What’s oleo-saccharum? First, let’s dissect the phrase itself. Oleo: oil or fats. Saccharum: sugar. So actually, the phrase itself merely means oily sugar, or maybe extra appetizingly, sugared oil.
Oleo-saccharum is an ingredient in cocktails and punches that was comparatively generally utilized in Nineteenth-century bartending as a manner to supply an elegantly citrusy taste and aroma to alcoholic drinks. (For extra in regards to the historical past and use, I like to recommend David Wondrich’s e-book Punch.)
How do you make this elixir? It is easy, actually.
First, zest a number of lemons, forsaking many of the white pith. I discover {that a} vegetable peeler is the perfect software for this job.
Severe Eats / Amanda Suarez
Add sugar. White is best to make use of as a result of it’s going to dissolve shortly if you’re prepared to combine the oleo-saccharum right into a punch or different beverage. Wondrich calls for 2 ounces sugar for every lemon’s value of peel. So for those who peel 4 lemons, use eight ounces sugar. Truthfully, although, I often simply eyeball this.
I like to make use of my fingers at this level to softly toss the sugar into the peels. Then, utilizing a mortar and pestle, muddler, or a heavy picket spoon, pound the lemon peels and sugar till the peels start to specific their oils. Stroll away from it for at the least half an hour. An hour can be higher. In a single day is greatest.
After sufficient time, you may have a bunch of lemon peels within the bowl, however a pleasant quantity of lemon oil additionally, pooled up within the backside of the bowl.
Severe Eats / Amanda Suarez
You’ll be able to drain the syrup and reserve it individually from the quick-candied peels, or depart them collectively.
What you do with it at this level is as much as you. You’ll be able to definitely use it in punch, and your family members will rightly deem you a hero and inspiration. Equally pretty, although, is to make use of it as a foundation for lemonade. When my spouse was pregnant, I might serve her glasses stuffed with this flavorful lemonade wealthy with lemon oils all summer season lengthy. It gave her one thing to take pleasure in whereas I crassly tossed again martinis, daiquiris, and different boozy treats.
Different alcohol-free makes use of embrace including it as a sweetener for iced tea, as an ingredient in French dressing, or as an ice-cream topping. Oleo-saccharum is so versatile, in reality, that it deserves to occupy a a lot wider place in a house cook dinner’s arsenal of strategies and condiment shelf.
September 2011
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