Preservation methods for citrus

Preservation methods for citrus: limes, lemons, mandarin oranges, oranges, and grapefruit. Juice, zest/rind, pulp. Drying? Marmalade? Salted? Candied? Frozen and fresh juice? Reduced and canned/bottled juice? Leather? Pickling? Best tools? Time to research - contributions welcome!

Thinly slice, put in a jar, cover with Vodka. At least the Vodka will be good!

I do wonder what methods preserve the vitamin C. Wouldn't want to get scurvy.

As I understand it the vitamin C in fruit or juice loses potency fairly quickly. After a few years the juice has little vitamin C left. This was one of the issues with the the expedition to find the northwest passage. The lime juice they brought lost potency, and combined with the lead poisoning from primitive canning techniques, they were in pretty sad shape even before the food ran out.

Marmalade is becoming quite unfashionable in the UK as even the Peruvian Bear has started eating Cheese and Marmite Sandwiches.

Ascorbic acid.

Amazon will have it cheap along with Wal-Mart.

Mix in, don't get scurvy, and enjoy

We have some citrus but only eat when it's fresh. Storing sounds like

TANG Anyone?

Freeze fruit in sugar syrup.

Can fruit in water, citrus juice or sugar syrup (use waterbath method, pressure canning isn't necessary or recommended).

Dry peels, packed in airtight plastic bags or jars, stored in a dark place at 60F.

But I have to admit that 3,000 jars of marmalade would be very nice to have!

Sue

Moroccan-style preserved lemons.

All you need is a jar, water, salt, and lemons. I'd like to try this with other citrus fruit, though.
-Blast

Been finding many marmalade, preserve, and canning recipes. i am compiling a file of links.

Thanks for contributing, and keep it coming!

P.S. Todd, I am working to link with a foraging group to get free harvest labor for a split of the goodies. Maybe set up a preservation labor pool on same basis.

My wife and I did this with orange and lemon slices last year. It got a little "funky" after several weeks. We kept it in a dry place, but probably should have kept it a bit cooler to make it last longer.

Candied or made into preserves might save the fruit for food. Less so for vitamin C. If the concern is less food for energy and more vitamin C to hold off scurvy I think your best bet is to invest in vitamin C in the form of pills, or bulk powder. I like the unsweetened, non-chewable, 500mg tablets.

If you want a chuckle give the non-chewable tablets to someone used to the heavily sweetened chewable version. Vitamin C is quite sour. Chewing the non-chewable sort sort will give you a pucker all the way down to your toes. Fun to watch. Cheap thrills.

I assume the preservation of the citrus is intended to preserve the vitamin C to prevent scurvvy, correct? While the preserves would add nice variety to what could otherwise be a very bland diet, why not try a Native American remedy for scurvvy: pine needle tea? Not attempting to hi-jack the thread, just asking and offering up another alternative.

Thanks for the post, and you are right about use of evergreen needles.

Actually I just started some urban foraging and thought learning to preserve the harvest of citrus this time of year in California would be a further step in my efforts to be "equipped to survive" both short- and long-term. I intend to use the same technology to preserve the wild edible foods I have been learning about, including mushrooms. Once the initial canning and dehydrating stuff cost is absorbed, and given the markedly good quality of homemade stuff, you also wind up stretching your preparedness dollar.