Citrus Processing (Pummelo, Orange, Mandarin)

Citrus Processing

Uniformly fruit size and shape are required of citrus fruits for processing. Varieties with thin and sufficiently hard peels are preferable. Generally, orange reach processing maturity some time after they are sufficient mature for eating fresh.

Popular citrus products are juice, syrup, concentrate, paste or puree, preserve, marmalade, jam, candy, dehydrated products, wine, brandy, and cordial.

For high acidic citrus fruits, do not use metal (iron, copper, or zinc) implements in order to prevent flavor deterioration.

Orange Marmalade

1. Scrape the surface of the orange with a sharp knife to open the cells and produce a mild flavor.
2. Boil for three and cool in cold water.
3. Cut the fruits in eight section each, and scoop out the pulp. Discard the seeds. Return them to the kettle. Then, slice the rind paper-thin and also place the slices in the kettle.
4. Add calamansi juice and water, and simmer for an hour in an uncovered kettle.
5. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Simmer for 50 minutes or more. Remove from heat.
6. Test for doneness, and flow general directions.

Mandarin-Segment Preserve

1. Soak and wash 2 kg fresh, firm, and ripe mandarin orange.
2. To facilitate peeling, blanch the fruits for one minute in a hot water bath and then cool them in cold water.
3. Peel the fruit by hand and separate it into segments.
4. Immerse segments in a lye solution (14 ml or 1 tbsp sodium hydroxide in 947 ml or 4 cups water) for one minute at 80-85 °C.
5. Wash them with water once. Dip in acid solution (1 ml hydrochloric acid per liter of water).
6. Wash thoroughly with water.
7. Pack well in four glass jars (237-ml or 8 oz each) and add hot syrup (150 g sugar in half liter of water).
8. Remove bubbles with a knife inserted around the edges. Refill with syrup.
9. Seal and process for 20 minutes at 100 °C.

Pummelo-Peel Preserve

1. Pare the pummelo very thinly. Cut lengthwise into equal parts. Carve decorations in the peels if desired.
2. Squeeze them with salt until soft.
3. Wash the peel very well to remove most of the salt, changing the water as often as possible.
4. Soak overnight.
5. Cook the peels with calamansi juice (60 ml juice for every liter of water) until the green color set in.
6. Wash and soak them again in water for two days, changing the water often until bitter taste is removed.
7. Boil the paste until soft.
8. Cook them in syrup made up of two parts sugar and one part water for 15 minutes.
9. Soak them in the same syrup overnight. Boil the syrup until thick enough but not sugary.
10. Pack in preserving jars. Remove air bubbles and refill with syrup.
11. Sterilize jars for 25 minutes in boiling water. Seal completely.

Candied Citrus Peel

1. Select citrus fruits with brightly colored thick peel, free of blemishes.
2. Wash fruit and rub the surface with a fine grater to break the oil cells.
3. Remove the peelings and cut them into strips.
4. Cover the strips with cold water, boil, and simmer them for 10 minutes.
5. Drain, cover with cold water, and boil.
6. If the peel is orange or lemon, it needs no further change of water; simply boil for 50 minutes or until tender. Sometimes as many as six to seven changes of water are needed for mild flavored peel. Begin with cold water each time. When the peel taste just right, continue boiling until tender.
7. For each kilogram of peels, dissolve corn syrup in a liter of water, and boil until it register 104 °C on candy thermometer.
8. Add the peel and cook until transparent. Do not allow the syrup to get above 104 °C by adding 15 ml of boiling water from time to time.
9. To test the peel for doneness, take a strip from the syrup as soon as it becomes transparent, roll it in granulated sugar, and let it cool. If the peel stiffens enough to hold its shape as it cools, do not continue cooking.
10. Remove the peel from the stove, weigh it down with a china plate, and let it soak in the syrup for 24 hours.
11. Return the peel to the stove and boil the syrup to 108 °C.
12. Soak the peel in the syrup for 48 hours, then pack it in jars and store them for four to six weeks.
13. After the period, boil the syrup and peel to 109 °C.
14. Place the peel on wire racks to drain dry for several days in the sun for 24 hours or in an oven set at 38 °C. Leave oven door to allow air circulation.
15. When the peel is almost dry, roll it in granuled sugar and complete the drying.
16. Cool and pack in wooden boxes lined with wax paper.

source: region10.dost.gov.ph, photo from mintconditioned.files.wordpress.com