Zest for Daily Life
Winter citrus for microbatch seasonings
It’s been super cold this winter here in New England and I’m feeling it. There’s definitely not enough sunlight warming my face when I walk the snow covered trails these days. I recently passed by the spot where I collected super fruity spicebush berries this summer, and I broke off a branch from the grouping of shrubs so I could experience the citrusy and tropical aromatics to transport myself for just a moment. I immediately felt a wave of warmth as I watched a hockey player skate by on the frozen pond. It inspired me to head home and make a warming spice mix. It’s a good thing that I had plenty of spicebush berries waiting for me.
Even though I’m not a fan of winter, I look forward to the coinciding citrus season: the little wave of sunshine that hits with every bite of orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, and such. With plenty of direct shipping options from farmers, you can pretty much get whatever you want. I love exploring what I can get semi-locally from Vivik at Bhumi Growers, but there are always options at the local grocery store.
When it comes to citrus, most folks discard the peels. Sometimes people use the zest, though; bartenders will usually have a prominent display bowl of lemons, limes and oranges with organized bands of pith exposed. Zest’s ability to season food is remarkable and unparalleled. Raining microplaned bits onto tartare, creamy pasta, or sweet pastries brings a balance to the richness. Citrus essential oils are brilliant too, with each type having its own nuance and complexity. It’s a fun exploration that your palate will thank you for.
Shifting into the mindset of building a flavor packed pantry, what would be the simplest way to hold onto these essential oils? One answer is salt, because it soaks up the oils. That’s why you’ll often see lemon and herb salts where you buy your spices. To make it all you need to do is wash the citrus and microplane or finely grate the zest into a small bowl then add salt. The recommended ratio is one tablespoon of zest to half a cup of flaky or coarse salt. I typically don’t measure. All I do is add enough salt so the zest is not clumped together and evenly distributed. Spreading the mix on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and sticking it in a low oven (200 - 225 F) for an hour dries it out and prevents clumping later. It’ll keep for many months in an airtight container.
Alternatively, to hold onto the aromatics for a few weeks, don’t bother with air drying. Just make a micro-batch of seasoning mix that you’re sure to use over the course of that time. It’s not only great for citrus zest, but fresh herbs and spices. A perfect way to hold onto the flavor of odds and ends of short lifespan aromatics that would otherwise be wasted.
In the images throughout this post, I step through using the zest of two mandarin oranges ground with one tablespoon of coarse sea salt and a teaspoon of whole spicebush berries I foraged and dried this season. The final ground mix will be slightly moist but separates when you rub it between your fingers, which makes it just right for finishing applications. It’s absolutely delicious sprinkled on the most ripe end of the season persimmons in a yogurt bowl.
So the next time you’re about to peel a mandarin or two, consider taking the extra step of zesting the peel into a small bowl and sprinkling in some salt to be used that week or stick it in a small container to freeze and stockpile until you have a respectable amount to make a big batch of citrus salt.