How to Make Etrog Jam
Jack Reichert | | 10 Comments | Email this
After the Hebrew holiday Succoth, families everywhere will have an extra etrog which can make a delicious jam. Just make sure the etrog is organic. Here’s Green Prophet’s recipe to make your own:
Ingredients
- 1 etrog (citron)
- 6 cups water
- 3/4 cup sugar
Slice and remove as many seeds as possible. Try slicing the long way into eighths to get seeds out as efficiently as possible. There are a LOT of seeds in an etrog so allow at least 1 hr for this step.
Chop fruit into very small pieces, including the peel, consider for this step using the food processor.
Cover fruit with water and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Next, bring everything to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Drain fruit.
Cover fruit with water and simmer again for 20 minutes, then refrigerate everything for at least 12 hours. Drain. Cover fruit with water and simmer uncovered again for 20 minutes. Drain fruit.
(These steps are important since if you skip them the finished product will be bitter!)
Cover fruit with water and add most of the sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Be careful here, if you leave it for a minute it can burn on the bottom. If it does burn, do not stir up the burned parts into the jam. Dump the stuff into a clean bowl, wash out your pot, put the jelly back in and continue.
Taste to see if you need to add more sugar. Continue simmering for ½ hour or more. The temperature should be 220º–222º, the water should be syrupy and the fruit should be clear-ish.
It should cool and congeal, if it is still runny some people add ¼ – ½ cup of orange marmalade per quart to add “pectin” and cook 15-20 minutes more. Personally, I think that however it comes out is nice.
Want more jams and preserves? See Green Prophet’s irresistible recipes for jam and cucumbers:
Indulgence, Locavore Style: Homemade Strawberry Jam
Pickling 101 – Vinegared Cucumber Salad Recipe
(This post was updated from 2008)
10 Responses to “How to Make Etrog Jam”
Daniel Pedersen • October 16th, 2008 • 8:58 pm
I have heard that Etrogim may have high levels of pesticides in them. Since they are grown not to be eaten, but for the mitzvah of 4 minim, perfect looks will get the highest price. Therefore, they are much more likely to be grown with large amounts of pesticides in order to prevent any insect damage that will mar their perfection.
I don’t know this for a fact, since I haven’t found any studies that have tested pesticide levels in Etrogim.
Does anyone know how etrogim are grown and what the pesticide regime is for them? Does anyone know whether this should be a concern?
Daniel Pedersen • October 16th, 2008 • 9:00 pm
My friend Hillel Bromberg makes Etrog Vodka from his leftovers – he dices up the peels and adds them with sugar to a bottle of Absolut Vodka. At Purim he pulls out the bottle at megilla reading, and a good time is had by all.
Jack Reichert • October 16th, 2008 • 9:58 pm
I don’t know about the pesticide levels but I love the vodka tip! Some people use their lulav as fuel for burning the hometz in order to connect one holiday to the next. this seems like a more eco-friendly way to tie things up =)
Daniel • October 19th, 2008 • 10:19 pm
Anyone know how to make carob jam? I hear its delicious. The trees grow all over the emek haella region and you can eat the carob fruit right off the trees, a lot easier on the teeth than sugar. I can’t seem to find a recipe anywhere…
Max • November 7th, 2008 • 12:06 pm
I have to say, that I could not agree with you in 100%, but it’s just my opinion, which could be wrong.
Eric • October 2nd, 2009 • 10:47 pm
It’s true – the etrog is one of the most toxic, highly-sprayed fruits on the market, because it is usually purchased for ritual purposes, and not to be eaten. Don’t make any etrog recipes unless you know that the source of your etrog uses sustainable farming (and if you can find such a source, please let the rest of us know!).
See here for more info:
http://jcarrot.org/the-toxic-etrog-read-before-you-eat
Arlene Jacoby • October 11th, 2009 • 12:19 pm
The recipe calls for 6 cups of water and says to cover the fruit with water, refrigerate and drain 4 different times. Should the water JUST cover the fruit or should 6 cups be used each time and when it says cover with water and simmer how much water should be used?
Arlene Jacoby
Don’t Eat Your Etrog Unless You Know It’s Organic | Green Prophet • September 22nd, 2010 • 9:38 am
[...] In my parent’s old-fashioned cookbooks are recipes based on the beautiful, fragrant etrog (citron). Etrog jam, etrog cake and cookies, even an etrog souffle. As tempting as it is to make jam out of the attractive yellow fruit after Sukkot, refrain. Non-organic etrogim are so full of pesticides that they are a danger to human health. (If you are sure your etrog is safe, here is our etrog jam recipe.) [...]
ben • October 25th, 2011 • 6:11 pm
dont worry about pesticides, since you used the esrog for a Mitzvah all the bad stuff went out of it, and you wont come to harm.
And especially after boiling it and changing the water a few times, helps to clean all germs and poison.
leon slotow • November 8th, 2011 • 2:22 pm
please can someone advise me of the halachic purpose of the jam. i have cooked 15 etrogim on a different recipe and am now bottling them. somthing about an easy birth. leon@slotow.co.za