Citron

Citrus medica · Citrus

40 pairings

The citron (Citrus medica) is a large, fragrant, thick-skinned citrus fruit grown almost entirely for its rind rather than its flesh. Inside the bumpy yellow peel lies a deep layer of white pith and only a little dry, acidic or faintly sweet pulp — so the fruit is prized for its intensely perfumed zest and for the candied peel ("succade") that flavours fruitcakes, panettone and confectionery the world over.

Picking a good onedrag

Dense, taut, oil-slick rindLight, slack, rind dulling

Shop firmThe all-rounder: zest, candied peel, preserving.Everyday best

RindFirm and matte, a green cast or russet patch

HeftHeavy, the rind gives a shade under thumb

Stem endCalyx gone, the scar dry and pale

Scratched peelClearly fragrant, but you have to scratch

What to look for, from dense, taut, oil-slick rind to light, slack, rind dulling.

Keeping ittap a band

Below about 10 °C the rind pits and browns, and nearly every etrog strain is injured under 12 °C, so a cool larder beats the fridge.

Humidity

85-95%

The rind is thick but it still leaks: left at room temperature a citron sheds about a tenth of its weight in a fortnight and the peel goes slack.

Airflow

Loose bag, not sealed

A loose or slit bag keeps the water in without sweating; sealed damp the stem end moulds, and bare on a shelf the rind hardens and dulls.

Ethylene strips the green from the rind

It makes almost none itself, but other fruit's ethylene breaks down the chlorophyll in the peel: a green citron yellows beside apples and bananas.

Preparing