measured.
The vinegar that smells like marmalade and belongs in the summer kitchen
A vinegar with peel is rare – most manufacturers use juice or flavoring because the peel is labor-intensive. The result is a vinegar you can recognize even blind: the bitterness is its fingerprint.
As a gift, it is the surprising choice compared to raspberry vinegar, which many people already know. Together with the Olive Oil & Orange from the same producer, it makes a pair that Fruchtwerker recommends as a dressing combination – two bottles are enough for the whole salad.
A fruit vinegar from organic oranges with peel, cold-steeped in Talkau – for fennel, beetroot, and chicken that turns crispy.
