Citron Etrog Pomander Recipes

CITRON (ETROG) POMANDER

Steps:

• Wash the etrog and dry it.
• Pierce the etrog with the crochet needle (see description above) and stick in one clove.
• Start at the top and work your way around the etrog until it is covered completely in cloves. This may take a while, it's a good thing to do in front of the television.
• Once the etrog is completely studded with cloves, let it dry in a warm area. It will shrink, the whole thing will tighten up, and you will have the most wonderful besamim for havdalah.
• Shavu'ah tov!

POMANDERS

Steps:

• Although many 'recipes' for pomanders suggest rolling them in powdered orris root and ground spices after they are finished, this is unnecessary. They will remain fragrant for years without this unsightly coating. They not only look better, but they are not irritating to the many people who are allergic to orris.
• Begin with firm fruit of any size (personally I've used oranges, lemons & limes}. Push the stems of whole cloves into the surface of the fruit so their edges just barely touch. {I find it helpful to just break the surface with a small knitting needle first}. The fruit will shrink as it dries, so there has to be some space between the cloves. Leave the indentations around the stem and blossom, since they will recede into the fruit as the pomander dries. Place the pomander in a dry place with good air circulation [away from direct sun]. Each day, roll it very gently in your palms to push the cloves into the drying fruit. When the fruit is partly dry, push a bent wire or hairpin [I find that florist pins work especially well] into the stem end to form a hanging loop. When the pomander is thoroughly dry, tie a bow to the loop.
• My pomanders from this recipe are now 3 years old.
• Note: My count of 3 oranges, 3 lemons and 3 limes is arbitrary. You could of course do all oranges, or any combination thereof. The amount for the cloves is also arbitrary because it depends entirely on how many pomanders you are making and how big the fruit are.

ETROG (ESROG) JELLY

Steps:

• GET RID OF BITTERNESS: Wash etrog and trim off the ends. Slice thinly, or chop. Put the slices and the seeds into a cheesecloth bag. Day 1: Cover with water and let stand at least 12 hours. Bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Drain fruit. Cover with cold water & repeat on Day 2.
• Day 3: Drain fruit, then cover with cold water & simmer uncovered 1 hour. Take out the bag of fruit and seeds. Let it cool down, then squeeze every drop into the pot and throw out the mush.
• Mix pectin with 1/4 cup sugar. Add sugar, pectin & marmalade and simmer. To become jelly, there has to be the right concentration of sugar, so if you put in more water or less sugar it takes longer to boil down. It will probably reach 200º quickly, but then it takes up to an hour to get up to "jelly" temperature (220º-222º). After it gets to 215º stir constantly and DO NOT WALK AWAY - it burns easily. If it does burn, just dump the jelly into a clean bowl, wash out your pot, put the jelly back in and continue.
• Put a saucer in the freezer to check for when your jelly is done. It should gel when you pour a little on your very cold saucer. If it still won't set after getting to 220º, cook 15-20 minutes more! (You could also just quit & call it etrog syrup.) If you overshoot the "gel" point, you will end up with more of a candy than a jelly.
• How to put in jars: Put your clean jars and lids in a pot, fill the pot and jars with cold water. Bring to a gentle boil for 10 minutes. Drain out a hot jar, fill with hot jelly leaving 1/4" "headspace," put on the hot lid tight. As it cools, the little button on the top that popped up when you first opened it will pop down again. This is what keeps out the bacteria that would spoil the jelly.
• Keeps 3 years in pantry. After opening, keep in fridge 4-6 months.

ETROG /ESROG LIQUEUR

Steps:

• NOTE 1: Cheapest vodka works OK, but the mid-level vodka gives a much smoother finished product. High-end vodka is not significantly better in the end than mid-price vodka.
• NOTE 2: If you cannot find the extra-fine sugar, take regular sugar and process in your blender to make extra-fine. The only reason is because it dissolves better.
• Peel 3 etrogim - avoid the bitter white "pith".
• Put the peel in a 1-quart bottle with 2 cups vodka and close up for a week or longer. (I do not know if you get more flavor soaking the peel longer, please e-mail me if you try it and find out.).
• Discard the peels.
• Add 1 1/2 cups extra-fine (bakers) sugar and shake or stir vigorously until dissolved.
• Add 1 more cup vodka. Shake until clear.
• Close jar and store in a cool, dark place at least 6 weeks. Aging it longer makes for a smoother, more agreeable l'chaim.

POMANDERS

Steps:

• Melt chocolate chips in double boiler or microwave. Remove from heat and stir in corn syrup and water.
• Combine crushed vanilla wafers and chopped nuts. Add chocolate mixture and orange extract. Mix well.
• Form 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Store in airtight container at least several days.