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.
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
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
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.
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.
