Preserved Citron
A historical recipe from La cuisine creole, by Lafcadio Hearn (1885).
A historical recipe
La cuisine creole: a collection of culinary recipes from leading chefs and noted Creole housewives, who have made New Orleans famous for its cuisine, by Lafcadio Hearn (1885). Project Gutenberg eBook #75027.
From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards. Its words name: preserving or pickling, a substance or vessel no longer considered safe. Check current food-safety guidance before following this.
United States
Known as an American recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.
- Preserving. Old preserving methods may not make food safe to keep. Use current tested guidance.
- Additives or old utensils. The text names something no longer considered safe in food or for cooking in, such as lead, alum, borax, bitter almonds or copper pans. Don't use it.
Ingredients 1 ingredient
Cook safely
Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.
- Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
- Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.
Method
Chef Wood
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- Pare off the green skin and all the soft part of the rind, then cut the firm part in strips, or any shape you fancy.
- Allow a pound and a quarter of sugar to each pound of rind;
- line your porcelain kettle with grapevine leaves and fill with the rind, scattering a little pulverized alum over each layer.
- Cover with vine-leaves three thick, pour on water enough to reach and wet these and cover with a close lid.
- Let them heat together for three hours, but the water must not actually boil.
- Take out the rind, which will be well greened by this process, and throw at once into very cold water.
- Let it soak for four hours, changing the water for fresh every hour.
- Then make a syrup, allowing two cups of water to every pound and a quarter of syrup.
- Boil and skim until no more scum comes up;
- put in the rind and simmer gently nearly an hour.
- Take it out and spread on dishes in the sun until firm and almost cool.
- Simmer in the syrup for half an hour;
- spread out again, and when firm put into a large bowl and pour over it the scalding syrup.
- Next day put the syrup again over the fire, add the juice of a lemon and a tiny bit of ginger-root for every pound of rind.
- Boil down until thick, pack the rind in jars and pour over it the syrup.
- Tie up when cool.
Plating
Cookware for this recipe
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Saucepan
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Mixing bowl
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Chef's knife
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Slotted spoon
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Kettle