Sweets and drinksPreservesVietnam2 hours preparation, 1 hour cooking, plus 1 to 2 days drying
Done well, these come out clear golden and chewy, fragrant with shredded ginger. The difficulty is taking the bitterness out of the peel, since one rushed step leaves a scratch at the back of the throat.
The peel soaks in salted water for about 2 hours, gets rinsed, then blanches for 2 minutes and goes straight into a bowl of cold water. Those two steps take out almost all of the bitterness.
This batch weighs about 745g, at roughly 31 calories per 100g. Keep it in a jar and eat it over time.
Method
Wash 500g calamansi in lightly salted water, rinse it several times and trim off the stems.
Score 8 evenly spaced cuts around each fruit like flower petals, press both ends flat to push out the juice and seeds, and keep 2 tablespoons of the juice for the marinade.
Mix 500ml water with 1 tablespoon salt, add the calamansi peel and soak for about 2 hours, then rinse and squeeze it dry.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, blanch the peel for about 2 minutes, then drop it into a bowl of cold water, rinse it once more and drain.
Mix 225g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend with 2 tablespoons of the calamansi juice and 1 teaspoon salt, add the peel and 1 piece of shredded ginger, and leave it in the sun for about 1 hour until everything dissolves.
Cook the mixture over low heat without much stirring, turning the pieces only when the syrup boils.
When the syrup is nearly dry, lift the calamansi onto a plate, cook the syrup for 5 minutes more until thick, then return the fruit and turn it gently one last time.
Scatter toasted white sesame seeds over the top and dry it in the sun for about 2 days, or in the fridge for 1 day.
Tips
Eight evenly spaced cuts make it easy to press out the seeds and give the petal shape.
There is no need to stir once the kOBE Monk Fruit Blend goes in, and letting it dissolve on its own keeps the petals from tearing.
Cover the tray with fine mesh while it dries in the sun to keep insects off.
Flatten each calamansi with a light hand, because too much pressure tears the petals and the flower shape is lost.
A full 2 hour soak in salted water is what clears the bitterness from the peel.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.