It’s finally Yuzu season!

Yuzu has a short season—November to December in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s a delicate fruit with low yields, not suited for mass production.

Originally born as a hybrid in south east Asia it is a classic of orchards in Japan, and also popular in Korea under the alias Yuja
It thrives around the Mediterranean, and Spain and Morocco have started cultivating it. This means we can now find decent-quality Yuzu locally in Europe. Also, I can’t tell for sure but I’ll be damned if some smart citrus farmer of the southern midwest of the US hasn’t had the initiative to introduce a few trees in their ranges, so I’ll bet you can find some too over there if that’s where you live.

This cheerful little citrus, has been trending for the past five years thanks to top chefs. Often used in desserts or as an aromatic note in other dishes, its strong fragrance is its trademark.

Here, however, Yuzu takes center stage! Its zest is a wonder, unlike its grapefruit-like juice and pulp, which are way too tart to drink without copious amounts of sugar, but that will be a key ingredient of Ponzu sauce

Yield:

Around 120 small candied sticks (like orangettes)

Plus 3 liters of Yuzu-infused water

Plus 30cl of Yuzu peel syrup for yogurt

Plus 20cl of Yuzu juice (if that’s your thing!)

Ingredients:

• 5 Yuzu fruits
• 350g sugar
• 100g chocolate per batch of 25 sticks (dark or white)
• 1/2 teaspoon of powdered Matcha per 100g white chocolate for Matcha-white chocolate coating

 The first step is candying, candying requires a looooooooong time, be told!

Score the peel into quarters, creating four segments.

Remove the white membranes inside the fruit, keeping only the zest and the spongy white part of the peel. Trim away the top 2mm around the stem area for easier handling.

Cut the peel into strips 3-5mm wide.

Soak the strips in a liter of cold water. Gradually heat to a boil over 10 minutes. The water will take on an orange shade as the essential oils are released, reducing bitterness.

Drain the strips and let them cool for 10 minutes.

Repeat the process with fresh water.

Let the strips cool and drain for 30 minutes.

Prepare a simple syrup with 350g of sugar and equal parts water. Submerge the Yuzu strips in the syrup and slowly bring to a simmer. Stir gently for 5-8 minutes.

Remove the strips, reserving the syrup, and let them cool and dry for about 20 minutes.

Repeat the candying process a second time with the reserved syrup.

For the third round, cook the strips for up to 10 minutes. Remove them while still hot and allow them to dry. If you have a dehydrator, dry them at 40°C for 45 minutes. Otherwise, air-dry for 4+ hours at room temperature.

At this point, the peels are moist and tender and should be consumed within a week unless further dried (e.g., 24+ hours in open air or longer in a low-temperature oven).

Melt and temper your chocolates of choice:

in this batch 100g plain white chocolate 100g white chocolate mixed with 1/2 teaspoon Matcha powder and 120g dark chocolate

Dip the candied strips into the chocolate, then lay them on parchment paper to set. Refrigerate briefly to firm up if needed.

Serving Suggestions :

For an elegant treat, present a selection in a small glass as a post-meal mignardise, or pack them in a box for coffee or teatime.

(Note: Without professional equipment, the chocolate coating may look a little rustic. If you have access to a chocolate tempering machine, now’s the time to use it!)