Attempt my simple home made recipe for Yuzu Cha (Citron Tea) with recent yuzu fruit and rock sugar. Stir a spoonful of this candy, tart, and aromatic preserved citrus syrup into scorching water for an invigorating and immune-boosting beverage on chilly days.
I’m utterly obsessive about yuzu, a small Japanese citrus fruit with a definite floral perfume and a vivid, fruity, and citrusy taste. It’s arduous to search out within the US, so I planted my very own small tree in my yard! I really like to make use of this recent yellow fruit to make home made Yuzu Cha (Citron Tea), the recipe that I’m sharing at this time. This preserved yuzu syrup is really easy to make! I can’t wait so that you can strive it in a scrumptious restorative scorching drink on chilly winter days.
In case you love the style of yuzu fruit, strive my Yuzu Ponzu, Yuzu Sorbet, and Yuzu Marmalade subsequent!
What’s Yuzu Cha?
Yuzu cha (ããè¶, yuzu “tea,” citron tea) originated in Korea, the place it’s referred to as yuja-cheong and yuja cha referring to yuja fruit, the Korean title for yuzu. It’s a preserved yuzu syrup produced from sugar and uncooked yuzu rind, flesh, pulp, and juice. It’s additionally what we name the fruit tea made with a spoonful of yuzu syrup stirred into scorching water. This “tea” incorporates neither tea leaves nor caffeine, so individuals of any age can get pleasure from it any time of day.
Why I Love This Recipe
- No cooking obligatory! â Merely clear and put together the yuzu, then layer it in jars with rock sugar, and relaxation it for 7 days. That’s it! I really like how simple it’s to make this syrup in comparison with different preservation strategies that decision for boiling the fruit and sugar.
- A easy technique to protect recent yuzu â My recipe is a good way to make use of this uncommon and valuable fruit when it’s in season and luxuriate in it for a very long time! It retains for 1â2 months within the fridge.
- No components â Many yuzu cha merchandise like jam, powder, and tea baggage bought in shops include components. I actually like that this recipe makes use of solely two ingredientsârecent yuzu and rock sugarâso I do know precisely what I’m feeding to my household.
- Yuzu restores power and fights colds â I really feel refreshed and invigorated after ingesting a scorching cup of yuzu tea. The tart and bitter citrus fruit has citric acid and malic acid that assist your physique get well from fatigue. It’s additionally wealthy in Vitamin C to assist your physique struggle colds and increase its immune system.
- A scrumptious option to get pleasure from yuzu’s well being advantages â Yuzu is wealthy in flavonoids, a polyphenol with excessive antioxidant properties that may assist forestall sure ailments. It’s additionally considerable in pectin, a kind of dietary fiber that helps good micro organism for improved intestine well being. I stir a spoonful into scorching water and luxuriate in it as a wholesome tonic.
Elements for Yuzu Cha
- Recent yuzu fruit
- White rock sugar
Discover the printable recipe with measurements beneath.
Substitutions
- Rock sugar: Most Korean yuja tea recipes use granulated sugar. In case you substitute white sugar, you should definitely refrigerate the yuzu cha as quickly because the sugar dissolves. Some Japanese recipes additionally use honey as a substitute of rock sugar; in case you substitute it, remember that the yuzu cha is not going to hold as lengthy in case you use honey as a substitute of sugar.
Key Kitchen Gear
The way to Make Yuzu Cha
Preparation
Step 1 â Peel and clear the yuzu. Rinse and dry the yuzu, then rating the rind on the underside with an X. Peel off the rinds and set them apart. Separate the fruit segments and take away any stringy white membrane. Place the fruit in a big tray or bowl.
Step 2 â Take away the seeds and slice the rinds. Reduce every phase in half crosswise and take away the seeds. Take away the stem or “button” from the rinds and thinly julienne them lengthwise.
Assemble
Step 3 â Rub the rinds and fruit collectively, then layer with rock sugar into jars. Therapeutic massage the rinds with the fruit to melt. Layer the yuzu combination with rock sugar into sterilized glass jars, urgent the layers as you go to take away any air gaps.
