Pots of Gold
Pots of Gold
When the F. family sent us away with nearly a bushel of grapefruit, I knew that none of it would go to waste. We delightedly ate and not-so-delightedly juiced all of them. (What a sticky mess, but we liked drinking it!) For each of the peels, we scraped away the pulp, peeled away the orange rind, and saved the remaining white pith in the freezer. “Papi,” our grandfather, promised to show us how to make a delicious Cuban specialty - Dulce de Toronja.
Here is how we made it!
Place the quartered piths into a pot and cover completely in water. Bring slowly to a boil, and boil for several minutes. Drain, rinse, and drain completely. Cover again in water and bring slowly to a boil, and let it boil several minutes. Then drain, rinse, and drain completely. Taste a bit of the peel. If it is sour or bitter, repeat the boiling steps. Once the peels are no longer bitter, continue to the next step.
Place the piths and a small bit of water into a saucepan, and add sugar. One recipe I found calls for 2 cups of sugar for 3 grapefruits. For the piths of 3/4 bushels of grapefruit, I used 3-4 pounds of sugar. Don’t worry too much about the amount. If it isn’t sweet enough, just add more sugar as you cook.
Cook, uncovered, over low heat for two hours, or until the piths are soft and translucent. Cool the piths and syrup, and refrigerate covered until ready to serve. Dulce de Toronia is traditionally served with crackers and a mild white cheese.
Our own batch was overcooked, so we ended up with more of a jelly-like concoction. That didn’t affect the rich and delicious taste, though. :) We made pecan pie for my oldest brother’s birthday, and I formed the extra pastry into miniature cups which I baked and filled with the dulce. The crust melted in one’s mouth, followed by a citrus “punch.”
Photographs: Pot of Gold. Untitled. © Handmaidens of the Shepherd, April 2008.
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MRS. STRICKLEN said...
Oh, that looks wonderful!! Why don’t you do some canning and ship me a jar? Or better yet, send it with my brother! Hee! Hee!!
We are enjoying your blog and website!! —Mrs. Stricklen
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 11:43 PM
HANDMAIDEN said...
Hello, Mrs. Strciklen!
Oh, I should love to send you a jar, but I am afraid that friends and family have already descended upon us and carried most of the stock away. (We’ve eaten lots ourselves, too! :-)
I am saving the last half-pint jar for your brother and his family, who are visiting us next Sunday. Maybe you can coax him to somehow share? You might just have to make some yourself! ;-) It really is worth the trouble, though.
Thank you so much for commenting. I am glad you are enjoying everything.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 09:17 AM
Friday, April 25, 2008