Yuzu is a Japanese citrus lemon that is valued for it’s highly aromatic
rind and Yuzu is one of the few citrus in the world that is able to
maintain it’s tart/sourness at high cooking temperatures. Because the
yuzu is considered a citron, the juice is very minimal, thus often
expensive. Outside of a few Asian cuisines and particularly in Japanese
cultural circles, yuzu is seldom grown or used because it’s rather rare.
Used in both green and more ripe, yellow forms it’s a prized citrus in
the culinary world.
Yuzu is sour, tart, very fragrant and slightly smaller than a billiard
ball. The intensity and aroma of fresh yuzu is incredible. Yuzu is a
citrus that isn’t eaten straight, but is used as a souring ingredient
through the use of it’s juice and zest. The flavor is reminicent
somewhere between a classic Eureka lemon and an oro blanco grapefruit,
but still has its own unique fragrance and flavor. It is a bit more
floral and sour and utterly wonderful. It smells so good the Japanese
will use yuzu for perfumes and will ritualistically bath in yuzu during
Toji (winter solstice).
There isn’t a lot of juice in each little ball of fruit, maybe a
teaspoon per yuzu due to much of its mass being occupied by ginormous
seeds and a thicker rind. However the juice is one of the very few
citrus that can hold up fairly well to cooking without diminishing the
flavor. The zest is packed with delicious oils that allow you to use
nearly every part of the yuzu in the kitchen. Yuzu is a integral part to
Japanese Ponzu sauce as well as yuzu-kosho, a spicy chili-salt laden
with yuzu zest.
For the home gardener, yuzu is one of the most zone diverse citrus,
being cold hardy down to 5-10º F. It is a bit stubborn to get to flower
and has a few nasty thorns, but it is well worth the time & care to
get these beautiful trees to fruit. They are still a bit hard to track
down in the United States, but if you have a great nursery nearby, maybe
they’ll be able to special order you one.
The fruit is ready earlier than most citrus, usually September or
October, giving citrus heavy areas like southern California and Florida
extra incentive to add a yuzu to their collections. One of the things we
love most about our garden is that there is almost always something
fruiting all year. Every season and month has something new to look
forward to and it helps ease the grief of another favorite ending for
the year.
For the home gardener, yuzu is one of the most zone diverse citrus,
being cold hardy down to 5-10º F. It is a bit stubborn to get to flower
and has a few nasty thorns, but it is well worth the time & care to
get these beautiful trees to fruit. They are still a bit hard to track
down in the United States, but if you have a great nursery nearby, maybe
they’ll be able to special order you one.
The fruit is ready earlier than most citrus, usually September or
October, giving citrus heavy areas like southern California and Florida
extra incentive to add a yuzu to their collections. One of the things we
love most about our garden is that there is almost always something
fruiting all year. Every season and month has something new to look
forward to and it helps ease the grief of another favorite ending for
the year.
http://whiteonricecouple.com/garden/yuzu-citrus-japanese-citron-lemon/
Pronounce it: ta-ra-gon
A popular and versatile herb, tarragon has an intense flavour that's a
unique mix of sweet aniseed and a mild vanilla. The leaves are narrow,
tapering and slightly floppy, growing from a long, slender stem. It's a
key herb in French cuisine (it's an essential ingredient in sauce
Bernaise), and goes very well with eggs, cheese and poultry.
Choose the best
Go for fresh-looking leaves, with no discolouration or wilting. French
tarragon is considered to be the best - its flavour is more subtle than
the coarser Russian tarragon. Dried tarragon is also available. Or, for a
ready supply, keep a pot on your windowsill, or grow in your garden or
window box.
Prepare it
Wash, then use whole sprigs or strip the leaves from the stalks and use whole or chopped.
Store it
Fresh cut tarragon should be wrapped in damp kitchen paper, placed in a
perforated bag and stored in the fridge. It will last for around 4-5
days. Dried tarragon should be kept in an airtight container in a cool,
dark place - it should last for 4-6 months.
Cook it
Use to make sauces for fish and poultry. Add to salad dressings; use to flavour butter or white wine vinegar.
Alternatives
Try fennel.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/tarragon