Step 4 â Relaxation and protect the yuzu cha for one week. Shut the lids and hold the jars in a cool place for 7 days. Gently shake and tilt the jars a minimum of as soon as a day to ensure the yuzu is coated with syrup. When it’s finished, transfer the jars to the fridge to retailer.
Nami’s Recipe Ideas
- Fully dry your yuzu fruit after rinsing them. Any extra water can encourage mould development.
- Use the identical quantity of yuzu and sugar by weight â Please use a 1-to-1 ratio of yuzu to rock sugar to correctly protect the fruit. You possibly can all the time add extra sugar in case you choose it sweeter, however please don’t scale back the quantity. I like to recommend weighing all of your substances with a digital kitchen scale.
- Be sure that your mason jars and lids are utterly dry. Any drops of water in your mason jar could cause mould to type.
- Sterilize your jars with shochu â It’s necessary to sterilize your clear mason jars with shochu, vodka, or any alcohol greater than 35% ABV.
- Fully cowl the highest layer of yuzu with rock sugar â This helps forestall mould from forming.
- Tilt the jar each day to coat the yuzu with syrup â Whereas the yuzu is resting within the jars, you should definitely gently shake the jar to maintain the yuzu coated with syrup. This helps inhibit mould development.
- Refrigerate as soon as the sugar dissolves â The rock sugar takes about 7 days to dissolve, at which level you’ll be able to transfer it to the fridge the place it is going to hold for 1â2 months.
Variations and Customizations
Whereas this recipe calls for under two substances, there are a number of methods to customise your yuzu cha to vary up the flavors. Listed here are a few of my solutions.
- Add honey. For a novel depth of taste, add some honey to the rock sugar. Simply be certain that to maintain the overall weight of the sugars (rock sugar + honey) and the yuzu on the identical 1-to-1 ratio referred to as for in my recipe.
- Combine in ginger slices. Recent ginger provides a heat, spicy style to this syrup and boosts the well being advantages of your yuzu cha. In Japan, we even make an identical scorching tea with ginger and honey as a potent chilly and flu treatment. Peel and reduce recent ginger into skinny slices or sticks and blend into the yuzu fruit and rinds earlier than layering with the rock sugar.
- Use Meyer lemons. You may make an identical preserved citrus syrup utilizing Meyer lemons as a substitute of yuzu!
- Add your favourite spices. Experiment along with your favourite flavors so as to add a novel twist to your yuzu cha. Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise, and vanilla pods are standard spices in Western delicacies that pair properly with citrus.
The way to Serve Yuzu Cha
Right here, I like to recommend another scrumptious methods to get pleasure from this yuzu syrup and preserved peel.
- In scorching citron tea â The commonest option to get pleasure from yuzu cha is blended right into a cup of scorching water for a restorative beverage that’s much like lemon tea. That is similar to Korean citron tea or Korean honey citron tea.
- In an iced drink â You possibly can add yuzu cha to plain water over ice cubes for a refreshing summertime drink. You may also combine it right into a Japanese Yuzu Cocktail (Chuhai) or non-alcohol yuzu spritz.
- In scorching black tea â Combine a heaping spoonful into freshly brewed black tea.
- On toast â Use it identical to jam on toasted Japanese Milk Bread (Shokupan)
- In ice cream â Use a number of tablespoons in a refreshing Yuzu Ice Cream or add a dollop on high of a vanilla ice cream scoop.
- In agar jelly â Stir yuzu cha into Kanten Jelly for a refreshing summertime dessert!
- In yogurt or chopped fruit â Yuzu cha is scrumptious when blended into plain or vanilla yogurt, or when added to chopped apples.
Storage Ideas
To retailer: As soon as your yuzu cha is completed resting for 7 days, you’ll be able to retailer it within the fridge for as much as 1â2 months.
Steadily Requested Questions
About Yuzu Cha
I don’t advocate it. Sugar helps to protect the yuzu and lengthen the shelf lifetime of the yuzu cha. Please use an equal quantity (by weight) of sugar to yuzu fruit.
You possibly can substitute an equal quantity of granulated sugar or honey.
In case you see a little bit of mould on high of your yuzu cha, it’s essential to assume that there are mould spores contained in the syrup. Due to this fact, please throw away your entire jar of yuzu cha if it begins rising mould.
