Citrus season is in full swing, and in case your kitchen is something just like the Food52 Check Kitchen, you’re flush with spent lemons, limes, and oranges. Whereas these zesty carcasses are nice for composting, I wished to share my favourite technique to make absolutely the most of those candy and bitter fruits. It solely requires one different ingredient, zero cooking, and the ensuing condiment tastes good on actually every little thing.
It’s referred to as oleo saccharum, which in Latin means “sugary oil.” Utilizing solely sugar (therefore the identify) and citrus peels, you’ll be able to create a syrup that’s basically a concentrated model of the flavorful oils you would possibly see a bartender specific over a drink by twisting a little bit of lemon peel over your glass. Of us use it in cocktails and mocktails, nevertheless it’s additionally wonderful spooned over ice cream or drizzled on cheese and crackers.
To make it: Peel your leftover citrus, eradicating as a lot white pith off as potential. You are able to do this with an excellent sharp peeler or by rigorously slicing alongside the peel. Mix the peels with an equal quantity of granulated sugar by weight. Along with your fingers, gently therapeutic massage the sugar into the fruit skins till they start to launch their oils and odor aromatic.
Switch every little thing to an hermetic container and let sit for 2 to a few hours or, ideally, a full 24. After marinating, the peels can have candied, changing into treacly, and can have allotted most of their oil. That is the oleo saccharum. As soon as strained, you’re going to have a syrup that provides excess of simply citrus essence. It has layers of fragrant complexity that may range relying on what fruit you make it out of. An oleo saccharum made from solely lime goes to be vivid and sharp, whereas one made with orange will likely be a bit sweeter.
The oil and peels might be saved individually in hermetic containers within the fridge for 3 to 4 weeks or within the freezer for as much as a 12 months.
The candied peels might be chopped up and utilized in tons of desserts from mince pie to Ginger-Citrus cookies. However my favourite software is a savory one: slicing them skinny and tossing with some Castelvetrano olives and a little bit of the citrus syrup.
When it comes to the oleo saccharum itself, I urge you to get artistic. It’s unbelievable when drizzled or folded into desserts. I’m pondering a whip cream perfumed with lemon or the proper glaze for an olive oil cake. However you can additionally use it in issues like marinades for pork or salad dressing.
Maybe my favourite use for it’s in a Salt and Pepper Limade. I took a little bit of inspiration from shikanji, a spiced lemon drink from northern India, to create a drink that basically compliments the fragrant syrup. Right here’s the recipe:
- Juice of two limes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly floor black pepper, plus extra for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoons oleo saccharum
- Membership soda
- In a mixing glass, stir collectively lime juice, salt, pepper, and oleo saccharum.
- Divide equally into two glasses full of crushed ice. High with membership soda to style and end with a couple of cracks of black pepper.
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