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| Candied yuzu peel |
The first batch, since I found it was so perishable last year, was the yuzu. I've made yuzu marmalade, and what I'm calling A to Z marmalade (Avana Apireno mandarin mixed with Yuzu, since the yuzu doesn't produce much juice); followed by candied yuzu peel. Here is a picture of the peel right after I swooped it out of the yuzu crack, which unfortunately did not set up overnight. Instead of leaving it as a syrup, I will cook it down some more until it reaches the hard crack stage. Crack is what I'm after here, although if necessary of course I could use the yuzu syrup as well. My chai doesn't care if it's syrup or crack.
I did a 3x blanching method with the peel, but if I were to do it again I would only blanch them once, because I don't mind the bitterness so much and really love the yuzu peel flavor. Last year I used the candied peel in breads, muffins, cookies and jams so far. Aromatic plum preserves (Howard's Miracle or Inca), I have discovered, combine beautifully with candied yuzu peel. Go wild with this stuff, you can't go wrong.
Yuzu (YOO-zoo): A traditional Japanese citrus, used almost exclusively for its aromatic rind. Yuzu has an aroma that's distinct from lemons, limes, or any other Western citrus fruit.