About Yuzu Fruit
Yuzu is a small yellow or inexperienced citrus fruit thatâs been used for hundreds of years in Japanese and Korean cooking. In Korea, it’s referred to as yuja. Itâs extremely prized in Japanese delicacies for its intense perfume and taste. It has an fragrant zest and a floral, tart-sweet juice. Japanese delicacies locations nice emphasis on shade and aroma, and yuzu is commonly the magical ingredient that elevates many dishes.
Yuzu has a thick pith and thick pores and skin thatâs bumpy and sometimes scarred from the sharp thorns of the yuzu tree. What’s extra, yuzu has plenty of seedsâmuch more than the everyday citrus fruit. It feels squishy and ethereal from the skin; itâs not arduous and plump like a lime or lemon.
Yuzu is a really valuable and costly fruit outdoors of Japan, and itâs not simple to search out it recent within the US. You may discover it within the wintertime at Japanese grocery shops and native farmerâs markets.
Recent yuzu juice tastes like a posh mix of bitter, candy, and floral flavors. Iâd describe it as a great mixture of tart lemon, bitter grapefruit, candy orange, and aromatic pomelo. It has a extremely aromatic and fragrant zest and a bitter and spongy pith.
In Japan, we use yuzu in each candy and savory Japanese dishes, simply as you’d use lemon in cooking and baking. Yuzu zest is a beautiful garnish for soups, chawanmushi (steamed savory custard), and Japanese pickles (tsukemono). We add the juice to scorching pots, dipping sauce, and grilled fish and meat. We use the zest and juice to taste baked items like pound muffins and chiffon muffins. Lastly, you may make yuzu marmalade, yuzu ice cream, yuzu sorbet, and the favored fermented citrus chili paste referred to as yuzu kosho.
Extra Wholesome Beverage Recipes
In case you love this Yuzu Cha, youâre in for a deal with with these different irresistible recipes for wholesome drinks.
Forestall your display from going darkish
To Peel and Clear the Yuzu
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Rinse 2.2 lbs yuzu and dry properly with a kitchen towel. Rating the rind on the underside with an X utilizing a pointy knife. This makes peeling simpler.
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Peel off the rinds along with your fingers. The bumpy and free pores and skin ought to come off in a single piece. Set the rinds apart for now. Then, separate every fruit phase and place them in a big tray. Tip: Work over the tray whilst you deal with the fruit to gather any juice, which you’ll use later.
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Take away any stringy white membrane from the fruit (however depart the membrane wall intact). I gather the stringy membrane and any seeds that fall out in a separate small tray to discard after the following step.
To Take away the Seeds
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Reduce every phase in half crosswise with kitchen scissors, working over the tray to any gather the juice. Take away the seeds. Place the seeded halves in one other massive tray.
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If you find yourself finished, discard the seeds and stringy membrane.
To Slice the Rinds
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Take away the stem or “button” connected to the rinds. Then, thinly julienne the rinds lengthwise.
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When you end slicing, add the rinds to the massive tray with the seeded fruit. Add any of the collected juice from the opposite trays.
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Then, squeeze and rub all the things collectively till the rinds begin to soften.
To Put together the Yuzu Cha
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First, fill the underside of the sterilized jars with a layer of a few of the 2.2 lbs white rock sugar. Then, cowl the rock sugar with a layer of the yuzu combination utilizing tongs. Proceed alternating the layers till you employ all of the yuzu.
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Alongside the way in which, press down on the layers with a spoon to take away any air gaps. Finish with a layer of rock sugar that utterly covers the yuzu.
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Wipe the jar rims with a clear kitchen towel dampened with shochu.
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Shut the lids.
To Make the Yuzu Cha
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Preserve the jars in a cool place for about 7 days. In case you reside in a heat local weather, retailer them in a fridge. Gently shake and tilt the jars a minimum of as soon as a day to ensure the yuzu is coated with syrup. The purpose is to extract the yuzu taste shortly. If left uncovered and uncoated by rock sugar or syrup, the fruit might develop mould and spoil the syrup.In case you use granulated sugar as a substitute of white rock sugar, retailer it within the fridge instantly after the sugar has utterly dissolved.
To Retailer
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On the finish of Day 7, transfer the jars into the fridge, the place you’ll be able to hold them for as much as 1â2 months.