The yuzu is a citrus fruit originating in East Asia. The tree is hardy to 12 degrees and is used for root stock for less hardy citrus trees. The fruits are very aromatic and the peel and juice are highly prized in Japanese cooking.
I purchased my Yuzu tree in the Fall of 2011 from Four Winds Growers. It was planted it in a pot initially, but finally put in the ground the beginning of 2013. I found out latter I should have not let it bare fruit the first year in the ground so to be under less stress while establishing a sturdy root system. Next time I'll be sure to do it right. Regardless, I ended up with a wonderful crop of around 25 yuzu. The picture here shows the fruit left on the tree after I harvested most of the fruit.
Now that I had my first crop, it was time to figure out how to preserve them. First step is to remove the rind. I use a very sharp OXO peeler to do this. I stored small amounts in separate baggies to be frozen to use latter.
Afterwards, I cut the fruit into quarters and squeezed the juice with my Norpro Citrus Juice Press. Yuzu is not at all juicy, so I only ended up with about 150 g of juice. Precious stuff, indeed. Most of that was jared and frozen.
The fruit is full of huge seeds and these were removed and dried to be planted latter. I don't know if they will viable, but time will tell once planted.
After a little research, I found that even the inner pith and spend fruit can be used to make tea after aging awhile in either sugar or honey.
The first recipe I tried is Yuzu Kosho, which I found on The Japanese Food Report, an excellent web site for anyone interested in Japanese cooking. It is a salt-cured condiment that can be used to flavor soups, can be added to soy sauce as a dipping sauce or just to wake up just about any dish. Proportions are 80% jalepeno, 20% yuzu rind and 10% total weight salt.
Now it has to cure for one week in the refrigerator, so I'll have to report latter how it comes out.
Finished Yuzu Kosho with my prized Takeda Banno BunkaShame on me for not wiping the blade clean for the picture!
