Buddha's Hand Fruit

Description:

Spotted this unusual fruit at a friend's office in Oakland, CA. I had never seen one before. This is the "open hand" form. "Buddha's hand, Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis [also known as bushukan (Japanese) or fingered citron], is a fragrant citron variety whose fruit is segmented into finger-like sections. The origin of Buddha's hand plant is traced back to Northeastern India or China (Wikipedia)."

Habitat:

Urban house garden.

Notes:

Candied Citron One 8 ounce (240g) fresh citron will yield about one cup (250g) of candied citron pieces. You can scale the recipe up or down accordingly, depending on how many citrons you have. I don’t recommend candying more than four citrons in one batch; if you have more, preserve them in subsequent batches. Many are likely to inquire if the corn syrup is necessary. You can leave it out but it does prevent the citron pieces from crystallizing and keeps them moister, which most other liquid sweeteners do not. 2 citrons 3 cups sugar (600g), plus 1 cup (100g) for tossing the finished fruit 2 cups (500ml) water, plus additional water for blanching the citron pieces optional: 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 1. Wash and dry the citrons, then cut them into 1/2-inch (2cm) cubes. Put the pieces in a large saucepan, cover with a sufficient amount of water so it won’t boil away, and blanch the citron pieces in barely simmering water for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re translucent. 2. Drain the citrons, then put 3 cups (600g) of sugar, the 2 cups (500ml) water, and the corn syrup (if using) in the pan with the citron pieces. 3. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and cook the citron until the temperature reaches 230ºF. (110ºC) (If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can cook the citron until the syrup is quite thick and almost all gone, being careful not to burn the fruit pieces.) During the final minutes of cooking, if the citron pieces are sticking to the bottom of the pan, gently stir them from time to time with a heatproof spatula or spoon to prevent burning. 4. Once done, turn off the heat and let the citron pieces sit in the syrup for one hour. 5. You can preserve the candied citron in the syrup in the refrigerator for at least one year. Or you can let the peel sit in the strainer for a couple of hours, stirring it occasionally, to let as much of the syrup drip away as possible. (The syrup can be reserved and used to add to sparkling water for homemade soda.) When done, toss the pieces of citron in sugar and let sit on a wire rack overnight to dry out. Then shake off the excess sugar, reserving it for another baking project, like lemon curd, marmalade, or ice cream. Storage: Store the citron pieces in a jar at room temperature (if planning to use within a few weeks) or in the refrigerator, until ready to use. The candied citron should last up to six months. It can also be stored in the syrup, as indicated in step #5. Troubleshooting Tip: If too much sugar clings to the finished peel, you either didn’t let it cook enough, didn’t drain it long enough, or the sugar was too fine. Depending on where you live, use the coarsest granulated sugar you can find. Cooking in France Tip: Granulated sugar in France is finer than sugar in the United States and will dissolve more readily when tossed with the just-candied citron. Be sure to use the coarse sucre cristallise rather than sucre semoule.