How to Enjoy These Delicious Citrus Fruits Before the Season Is Over
Citrus can taste sunny, but the colder months of the year are the happy tasting season. You are probably familiar with oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits, but what about bloody oranges or Buddha’s hand? There are tons of more interesting designs available, and these are some of the best.
Bloody oranges
The ruby-colored pulp gives this fruit an ominous sonorous name, but don’t let the word “blood” scare you off. Inside the thin, slightly variegated skin, there is a sweet and pungent pulp that is as beautiful as it is delicious.
- When to buy them: There are two types of blood oranges: the darker moro , which is available from December to March, and the more subtle-tasting Taracco , which has a seasonal season from January to May.
- What they taste like: Think of the best “regular” orange you’ve ever eaten, and then imagine it enhanced with a raspberry-tinged aroma and sweetness. It’s a red orange and it’s delicious.
- How to use them: These beautiful babies just need to be eaten right away, but they are also really special in cocktails . Their rich taste is not only well suited for spirits, but also a truly beautiful drink is obtained from the colorful juice.
- How to choose them: Look for fruits that are heavy for their size and do not have mold or spongy spots. Green and brown spots will work.
- How to store them: Refrigerate these thin-skinned citrus fruits. From a technical point of view, they keep great on the counter and can be stored for a couple of days at room temperature, but in the refrigerator they last much longer (up to two weeks!).
Kumquats
Kumquats are a tiny pearl of citrus fruits that are unique in many ways. First, the skins are actually sweeter than the juicy fruits inside, which means you can eat them whole – the skins, seeds and all.
- When to buy them: You will start seeing these cherry-sized fruits in November (they make great holiday decorations), and you should be able to find them in March.
- What their taste is: with a sweet aromatic zest covering a particularly sour pulp, these are nature’s sweet and sour sweets.
- How to use them: Wash them and put them in your mouth. Chew. Repetition. If you want to mix everything up, try this excellent marmalade from David Lebowitz .
- How to choose them: Look for solid, all-orange kumquats without any green tinge.
- How to store them: They will last three days on the countertop and up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Buddha’s hand
This slightly creepy-looking citrus fruit looks like the hands of a crazy lemon monster, but smells like a clear palate. While it has no real pulp and no juice, it still has many delicious and aromatic uses.
When to Buy: These strange looking citrons can be found from September to February. (Buy one in October and get a great smelling Halloween decoration.)
- What they taste like: Although it is mostly a pith with a rind, the pith is not bitter and the rind is bright, lemon and slightly floral.
- How to enjoy them: The oils in the Buddha’s hand are made for infusions, so insist on it all. Cut a finger off the fruit and add some sugar or salt to enhance the sunny flavor, let it soak in vodka or gin for summer spirits, or you can go even further and make a limoncello-type liqueur .
- Aside from the infusions, the Buddha’s hand is superbly candied , very thinly sliced and fried with fish and chicken, and – since it’s essentially a large chunk of rind – eaten in everything that can benefit from a lemon supplement. At least it makes an excellent, albeit slightly unpleasant, air freshener.
- How to choose them: Look for Buddha’s firm, bright yellow hands without bruises.
- How to store them: They last up to a month in the refrigerator, but you will miss out on this wonderful scent. Store them at room temperature and pressure and breathe deeply for several weeks.
Pomelos
Pomelo is a huge grapefruit-like fruit that looks a little bulky, but underneath their very thick skin and heart lies a sweet flesh that has all the benefits of grapefruit without any bitterness.
- When to get them : You can find Pomelo from November to around the end of March.
- What they taste like: Pomelos are most closely related to regular grapefruit, but they have a much milder, sweeter taste with a slight astringency.
- How to enjoy them: Peel off the thick rind and divide into sweet, sweet wedges. Juice for mimosa and other smoothies (or just sip the juice, I think), or add to fruit salads for flavor.
- How to choose them: Look for pomelos with pale green or yellow skin that are heavy for their size, and avoid pomelos with soft, soft patches.
- How to store them: These gentle giants will last a week in the refrigerator.
Meyer Lemons
Meyer’s lemons are an absolute treasure that brings joy to everything they touch. Sweeter than regular lemons, the slices of these thin-skinned beauties can be added to salads or sweets.
- When to Buy: These smaller, darker lemons can be found from December to May.
- What they taste like: Meyer’s lemons are not only sweeter, but also have a more complex taste with a light spicy bergamot aroma. They still have an acidic effect, but nowhere near as harsh as regular lemon.
- How to use them : Use them like lemons and be delighted with the results. They are perfect for lemonade, make fantastic curds, and take on an even deeper flavor when stored. As for the piquancy, these things make the fried chicken sing like you wouldn’t believe, and make a great lemon seafood oil.
- How to choose them: Look for plump, dark yellow individuals that are heavy for their size and have smooth skin. If you can smell them before buying, do so and grab the most fragrant.
- How to store them: These fragile creatures won’t last as long as their regular counterparts, so keep them refrigerated for up to a month.
After you have a chance to sample them, keep exploring your grocery section and local farmers market for even more interesting citrus fruits, and feel free to chat with your favorites in the comments.