Regular readers of the Beanies Newsletter, or those with eagle eyes, might have noticed the appearance on our shelves this week of the citron. Somewhat like a lemon, only larger, the citron can be considered the grandparent of the small, more finessed lemons we all know and love. But what do you do with a citron? Luckily, loyal Beanies customer Zillah explains all…
Ingredients
2 x Citron
500g Caster Sugar
Method
Cut a couple of citron in quarters and remove the inner flesh.
Slice the sections of peel and pith into sticks, about 1/2cm wide.
Place the peel into a stainless steel pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for a minute, then drain. Repeat two more times. This will help to get rid of some of the bitterness.
Give the pan a wash, then dissolve 500g of caster sugar in 650ml water, heating it gently and stirring. Bring to the boil.
Add the peel and simmer for about an hour until the peel is soft and translucent. You need to watch it and stir frequently.
Remove from the heat and let it cool down a little. Remove the strips and drain on a wire rack, placed over a backing sheet lined with kitchen towel or baking parchment – this can get pretty messy! Turn them occasionally, and when they’re fairly dry to the touch (this could take about a day) pop them in an airtight container for storage.
Now you can make all kinds of treats – you can dip the sticks in melted chocolate and let it set; you could put them in Simnel Cake for Mothering Sunday or Easter; or you can use it in Bolognese Easter Rice cake.