This winter, while transforming an unexpected windfall of tiny Kishu mandarins into dried, marmalade-rich snacks, I generated an impressive mountain of citrus peels. It seemed criminal to consign these flavor-packed remnants to the compost bin. The thin, near pith-less skins of mandarines, clementines, and other easy-peel citrus, like satsumas, are repositories of concentrated fragrance and flavor. The adventure I embarked on, then, began with a question: How do I catch this quality and make it last? Clementine zest bourbon, dried bourbon peel, sugar-dried zest, and citrus powders followed. And in their wake, zest-inflected cocktails, toddies, salads, a hearty stew or two, and sweet bakes.
Dried citrus peels, it turns out, are a surprisingly inspiring and very useful ingredient in their own right. Plus, they last for approximately ever.
Photography by Marie Viljoen.
Above: Kishu mandarins, with their peels soaking in bourbon.
Above: Citrus peels begging for attention. Five pounds of Kishu mandarins from Flavors by Bhumi are $89.99.
Any sweet citrus peel can be used; in this case the easy-peel fruits were petite Kishu mandarins, whose seedless and sweet segments were perfect for drying. (Find out how to make that dried citrus snack here.) If you are deft with sharp knife or a vegetable peeler, oranges and blood oranges work just fine, as long as you leave behind most of their bitter pith.
Citrus Bourbon
Above: Mandarin zest is an ideal partner for bourbon.
To make citrus bourbon, simply pack a clean jar with mandarin or other easy-peel citrus skins, and cover with bourbon. This method works as well with three or 30 fruits. Store the jar away from sunlight for three days. On Day Four, drain and bottle the bourbon. Reserve the soaked skins to make a versatile dried bourbon powder.
Dried Bourbon Powder
Above: The air-dried peels of bourbon-soaked mandarins.
Once the bourbon is bottled, lay the drained, bourbon-infused mandarin peels on sheets of parchment and allow them to dry at room temperature. When they are bone dry and shatter when crushed, they are ready (mine took three days to dry thoroughly). Transfer the dried peels to a jar to store indefinitely. A couple of pieces of whole dried peel add layers of flavor to beef and pork stews, and are delicious included in vegetable curries and casseroles where root vegetables and winter squash feature.
Above: Grinding dried bourbon peels.
Above: Soft and fragrant dried bourbon peel powder.
I like to powder some of the dried bourbon peel to keep in a small jar. The fine texture makes it easy to use in small, teaspoon-ed amounts, or as a dip for the rims of cocktail glasses.
Above: A teaspoon of bourbon peel powder is added to onions before they are caramelized.
Above: Bourbon peel powder on the rims of glasses serving a nip of the citrus bourbon, straight, with ice.
Sweet Citrus Powder
Above: Dried, syrup-soaked mandarin peels.
Not all my citrus peels went into bourbon. A second pile remained, and for this I cooked up a simple syrup (fifty-fifty water and sugar, by volume). After cooling the syrup I poured it over the peels in another jar, to cover. These soaked for one week. On Day Eight the peels were removed and drained on wire cooling racks, with parchment below to catch a lot of sticky drips. Left out on the counter, they took a week to dry thoroughly. (They would dry as well in a very low oven—150°F or lower). Unlike the unsweetened and intense bourbon peels, these were much brighter in flavor.
Above: Dried, syrup-soaked mandarin peels.
Above: The syrup-soaked peels make a much paler, sweet citrus powder.
The powdered sweet citrus peels can be added to:
- the batter and doughs for pancakes, cakes, breads, buns, and cookies (I substitute a tablespoonful for the same amount of regular sugar; not scientific, but remarkably effective).
- the glaze for all of the above.
- ice creams, while churning, or just across the top, before serving.
- boiling water, for an instant, hot tea.
- hot toddies, with apple cider, bourbon or rum.
- the pan sauce for seared duck or pork.
- carrots, parsnips, and winter squash, destined or roasting.
- soups that feature all of the above.
- fruit salads.
Above: Sweet citrus powder was added to the dough for buns.
Above: Baked buns, with a glaze of blood orange juice, cardamom and sweet citrus powder.
Above: A citrus bourbon cocktail with a sugar-dried mandarin zest garnish.
Kishu Cocktail
Makes 1 drink
A cold weather cocktail that sings with aromatic citrus. Of course, you can make your bourbon with the skin of whatever citrus is most accessible to you.
- 2 oz Kishu bourbon
- 1 oz Kishu or other sweet citrus juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
Combine in shaker with three blocks of ice. Leave to sit for 5 minutes. Add one more block of ice and shake like mad. Pour. Garnish with strip of sugar-dried zest.
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