Citron Of My Estates
Jan. 17th, 2022 05:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hrjI've almost finished processing all the citrons from this year's first serious crop. (This is Buddha's Hand citron, which I planted mostly as a curiosity.) Based on past experiments and suggestions from the audience, I made the following:
1. Candied citron - The usual recipe (make a 1:1 sugar syrup, put the citron in it and bring it up to a simmer once a day until it feels like it's done or until the syrup has reduced to something intractable). This year's variation was to slice the citron in "coins" cross-wise to the fingers, plus a few of the smaller fingers (just to see if the syrup would penetrate well). Occasionally I use my candied peel in fruitcakes, but most of the time I just nibble it as a snack.
2. Citron zest packed in sugar - The original recipe suggested for this (used with lemon and orange) recommends that after the sugar has extracted the citrus oils, you discard the zest and just use the resulting syrup as a flavoring. With my previous experiments I haven't wanted to go through the mess of trying to squeeze all the syrup from the zest so I just store it as originally packed and use the whole thing as a flavor. Good in baked goods and to flavor drinks.
3. Salt-preserved citron - Adapated from a recipe for lemon peels (as opposed to whole salt-preserved lemons). You simmer the peel (which in the case of citron is the whole thing) until tender, then pack in a jar with salt and olive oil. Use to flavor stews and such, similarly to whole salt-preserved lemons. I tried this recipe with what was left over after zesting for #2. It'll be interesting to see how it works in various dishes. I've used the preserved lemons a couple times in crock-pot dishes to good effect.
4.Citron marmalade - Mostly used the "bodies" of the fruits leftover from using the fingers for candying. Sliced thinly and then simmered until tender. It looked like the amount of water left was about right, so I pureed it with an immersion blender then added 1:1 sugar and cooked until thickened. (I've learned to do jams and jellies in 2-cup small batches to avoid the problem of getting bored waiting for it to reduce and thicken and then losing track of the process.) I think I caught it at a nice soft-gel stage this time. Put up 8 1-cup jars.
5. Citron-almond pesto - From a recipe originally intended for lemons.The basic recipe is "put citrus zest, blanched almonds, and fresh parmesan in a food processer and process to a mealy texture. Add olive oil and process to a paste." Rather than just zest, I tried it with the whole fruit, but portions with a fairly high zest-to-rind ratio. I had some on pasta for dinner. It's milder in flavor than the lemon pesto. There's a slight bitterness from using the pith as well as the zest, but just enough to make it interesting.
I have two citrons left at this point and will probably brainstorm for something new and interesting to try. At some point, I should go through my various social media posts and the dates on my preserved stuff and put together an approximate calendar of When Things Come Ripe.
All of which reminds me that I froze the medlar pulp and need to figure out what I want to do with it this year. The problem with medlar pulp is that it's slightly more than 50% seeds, which need to be separated. If you're just making jelly, then no problem because it goes into the jelly bag. But if you're doing things with the pulp itself then you need an efficient way to deal with it. So far, what works best for me, is to add 1:1 water and simmer it briefly then agitate sufficiently to get a slurry + seeds, at which point you can run it through a cheesecloth bag rather successfully. Also, this is the first year when I've really gotten the trick of bletting and processing the fruits. The trick? Forget about any medlars that have the slightest blemish because they'll either dry out or mold instead of bletting. (I almost said "or rot" but to some extent rotting is what you're after.)
The next fruit likely to need attention will be the Seville oranges. A much smaller crop this year than last time, thank goodness. Somewhat later, the kumquats. And in the mean time, if I'm planning to move the strawberries into their dedicated bed, I should start working on that.
1. Candied citron - The usual recipe (make a 1:1 sugar syrup, put the citron in it and bring it up to a simmer once a day until it feels like it's done or until the syrup has reduced to something intractable). This year's variation was to slice the citron in "coins" cross-wise to the fingers, plus a few of the smaller fingers (just to see if the syrup would penetrate well). Occasionally I use my candied peel in fruitcakes, but most of the time I just nibble it as a snack.
