his post is about making a whole citrus drink in a pantyhose filter canister.
Introduction
If you read my other post you will discover that I grow quite a lot of fruit. Citrus can be added to the list. Despite low expectations, they grow quite well in Gippsland and so far are largely free of predation by birds and possums, unlike my other fruit trees.
When I first heard of making drinks out of the whole citrus, from an industrial chemist friend. I thought that with all that pith and skin in the drink that it would be horrible. When I tried it I was suitably impressed and it was given the family name of ‘Jungle Juice’. The recipe actually results in a range of drinks, from light lemonade through to a tangy eyebrow lifting citrus knockout that is probably for a more mature palate.
Recipe
The quantities and proportions of each fruit are not critical, but here is a starting point.
Start with 6 lemons, 2 oranges and 1.5 cup of sugar. Vary this to taste.
Add the sugar to the bottom of the filter canister and add a minimum of boiling water to dissolve most of the sugar and allow it to cool.
Wash and scrub fruit with a coarse brush or a pot scrubber. Top and tail the fruit to remove the ‘Hangy and the ‘nipple’ and the ‘gunk’ that often lodges there.
Roughly cut up the fruit and transfer to a food processor or blender and pulp the fruit. Add a little water if required to assist the blending.
Transfer the blended pulp into the filter sock and use more water to rinse the blender bowl into the sock. Allow the sock to stretch and drain a little before gathering up the sock opening and pulling it over the end of the canister that will be opposing the end to where the pouring hole will be.
Top up the canister with water to maintain contact with the sock contents to allow maximum infusion. Close the lid and store in the refrigerator to allow the citrus to infuse into the water and sugar.
A light citrus beverage will be available in about 2-3 hours and a progressively heavier one will form over the next couple of day. The later infusion is very richly flavoured with citrus skin components and it tends to go thick but can be drunk neat or diluted with water to taste.
Variations with limes, some grapefruit and more oranges (the skin of these add a lovely rich colour and a nice extra flavour) all work well, but it needs lemon or lime at its core and those lovely lemonade fruits, that are such a delight to eat but they just do not ‘cut it’ in this type of drink making.
Contrary to popular belief, citrus waste goes OK in compost, but empty the sock first or you will find it empty in your garden.
Please make a comment below if you try this recipe. I would like to know how it worked out for you.
Tim
gge
