Candied Lemon!

I’m sorry it’s been a while since my last post – I wanted to take some time to work on new recipes and content and got quite caught up. Today, I’m back with a really easy recipe that is quite versatile!

For me and the mango tree at home, mango season is officially over. We have eaten every last mango, and all we have left is what we’ve preserved in various forms. Read about it here! However, I’m not as sad as I thought I’d be, because the lemon tree in my garden is now bursting with fruit!

I thought I’d start this post with a history of citrus fruit and where exactly lemons are classified under citrus fruit. This research, however, turned out to be as complicated as it was interesting. The multitudes of citrus species that exist today have all evolved from just three primary ancestors – citron, pomelo and mandarins, all native to South-East Asia. This commonality is because almost all citrus fruit is highly prone to genetic mutation while also being sexually compatible with other species. Basically speaking, the citrus family tree is a hot mess.

SOURCE: DAVID KARP, University of California, Riverside

I found this basic chart on this National Geographic article from February 2017 - which also explains the evolution of citrus quite succinctly. But this just led to more questions about where my lemon tree actually fit in this whole picture.

The lemons we commonly find in India are small and round with a rather smooth skin – quite unlike the large, oval, bumpy, bright yellow varieties found in Europe and the USA. In Europe and USA, the distinction between lemons and limes are clear – lemons are larger and are bright yellow, and their juice is sweeter when compared to the lime, which is smaller and green in colour with a more tart juice.

Here, the difference is quite blurred. In all Indian languages, there is generally only word that describes both lemons and limes like Nimbe in Kannada and Nimbu in Hindi. Some sources state that distinguishing between the two is difficult, because lemons are often harvested when they are green and unripe, thus resembling limes. Lime varieties in India can also turn yellow when mature. All these sources state only one Botanical Name for both lemons and limes in India: Citrus limon.

Lemons at various stages of ripening

Now, I’m even more confused about whether I should continue calling my tree a lemon tree, or if I should switch to calling it lime. I think I’ll stick to calling it lemon, because I grew up calling this fruit exactly that. If anyone can provide further clarity, do comment down below and let me know! If I do find some information that is more conclusive in the future, I will update this post or even write a new one about my findings.

The benefits of lemon are commonly known – rich in Vitamin C which is beneficial in the prevention and treatment of scurvy. Lemon is also wonderful to treat colds and fevers. But the most curious curative property I have found has to be in the treatment of corns. A few years ago, I ended up with a painful corn on my big toe. My mother read in an old book that tying a slice of fresh lemon over it for the night would help – and the book was right. Doing that for a couple of nights really reduced the pain and the inflammation.

Tea with a dash of honey topped with candied lemon!

Getting to the recipe – I decided to candy some slices of lemon as an experiment. The aim was to use them to decorate a cake, but I also discovered that they are delightful to munch on. Candied lemon can also be a wonderful accompaniment to a hot glass of tea, best enjoyed during the rains!

I used a simple sugar syrup to make these, and added just a dash of lemon juice to the mixture – just then I realised that I had made an invert sugar syrup, like I had learnt back in 9th grade cookery classes.

Forgive me, for I shall now proceed to nerd out some more: Invert sugar is a mixture of glucose and fructose, and is obtained by splitting sucrose (sugar) into these two components. This split is caused by hydrolysis induced by the addition of acid to a sugar solution as it is heated. Inverted sugar is sweeter and is also less prone to crystallisation. As a result, it is used in the preparation of various confectionaries, as well as in the making of sorbets and ice creams.

I wrote the above paragraph solely from memory, and then went back and verified the information online. Turns out I didn’t have to edit a thing! If my 9th grade cookery teacher is reading this: Ma’am, are you proud of me?

During the cooking process

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CANDIED LEMON SLICES

Ingredients:

• Granulated sugar – ½ cup

• Water – ½ cup

• Fresh lemon juice* – 1tbsp

• Lemons* – 3-4 (sliced to 1/8” thickness)

Method:

1. In a saucepan, bring the water, sugar and lemon juice to a boil. Do not stir. Just shake the pan occasionally to ensure even heating.

2. Reduce to medium-low heat and bring to a simmer, and add the lemon slices in a single layer.

3. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Gently flip the slices once or twice through the process.

4. When the slices appear slightly translucent, they are ready. Remove the slices, lay them on a sheet of wax paper or on a wire rack and let cool.

5. Let them sit out at room temperature for 24 hours and then store in an air-tight container.

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*Notes:

1. Since larger slices of lemon are better to candy, use the middle of the lemons more than the sides. Try and cut slices of even thickness.

2. To avoid wasting lemons, use the remainder of the lemons left over from slicing for the juice.

3. You can coat the candied lemon slices in castor sugar or granulated sugar for some crunch, if you prefer.

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How else would you use these candied lemon slices? Comment down below!