2. Citron zest packed in sugar - The original recipe suggested for this (used with lemon and orange) recommends that after the sugar has extracted the citrus oils, you discard the zest and just use the resulting syrup as a flavoring. With my previous experiments I haven't wanted to go through the mess of trying to squeeze all the syrup from the zest so I just store it as originally packed and use the whole thing as a flavor. Good in baked goods and to flavor drinks.
3. Salt-preserved citron - Adapated from a recipe for lemon peels (as opposed to whole salt-preserved lemons). You simmer the peel (which in the case of citron is the whole thing) until tender, then pack in a jar with salt and olive oil. Use to flavor stews and such, similarly to whole salt-preserved lemons. I tried this recipe with what was left over after zesting for #2. It'll be interesting to see how it works in various dishes. I've used the preserved lemons a couple times in crock-pot dishes to good effect.
4.Citron marmalade - Mostly used the "bodies" of the fruits leftover from using the fingers for candying. Sliced thinly and then simmered until tender. It looked like the amount of water left was about right, so I pureed it with an immersion blender then added 1:1 sugar and cooked until thickened. (I've learned to do jams and jellies in 2-cup small batches to avoid the problem of getting bored waiting for it to reduce and thicken and then losing track of the process.) I think I caught it at a nice soft-gel stage this time. Put up 8 1-cup jars.
5. Citron-almond pesto - From a recipe originally intended for lemons.The basic recipe is "put citrus zest, blanched almonds, and fresh parmesan in a food processer and process to a mealy texture. Add olive oil and process to a paste." Rather than just zest, I tried it with the whole fruit, but portions with a fairly high zest-to-rind ratio. I had some on pasta for dinner. It's milder in flavor than the lemon pesto. There's a slight bitterness from using the pith as well as the zest, but just enough to make it interesting.
I have two citrons left at this point and will probably brainstorm for something new and interesting to try. At some point, I should go through my various social media posts and the dates on my preserved stuff and put together an approximate calendar of When Things Come Ripe.
All of which reminds me that I froze the medlar pulp and need to figure out what I want to do with it this year. The problem with medlar pulp is that it's slightly more than 50% seeds, which need to be separated. If you're just making jelly, then no problem because it goes into the jelly bag. But if you're doing things with the pulp itself then you need an efficient way to deal with it. So far, what works best for me, is to add 1:1 water and simmer it briefly then agitate sufficiently to get a slurry + seeds, at which point you can run it through a cheesecloth bag rather successfully. Also, this is the first year when I've really gotten the trick of bletting and processing the fruits. The trick? Forget about any medlars that have the slightest blemish because they'll either dry out or mold instead of bletting. (I almost said "or rot" but to some extent rotting is what you're after.)
The next fruit likely to need attention will be the Seville oranges. A much smaller crop this year than last time, thank goodness. Somewhat later, the kumquats. And in the mean time, if I'm planning to move the strawberries into their dedicated bed, I should start working on that.
no subject
Date: 2022-01-18 02:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-19 02:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-18 03:43 am (UTC)This sounds neat. Thanks for sharing!
Citron is used ritually for the holiday of Sukkot, in the fall. A past rabbi at my synagogue used to make a liqueur out of his after, which he served at Purim in the spring. (Alcohol figures substantially into Purim festivities.) I never asked him how he made it, but fruit cut up and soaked in vodka or brandy (I think sometimes people add some sugar) is an approach I've seen. Pack it all into a mason jar, shake gently or turn over a few times daily or so, and wait a few weeks to a few months. I have no idea if that approach (which I've seen with things like cherries and peaches) works with citrus. If I had an email address for him I'd ask, but I don't so all I can do is leave you with this vague anecdote in case it helps.
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Date: 2022-01-18 06:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-19 02:46 am (UTC)Does the sugar go in straight (and you stir it a ton to get it to dissolve), or do you make a simple syrup and then add that in?
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Date: 2022-01-19 07:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-19 02:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-18 06:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-18 06:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-19 02:41 am (UTC)https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/still-life-with-limes-box-of-jelly-butterfly-and/45426923-521b-46a7-aa0e-3d34d884b26c
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Date: 2022-01-19 07:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-19 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-20 07:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-19 02:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-01-18 09:18 pm (UTC)I love projects like this. Thank you for sharing this with us.
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Date: 2022-01-19 02:42 am (UTC)