Yuzu Marmalade
| Ingredient | about 2 cups | about 2 cups |
|---|---|---|
| yuzu | about 1⅓ lbs (about 5 fruits) | about 600g (about 5 fruits) |
| sugar | 1-1¼ cups | 200-250g |
This is a Japanese tweak on old-fashioned marmalade using the little-known yuzu. These wonderfully fragrant citrus fruits are just starting to catch on outside Japan, and since the best part of the fruit is its rind, marmalade is a perfect way to preserve and enjoy it. You can expect the familiar marmalade texture and hint of bitterness, but with the powerful citrusy punch of yuzu.
Directions
- Separate yuzu into juice, seeds, membrane, and rinds.
Wash the fruit and cut each in half horizontally. Juice each half, reserving the juice. Pick out all the seeds and put into a second bowl. Remove the remaining chunks of membrane from the rinds into a third bowl.
- Make seed packet and mince membrane for pectin.
Put the seeds into a cheesecloth sachet or teabag packet; this packet will be used to extract pectin from the seeds during cooking. Take about a quarter of the reserved membrane and mince it for more pectin; discard the remainder.
- Remove pith.
Use a spoon to scrape the white pith off of the inside of the rinds and discard it. The more of the pith you remove the less bitter the final product will be, but don’t go overboard and scrape away the flavorful skin layer. - Boil peels.
Put the remaining rinds in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil and boil for 1-2 minutes, then pour off the water. Repeat this one or two more times—add more cold water to cover, boil, discard the water. After the second or third boil, cover the peels with cold water and let soak for 1-3 hours. Both of these processes reduce the bitterness. - Mix all ingredients.
Cut the peels into very thin slices. In the pan mix the sliced peels, the juice, the reserved chopped membrane, and the sugar. If there isn’t much juice add a quarter cup to half cup (50-100cc) of water. Stir together, add the packet of seeds, and heat over medium. Once it begins to bubble, reduce heat to low. - Simmer and skim.
Simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, skimming off any scum that floats to the top. After 15 minutes, remove and discard the seed packet. Simmer for another 15 minutes or so; once it has begun to thicken a little, remove from heat. It will thicken after it cools, so do not over-thicken while cooking. - Cool and save or serve.
If you’re going to can it, do so immediately. Otherwise transfer to a container to cool then refrigerate.
Notes
Yuzu is an Asian citrus that isn’t generally eaten straight; instead, the juice and very fragrant peel is used in cooking, as in this recipe. The yellow fruit is about the size and shape of an orange, with a unique, powerful citrus flavor. Although extremely cold-tolerant, they have yet to catch on in the United States or elsewhere, so the plant and fruit are both quite difficult to find; the fresh fruit is just starting to make its way into some well-stocked supermarkets. Try a Japanese specialty grocer if you don’t have luck elsewhere.- Because you cook and eat the entire rind in this recipe, I strongly recommend using yuzu that are organic, or at least unsprayed, if at all possible.
- The membrane is edible, so if you don’t want to waste it, you can mince and use all of it instead of only reserving a quarter of it. You might want to experiment with using all versus some of the membrane to see which you prefer.
- The seed packet is a very important step, since it produces the pectin to thicken the marmalade. If you have on hand or can find self-fillable teabags, these work perfectly. A small piece of cheesecloth tied off at the top to form a sachet also works well. There is pectin in the membrane as well.
- The marmalade is quite acidic, so do not use an aluminum pan. Stainless steel, glass, or enameled should all be okay.
- There is quite a bit of flexibility in the amount of sugar you use if you prefer particularly sweet or low-sugar marmalade; the amounts here are only a guidline.