Garden Citron Preserves
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the citron
Cut the citron into fancy shapes.
Soak the citron in a jar of salt water for 3 days and nights.
Soak in fresh water for 2 days and nights.
Soak in alum water for 2 days and nights.
Scald the citron in the alum water, then transfer to fresh water and let sit overnight.
Cook and syrup
Boil the citron in fresh water until transparent, covering with grape leaves while boiling.
Make a syrup with 2 pounds of loaf sugar for every 1 pound of citron and boil like preserves.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Citron
- Forms the preserve itself, and its firm rind becomes tender and translucent through soaking and boiling.
- Loaf sugar
- Makes the syrup that sweetens the citron and preserves it by drawing out water.
- Alum
- Firms the citron's flesh so it holds its shape through long soaking and boiling.
The step that matters
Boiling the citron until transparent. Boiling too briefly leaves the citron opaque and firm, while overcooking can make it collapse. The citron should turn translucent as its tissues soften and absorb water, and the alum soak helps it keep its shape.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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