Citrus Fruit

In the dead of winter, when everything is frozen and bleak, Mother Nature blesses us with a ray of warm sunshine: citrus fruit. This is the season that citrus fruit is harvested, and so there’s plenty. This abundance also means it’s often on sale during the winter months. And a good thing too – this is when we are most prone to colds and flu, and we really need that boost of Vitamin C.

Of course, oranges are a healthy snack, but there’s so much more you can do with them:

• When oranges are on sale, homemade orange juice is actually economical. Juice as many as you can and freeze the juice for later.
• You should also try making a batch (or two) of orange jelly or orange marmalade.
• Try a new recipe that uses oranges in baking: breakfast breads, orange-raisin cookies, and orange sweet rolls, to name a few.
• Use them in salads and as a glaze or marinade for meat.

Don’t throw the peels away!
Whenever you peel an orange, save the peels. Put orange or lemon peels in the food disposer to make it smell nice. A piece of orange peel in a bag of brown sugar will keep it from drying out and turning into a brick.

My favorite use of orange peels is Candied Orange Peels. If you haven’t had Candied Orange Peels, you’re missing out on a treat. So yummy! The sweet-tangy taste of candied orange peels is yummy on its own, but if you dip the candied peels into melted chocolate... Oh my! That's a whole new level of deliciousness.

They take a while but really are not hard to make. Just follow these five steps:

1. Boil the peelings until tender.
2. Cut into 1/4” - 1/3” wide strips.
3. Boil the strips in a syrup of sugar, water and corn syrup. Let sit overnight.
4. Sprinkle a cookie sheet with a layer of sugar and put the orange strips on top.
5. Shake a bit so that the peels are coated in sugar. Let them sit undisturbed to dry for 3-5 days.

Follow the link below for the complete recipe. You can also make Candied Grapefruit Peels and Candied Lemon Peels, all using the same recipe.

There's one more good use for orange peels: Make orange vinegar. Pack a bunch of orange peels into a gallon container (a jar, an ice cream bucket or something with a secure lid) and cover the peels with white vinegar. Put the lid on and let this steep for 2-3 weeks. Drain. This orange-infused vinegar makes a very effective household cleaner that costs just pennies and has no toxic chemicals.

Now, on to lemons

There are so many uses for lemons, so go buy a big 5-pound bag.

• Start with a double batch of lemon-ginger-honey tea. This is my favorite home remedy for colds and flu. With winter-time viruses ready to invade, you'll be glad to have some of this ready to use on the first sniffles. [Recipe in the 12-20-21 column]
• Use lemons, or any other citrus, to make lemon (or orange, lime or grapefruit) curd. Lemon curd is a simple but tasty lemony cream that can be used in pies, as a filling for tarts or other pastries or as a spread on toast or graham crackers.
• Chop up and dry the peels. Dried peels are a great addition to your favorite herbal tea. Or grind the dried peels in a blender or coffee mill to make a powder. Use this powder in recipes that call for lemon zest.
• Make lemon (or orange or lime) extract. Fill a pint jar with finely diced peels and cover with vodka or rum (the higher the alcohol content the better. I try for 100 proof.) Cover with a tight-fitting lid and let it steep for 6 weeks. Strain and store the extract in a bottle with a tight-fitting lid.
• Juice lemons and pour the juice into ice cube trays. Pop the lemon cubes out into a Ziploc baggie. These 1-tablespoon portions are just the right size for many recipes and can be stored in the freezer for a year.
• Last but certainly not least, preserve your lemons in salt. Salt-preserved lemons are a true culinary treat. They are an essential ingredient in many Middle Eastern and Moroccan recipes. Fish or chicken cooked with preserved lemons is absolutely divine.

To make preserved lemons, you will need 8-10 lemons, ½ cup of kosher or other non-iodized salt and a jar with a tight fitting lid.

Scrub the lemons to remove wax and surface dirt. Cut them into quarters lengthwise.

Put a layer of salt in the bottom of the jar, followed by a layer of lemons. Sprinkle salt on top of that. Press the lemons in tightly. Alternate a layer of lemons with a layer of salt till the jar is almost full. Leave about an inch of space at the top. If juice from the lemons does not cover the top, juice a couple extra lemons and add enough juice to cover everything.

Put a lid on the jar and store in a cool, dark place, like a cupboard. Turn the jar upside down every day or two to make sure that the salt is getting distributed in between all the lemons. They are ready to eat in three weeks.

Preserved lemons will last up to a year without refrigeration, so make a batch now so you can enjoy this lemon goodness all year long. Follow the link below for the complete recipe and instructions.

Full recipe for Candied Orange Peels: https://www.providenthomecompanion.com/recipe-candied-orange-peel/
Full recipe for Salt-preserved Lemons: https://www.providenthomecompanion.com/recipe-preserved-lemons-chicken-tagine/
For questions, comments or suggestions email me at: charlene@providenthomecompanion.com

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