Fermented Citron and Honey Tea

This recipe comes to us from the gorgeous Dandelion and Quince: Exploring the Wide World of Unusual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs. We love this book for the attention it pays to uncommon and unusual fruits and vegetables, highlighting each one in a way that makes it sing out. If you’ve ever needed an excuse to explore the fascinating, captivating Buddha’s Hand citrus, this recipe is your gateway and your permission. Beautiful in the jar, and wonderfully fragrant, a sweet reason to pounce on the rare appearance of the Buddha’s Hand as it appears in local markets this citrus season.

Directions

Stir the honey and sea salt into warm (not hot!) filtered water, mixing well until dissolved. This makes a sweet, lightly salted honey brine for the citron to ferment in.
Scrub the Buddha’s hand lightly and pat dry.

Using a mandoline or a sharp chef’s knife, slice the citron into thin slices.
Pack the slices into a clean, dry jar, drizzling honey brine over each layer. When the last of the citron has been added, pour the remaining brine over the fruit, making sure that the citron slices are covered by at least 1/4 inch of sweet liquid.
Cover the jar with cheesecloth, or, if using a clamp top jar, remove the gasket so that gas created during fermentation can escape. Alternatively, use an airlock, or burp the jar every day until fermentation ceases.
Keep the jar at room temperature for 5 days, then seal the jar. Replace the gasket, if it was removed, or tighten the lid of a mason jar. Cap the jar tightly, in any case, and store in the refrigerator for up to a year.
To use the fermented citron honey as a tea, dissolve a tablespoon or two or into a cup of hot water and breathe in the fragrant steam. The honey is also lovely drizzled over pound cake or other desserts, or used as a simple syrup in fancy drinks.

Over to You

It’s part of our mission here at Mountain Feed to help you make delicious, sustainable, homemade food more often. Stop by and say hello on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. Or, as always, you can do it the old-fashioned way and come by the store to speak with one of our in-house experts.