Uses for funky Fermented Orange Marmalade

We consume a lot of marmalade mostly in sausage sandwiches . . . Don’t judge, try it for yourself! When I lived in the UK, this time of year, I’d buy a lots of bitter Seville Oranges and make many jars, hopefully enough to see us through until next January. It doesn’t appear to be a tradition in my corner of NJ, so just regular oranges. I thought I’d try making fermented orange marmalade following a recipe in Sally Fallon’s - Nourishing Traditions (book review here on Permies). It sounded intriguing based on the tradition of transporting oranges in sea water. I followed the simple instructions and sure enough, the lactobacalli got to work and I ended up with a jar. I’m glad I only made one jar. It’s pretty much inedible. It’s salty, bitter and a bit funky, like the beer smell of an old pub carpet.  I know enough about fermentation that the process has worked and it’s not contaminated. I’m just not sure what to do with it? I’ve tried it on toast and it’s really unpleasant. I thought it might be an acquired taste which is challenging as my brain is wired to enjoy the bitter sweet experience of modern marmalade. Have you followed this traditional method of making marmalade? Do you have any suggestions on what I can use it for? The only use I’ve found is to stir a tablespoon into a glass of water which makes a palatable and probiotic tonic.

Sounds like something very different from modern marmalade!  Maybe look for middle eastern recipes that use preserved lemon and substitute the preserved orange?  Brine-preserved lemons are used as a savory condiment/flavoring.

I was also going to say it sounds a lot like a brined lemon.

I keep a thing of pickled limes for sore throats, following this https://www.thehongkongcookery.com/2018/08/chinese-preserved-limes.html  
(I haven't tried it in Sprite as recommended, but in sparkling water it's great-- if you're the kind of person who happily eats an umeboshi. If you're not, abandon ship.)

This reminds me of the Moroccan Preserved Lemons from this:

https://permies.com/t/40/37682/kitchen/discussion-lacto-fermentation-methods-recipes#350407

When I think of orange marmalade I think of something sweet and tangy.

I would take a small amount in a bowl and add some sugar to see if that helps.

I doubt if you can get away from the salty taste.

Try to think how the Morrocan people might have used those lemons and try the oranges that way so maybe this experiment is not a total loss.

where they're used to enhance many traditional dishes, from tagines to salads, both as a garnish and as a key ingredient.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-make-moroccan-preserved-lemons-2394973

What an excellent idea! Thank you. I’ll substitute for preserved lemons and add a little fresh lemon juice for the acidity.