This is for any reader who has fresh citrus growing in their own backyard. As you gather up your ripe citrus fruits, wash and peel them first so you can take advantage of the fragrant oils those peels have. Note that peeling them only works if the skin is pretty porous and thick. The riper the citrus, the thinner the peel gets until it doesn’t have a lot of use anymore.
Ingredients
- 150 grams citrus peels (lemon, lime, navel orange and grapefruit work the best)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
Instructions
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off a citrus, getting as little of the pith (the inner white part) as possible. Peel enough citrus to make 150 grams of citrus peels.
Add the sugar and muddle together, moistening the peels. Let sit for about an hour. (Or, if you have a stand-up mixer, mix in a bowl for 5—10 minutes; the flat beater paddle works the best.) Add the water. Stir well. Strain.
Bottle and keep refrigerated until ready to use. You can use this syrup for lemonades, cocktails, on ice cream, iced tea, pancakes, etc.
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