What Is Citron and How Can I Use It?
Wondering what to do with citron? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 66 recipes to put it to work.
Key Points
- A large knobby citrus that is almost all thick fragrant rind, with little juice or pulp.
- In recipes "citron" means the candied peel: pale cubes for fruitcake, panettone, stollen, and mincemeat.
- Not a lemon; lemons are grown for juice, citrons for their milder, more perfumed peel.
- Swap candied lemon peel, or candied orange peel for a more orange flavor, by weight.
- Keeps about 6 months airtight in a cool cupboard, longer refrigerated; soak to soften if stiff.
What is citron?
Citron is a big, knobby citrus fruit that looks like a lumpy, oversized lemon. It is one of the oldest cultivated citrus, and it is almost all rind: a thick layer of fragrant white pith wrapped in bumpy yellow skin, with barely any juice or pulp inside.
That thick peel is the whole point.
Nobody eats citron in slices the way you would an orange, because the flesh is dry and sour. In a recipe, "citron" almost always means candied citron peel: the pith and skin simmered in sugar syrup until soft and translucent, the pale green-and-yellow cubes you find in fruitcake and panettone.
How to Use Citron
The candied peel is a holiday baking staple. It shows up in fruitcakes such as Emily Dickinson's Black Cake and Merry Christmas Fruitcake, German breads like Christmas Stollen, and spiced cookies including Pfeffernusse.
It carries deep into European and old-style baking. Citron flavors the spiced fruit of mincemeat in James Beard's Traditional Mincemeat, and in Italy it studs panettone and the sweet ricotta of a classic Cannoli Filling.
Chop the cubes small so they spread evenly through a batter. The flavor is gentler than candied orange or lemon peel, more floral and rounded, so it blends into the background instead of shouting citrus.
Citron vs Lemon
People mix these up constantly. They are not the same fruit.
A lemon is mostly juice with a thin rind, grown for its liquid. A citron is mostly rind with almost no juice, grown for its peel, and its flavor is milder and more perfumed, far less sharp and acidic, which is exactly why it gets candied rather than squeezed.
So if a baking recipe lists "citron," it wants the candied peel, not a fresh lemon. Fresh lemon zest gives a brighter, sharper hit and none of the chew.
Substitutes and a Common Mistake
The best stand-in is candied lemon peel, which is widely sold and tastes close, just a touch sharper. Candied orange peel works too, though it pushes the flavor toward orange.
No candied peel at all? Use finely chopped candied fruit plus a little fresh lemon zest, matched to the weight the recipe gives for citron.
The common mistake is grabbing cheap "mixed citron" that is mostly the bitter, rubbery green cubes people pick out of fruitcake. Buy a brand that names real citron and feels moist, and the peel actually tastes good.
Buying and Storing
Fresh whole citron is rare outside specialty and seasonal markets, where it turns up in winter, often around the Jewish holiday of Sukkot when the etrog variety appears. Most cooks just buy it already candied.
Store candied citron peel airtight in a cool, dark cupboard, where the sugar keeps it good for about 6 months, longer in the refrigerator. Toss the cubes in a little sugar so they do not clump.
A fresh citron, if you find one, keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. If candied peel dries out and stiffens, a short warm soak or quick steam softens it for chopping.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (67g)Quick facts
Where to find citron: Citron is usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group: Citron is a member of the Vegetables and Vegetable Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 香橼
- British (UK) term
- Citron
- en français
- citron
- en español
- cidra
How much does citron weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 67 grams |
| 1 tbsp | 4 grams |
Related
Vegetables and Vegetable Products
Recipes using citron
There are 66 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Poppyseed & Nut Filling for Hamantaschen
Poppyseed and nut filling for hamantaschen blends ground poppy seeds with chopped nuts, raisins, citron, and milk into a thick, jewel-toned paste. The traditional mohn filling for Purim cookies.
Merry Christmas Fruitcake
Traditional Christmas fruitcake with brandy-soaked candied citrus peel, citron, currants, and raisins, deeply spiced and aged in a tin with periodic brandy basting before the holidays.
Vegan Christmas Cake
Vegan Christmas cake packed with candied pineapple, cherries, citrus peel, raisins, and currants, bound without eggs or dairy. A long-baking holiday fruitcake for slicing into thin festive servings.
