Pressured Cooked Citrus

I became inspired by the idea (which I learned at the FCI demonstration the other night) that pressure cooking garlic and horseradish takes away the volatile characters of these ingredients while making them both tender and delectable.  I began wondering what else would benefit from pressure cooking.  I jumped immediately to citrus fruits.  What if we could utilize an entire citrus fruit without any bitter pithy qualities?  I also wondered if we could then serve whole cooked tender citrus fruits?  Well, you can.  I started with a batch of clementines cooked in elderflower water.  I cooked them for fifteen minutes and the fruit and rind was tender and firm, like eating a yogurt.  Pretty wild.  Actually, fifteen minutes was a bit long for the clementines, the peels split a bit, though as a puree this pure essence of clementine is remarkable.  I actually turned the puree into a jelly, it seems I am on a jelly kick right now.  I have yet to figure out what the jelly is for, I am currently working on optimum gelling ratios and their applications, the clementine jelly is one of the results.

Comments

[kayenne]

ever heard of the jelly dessert called cathedral windows?

[Robert Nastanovich]

Kunz has been doing that a few years back. Not in a pressure cooker, but boiling the crap out of whole citrus fruits and making sauces out of that.

[H.Alexander Talbot]

I have not heard of cathedral window jelly dessert...time for some research.

As far as Kunz's use of boiled fruits, I am glad to see that we are following a well worn path. What is exciting about the pressure cooker is the lack of bitterness and the fact that I can go from whole fruit to finished puree in fifteen minutes.

[helena]

Sounds like a very interesting idea especially since seville oranges are in season now: and makes my want to get a pressure cooker right away - i even see the recommendation on your site: do you use it often?

[John]

Here is the first time I heard of "cooked" citrus.

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/recipe.asp?article=174

I made one a couple of months ago. It wasn't bad but I think the next time I'll try one less clementine. I wonder if pressure cooking them would be a better option.

[Darcy]

On Christmas I accidentally steamed a satsuma -- it was in the toe of my stocking above the fireplace all day long, and it got really hot. So I assume that by the end of the day it had steamed nicely inside its peel. In any case, it was very sweet and tender and juicy, which I'm guessing is a bit like what happened to the clementine.

[kate]

I used to boil seville oranges for 2 hrs and then puree them and use it in a cake with powdered almong and yogurt.Makes a wonderful cake and no bitterness from the pips.Also can slice the orange after boiling it and then caramalize them to make candid oranges.Goes very well with walnut cake with cream cheese dressing.Pressure cooking does the same thing as boiling it for a couple of hrs.Only difference is the time.Similar to boiling cans of sweetened condensed milk to make toffee Boiling takes 2 hrs whereas pressure cooking takes 15-20 mins max.Indians have been using pressure cookers for ages now.I think it came from there.Use it to boil potatoes,cook chicken and red meat,to soften pulses...etc etc.Its time and energy saving so very popular and found in every household.

[Beau Batchelor]

While Ive never used the pressure cooker to cook citrus, I have used sous vide bags or just the old fashioned way in a pot at a slow simmer. The idea is so versatile both because of the rounded citrus flavors and the smooth puree consistency that results from it. For each large orange, try adding 4 oz sugar and 2 tblsp EVO to the puree. Meyer lemon and truffle oil, avocado and lime makes a beautiful spaetzle base, one which I have used on many occasions, and even grapefruit's bitterness can be tamed as a garnish for seafood. I cant wait to see where yall take this, its one of my favorite techniques.

[Chris]

I love this blog...

[michael Munk]

Now my pressure cooker arrived today.. first i tried with a lemon for 15 minutes,. and it was still very bitter,. Then I tried with a clementine for 12 minutes,. and I must say, I do not find this neither jucie nor sweet ,.. perhaps it is tender but it does not taste good!! what am i doing wrong??

[Kitarra]

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I was so inspired by your idea of using the whole fruit that I just had to play with it for myself. I made the puree last week and consequently ended up making it into a pudding. Here is the permalink:

http://www.cookingdebauchery.com/cooking_debauchery/2007/03/lemonalmond_pud.html