Esrog Recipes

[oreyyo]

Does anyone have any recipes for my leftover esrogim? I'd like to experiment making a jam/jelly or a liqueur this year.

Thanks!

[psycomp]

In "Kosher Southern-Style" by Mildred L. Covert & Sylvia P. Gerson, there is a great recipe for esrog cake. We've been making it for years.

[rockycat]

I just found this link.

http://books.google.com/books?id=qjVu...

Is this the cake you mean?

[psycomp]

That's it.

[MartyB]

My mother and my grandmother used to make some form of a compote from the leftover esrogim. Nasty.

Now I usually just take one last whiff of the esrog - say my goodbys, then throw it in the trash.

[GilaB]

It's something that you used for a mitzva, so I think you're not supposed to toss it like that. (Note how many people burn their lulavim with their chametz right before Pesach, so as to use the leftovers from one mitzva as fuel to do another.)

I don't like esrog compote either. I usually just let mine dry in my linen closet, scenting my sheets.

[MartyB]

I didn't realize that. I guess I will let mine dry too - got a big juicy one this year.

[vermontpurple]

There is some concern about the amount of pesticides in esrogim that make them unsuitable for eating. I like the idea of letting it dry in the linen closet to scent the sheets, since I love the scent. http://jcarrot.org/the-toxic-etrog-re...

[CloggieGirl]

That was one person's speculation and isn't true. The USDA treats etrogs like any other citrus. You can see the comments for this article for more info: http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-...

[zsero]

What has the USDA got to do with etrogim? It doesn't regulate them in any way. (Nor could it even in principle, since they're not grown in its jurisdiction)

[queenscook]

Isn't the entire US under the jurisdiction of the USDA?

[CloggieGirl]

It also regulates agricultural and meat products imported into the US.

[zsero]

And does it care about pesticides in imported fruit? No, it only cares about pests.

[zsero]

And where are esrogim grown?

[queenscook]

According to one commenter on the Tablet article above:

I am the United States only significant commercial grower of esrog citrons for religious use, marketed under the brand name ------------- for over thirty years. From the beginning, we have been Rabbinicaly Supervised (Rabbi Avrohom Tiechman, Kahila Koshrus, Los Angeles) and under regulation of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). ALL commercial citron production must comply with the laws and regulations applicable to food products. Having worked under the intensive supervision of our Rabbi, the USDA, CDFA, FDA & DPR for those thirty plus years, I can assure Gnarlodius that all commercially grown citrons are technically a food product that can be consumed with confidence that they are safe. I would like to learn where the warning referred to came from in order to bring better understanding concerning the food safety question.

Believe me, I have no dog in this fight, but it seems to me that the USDA does have something to do with this.

[zsero]

There is ONE grower in the USA, responsible for an insignificant portion of the supply. And he is the ONLY grower who is regulated by the USDA.

[cheesecake17]

We burn our lulav with the chametz. Also, there's a custom to make a jelly out of the etrog and give it to someone to eat who is trying to have a baby or a single person looking for their match.

[sima]

well i am single and would love to have a baby so someone out there should make me a double portion of etrog jelly !!!

[cheesecake17]

make some of your own!!

[MiriamRochel]

thanks for the idea, Gila. I just put ours in the linen closet. Smells great!

[GilaB]

Glad you enjoyed! My mother has done this for years.

[ravchaz]

Last year I made etrog flavored Vodka for Pesach. I got a bottle of Kosher for Pesach vodka and split it in half using a glass decanter (to account for the room the etrog took up in the bottle). I cut up a couple of etrogim and covered them with vodka and mixed in liberal amounts of honey. I did not know about the bitterness of the pith but it turned out just fine. This year I will do the same but try and use just the pulp and the rind with less pith. However, it really turned out better than I expected last year.

[ferret]

There are a number of limoncello recipes out there for which at least some of the lemons can be replaced with etrogim (depends on how many you can get your hands on).

And for a change of pace, maybe a variation of a lemon curd:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

Would make a nice topping for a tart.

[queenscook]

My husband just finally took out his etrog from its silver box to put the box away (yes, we're definitely procrastinators around here), and it's still in perfect condition--the etrog, that is. So I was thinking about flavoring some vodka with it, and remembered this thread. I'm wondering if ravchaz or anyone else can give more specific instructions on what to do.

[sima]

Hungarians have 101 ideas on what to do with leftover esrogs