Citron Redux

Puttered around in the greenhouse today.  My citrus collection has been neglected; the trees don't look well.  After Christmas I will have to harvest and baby them with a good dose of fertilizer.  They got too cold.  Hmmmm.  

But, I did get three large Buddha's Hand citrons.  They smell of heaven.  Citrusy, but with a sweet perfume.  Nothing I have ever smelled compares.  

These beauty challenged whoppers are used for candied fruit.  The rind is stripped and candied.  It is also eaten boiled in a sugar syrup as sucket, I believe an old English treat.  They even had silver sucket forks to eat this delicacy.  It is also used in Israel in a ceremony called Sukot.  Whatever, I'm not eating it.  I'd rather eat a Snickers.

If you want to read a really interesting post about foods of yesteryear, please go to the right side of my blog and click on Food History Jottings.  Ivan Day's blog is absolutely the most incredible blog I have ever come across.  If he hasn't been already, he should be knighted by The Queen. His latest post is about the Grand Tours during the 1800's and the reactions of the English travelers to foreign foods.  Sparrow soup Madame?  Macaroni and cheese stuffed suckling pig?  It is so interesting.  He doesn't post often so have a look.  

Food History Jottings: Sucket and See

Food History Jottings: Sucket and See: A selection of 'wet suckets' - citrus fruits preserved in syrup. Clockwise from top left - green orange, lemon, bitter orange and ...

Ivan Day is a food God in my book: I am sure he must cook for the Queen.  I once saw him cooking on PBS. Not only does he make unbelievable concoctions, he has all of the old implements and recipes, and is a walking, talking food encyclopedia.  Based out of Great Britain, he is beyond an inspiration.  

 I just had to show you what he has posted about citron and all the citrus I have been growing these past few years.  I think you'll enjoy his posting and learn as I did.  Hopefully, if you hit on the above, it will link you to his post.  Doesn't get any better than Ivan in the blogosphere.

Lemonade

In case you missed it, this year is my first crop of a citrus called Buddha's Hand.  It is the oldest known citron and has been propagated for over 3000 years.  Pretty incredible.  This wee, inch long babe, started in May of this year.

And this is the whopper it became.

Tried to scale it with an egg.  It is so ugly, it's beautiful and it smells of heaven; a fruity, perfumed scent.

This is the dicey part.  It has no pulp and thus is used for a candied peel.  I tried it like this, but it had too much moisture.  A fail or perhaps a learning curve.  Then I decided it would have to be stripped as peel without the pith which would work much better.  So I tried it and bleck.  If I want something sugary, I'll have a Snickers instead. I'll just enjoy smelling and growing it. 

This is one of my Meyer lemon trees.  I have a greenhouse full of them and other types of citrus.  Now comes the hard part, juicing all of them and most are ready to go.

Buddha's Hand

Well, I am tickled pink. This year is my first crop of Buddha's Hand.  

The oldest known citrus, (3000 years old) Buddha's Hand, has hardly any pulp and is mostly used candied.  Oh, does this plant smell wonderful.  Won't you please help me with tips on how to use candied citron?  Don't like fruitcake and hard pressed to come up with anything with candied fruit. Guess I could just eat it candied from the jar.