mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
You can scroll the shelf using ← and → keys
Calamondin
July 14, 2014
— Asia, bitters, calamondin, citrus
calamondin
calamondin
calamondin
calamondin
One of the generous citrus trees in my garden is the calamondin. It bears fruit for many months which are useful and tasty. It is odd to have such a large crop in the middle of summer, but we had a very unusual winter in Arizona. The tree is loaded with ripe and green fruit in the middle of July, so we can expect to have fresh fruit until September. The tree comes from Asia where it is popular in Indonesian and other cuisines. It has medicinal as well as culinary applications. My next door neighbor is from Viet Nam. She told me they dry the peels in salt, which is later used as a remedy for sore throat. Other known medicinal uses include as a cure for constipation. Be advised about this one. We prepared a drink with water, honey and calamondin juice for my mom to drink on a car trip. She enjoyed it so much that she polished off a quart, which gave her a bad case of the runs. Moderation is important when you try the juice. I have made infused vodka just by soaking the fruits in it, which turns out very well also.
I have started making bitters. I have mad a batch of peach and one of apricot, both made from our own trees. The taste is interesting, whether you cook with it, drink it as a flavoring in fizzy water, or use it in cocktails. I am experimenting with new combinations, using a book to guide me about the proportions. Next I will whip up a batch of calamondin bitters, for which I am slightly altering the recipe the book gives for lime bitters. I think this will be a delicious way to make use of calamondin’s tart and unique taste. A little bit of bitters imparts big flavor to food and drinks. I adore the taste of limes, but the crop failed in Mexico this year and prices are sky high. Calamondin makes a pretty substitute. They can often be found in Asian markets if they don’t grow near your home. You can make simple syrups, bitters, or just juice the fruit fresh in cocktails. Here are some cocktail ideas to get your creativity started:
comments
Your limonade image on Pinterest looks delicious. I like all sorts citrus fruit. And I am fascinated by the various uses of it.
LikeLike
Brigitte Kobi
July 15, 2014
I also just read it is good for whitening skin..I am planning on using it on all my brown spots..since i have plenty of both fruit and spots
Love your sense of humour. I am not surprised about the skin whitening effect. My mom told me that in her twenties there was a cream based on lemon to diminsh freckles. So it seems to be related with the acid of citrus fruit.
LikeLike
Brigitte Kobi
July 15, 2014
What kind of fruit is a calamondin? Is it citrus? what does it taste like?
LikeLike
It is the taste the creators of Tang had in mind when they made that powdered drink….it is super citrus..tangy, with a little bite.
LikeLike
