Confit Of Citrus Fruits Recipes

MARTHA'S LEMON CONFIT

Steps:

• Bring a medium stockpot of water to a boil. Place a 1-quart canning jar in the boiling water for 5 minutes to sterilize. Place jar on a wire rack, upside down, to dry.
• Pour a layer of salt into the bottom of the jar. Quarter a lemon, starting at the end, but leaving the uncut end intact. Open the lemon over a small bowl, and pour some salt inside. Place the lemon in the bottom of the jar. Continue process with the remaining lemons. Be sure to use all of the salt, including any salt that remains in the bowl. Pack the lemons into the jar, and covering each layer of lemons with salt. Seal the jar, and refrigerate.
• The lemons can be used after 1 month, but they are best after 3 months and will keep for up to one year.
• To use the confit, cut the lemon quarters apart. Cut away all the flesh from the rind; discard the flesh. Dice or julienne, and add to salads, stews, or grain dishes.

LEMON CONFIT

Steps:

• Using a mandoline or a very sharp serrated knife, slice the citrus super thinly-about 1/32 inch (1 mm) thick. Ideally the slices should be an intact cross section of even thinness. Place the slices in a container, pour in enough water to cover, and add a pinch of salt. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
• In a flameproof casserole dish or oven-safe saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1 1/4 cups water, the sugar, and vanilla bean, if using. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and let it bubble away for 5 minutes. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit just inside the pan.
• Drain the water from the lemons. Place the lemon slices, 1 at a time, in the sugar syrup and press the parchment paper on top. Cover with the lid and then transfer to the oven until the white pith between the rind and flesh starts to turn translucent, 40 to 60 minutes.☞TESTER TIP: If some of your citrus slices start to turn golden and caramelize, they can be removed, kept separately, and chopped up and used in place of citrus peel.
• Cool the lemon slices in the syrup and use immediately or cover and stash them in the fridge for up to 1 week.☞TESTER TIP: Don't toss that slightly sweetened citrus syrup! Any extra syrup can be salvaged and stirred into cocktails, iced tea or seltzer, buttercream, yogurt, or whipped cream.

CLEMENTINE CONFIT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275 degrees.
• Arrange the clementines in a single layer in a small baking dish that fits them snugly. Heat sugar and 1/2 cup/120 milliliters water in a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the clementines, stirring gently to coat.
• Bake, stirring every 45 minutes or so, until the segments are slightly translucent and tinged brown on the edges, 2 1/4 to 3 hours. Cool completely. Use immediately or cover and store in the syrup. The clementine confit will last for a week at room temperature.

ORANGE CONFIT

Steps:

• Fill a saucepan large enough to hold oranges with water; bring to a boil. Blanch oranges for 30 seconds, then remove, change water and repeat. Carefully quarter oranges through their poles. Return them to saucepan with half the sugar and water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cook over lowest possible heat, adding water as necessary to keep them covered. Cook for 8 hours, then remove from heat and let sit overnight.
• Drain oranges and repeat process with remaining sugar and water to cover. Oranges are done when very tender but not falling apart, from 1 to 8 hours. Remove pot from heat and let cool, then refrigerate oranges with their syrup. Oranges will keep, refrigerated, for several weeks.
• Serve an orange segment with a scoop of chocolate caramel mousse, or with a dollop of whipped cream.