Christmas Memory Fruitcake
Christmas memory fruitcake steams then bakes a bourbon-soaked, dense old-fashioned fruitcake loaded with Brazil nuts, raisins, candied fruit, figs, and warming spices. Heirloom holiday recipe.
Pfeffernusse
At Christmas time for sugar and spice these pfeffernusse are extra nice: try them once and you'll be delighted And so will the guests whom you've invited.
Mincemeat (Real Meat) #2
Traditional mincemeat with real beef and suet, the way it was made for centuries before the meatless version took over. Currants, raisins, apples, brandy, and warming spices simmer into a deeply flavored pie filling. Yields 80 servings.
Fattigmands Bakkelese
Fattigmands bakkelese are traditional Norwegian deep-fried pastry cookies with cardamom, citron, and lemon juice. Rich egg yolk dough rolled thin, cut into diamond shapes, and fried until golden and crisp.
Widow's Kisses
Light-as-air meringue cookies with ground hazelnuts and candied citron, perched on crisp baking wafers. A classic European confection that melts on your tongue.
Delicious Holiday Mince Pie with Beef
Holiday mincemeat with chopped beef, suet, apples, sour cherries, dried fruit, and broken nuts simmered slowly with brandy and warming spices. A massive 48-serving batch for Christmas baking and gift-giving.
Green Tomato Minced Meat
Green tomato mincemeat made from scratch with suet, apples, raisins, citron, and warm spices. A traditional preserve for holiday pies, sealed with a splash of brandy.
Green Tomato Pie Filling
Canned green tomato pie filling with Granny Smith apples, dark and white raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. A boiling-water canner recipe for preserving the fall harvest.
Wedding Cake
Traditional wedding fruitcake with candied cherries, pineapple, dates, raisins, currants, citron, and nuts in a spiced batter. Slow-baked at low heat for a dense, rich loaf.
Pfeffernuesse
Pfeffernuesse are traditional German spice cookies made with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, rum, and candied lemon peel, finished with a white icing.
Great Cake
Great cake is an old-fashioned colonial American pound cake loaded with currants, candied citron, and rosewater. A Martha Washington-era recipe that's dense, buttery, and built for special occasions.
Trifle
Classic English trifle with raspberry-jam-soaked sponge cake, brandy, sherry, silky vanilla custard, and whipped cream. A showstopping layered dessert served in a glass bowl for maximum visual drama.
Election Day Loaf
Election Day Loaf is a traditional spiced yeast bread loaded with raisins, walnuts, and candied citron, baked in a tube pan and glazed with orange icing. A historic New England celebration bread.
Fruit Pockets
Fruit pockets are tender biscuit-style pastries folded around a spiced filling of raisins, currants, citron, and nuts. A vintage British-style hand pie with warm cinnamon and clove.
A Very Special Bread
Special Easter bread made with whole wheat breadcrumbs, candied citron, and orange zest in a bread machine. This sweet, fruit-studded loaf has Old World charm.
Berkshire Fruit Cake
Berkshire fruit cake packed with raisins, currants, and citron in a spiced molasses batter with cinnamon, cloves, and mace. Baked low and slow for 4.5 hours.
Election Day Cake
Election Day cake, a historic New England yeast-raised spice cake studded with raisins, citron and nuts, warmed with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and mace, and glazed with confectioners' sugar. A colonial American tradition.
Lizzies
Lizzies are bourbon-soaked fruitcake cookies with golden raisins, candied cherries, citron, and pecans. A classic Southern holiday cookie that freezes beautifully.
Mocha Cake
Mocha cake is a spiced coffee loaf studded with raisins, currants, and citron. Brewed coffee, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice create a warmly spiced fruitcake for any occasion.
Julekage
Julekage, the traditional Norwegian Christmas bread scented with cardamom and studded with dark raisins and candied citron. Made fast with a food processor instead of hours of hand-kneading.
Apple Sauce Fruit Cake
Dense fruitcake layered with applesauce batter, citron, and nuts. Molasses and warm spices add depth. This slow-baked cake takes 2 hours at low heat for proper moisture and texture. A holiday classic.
Grandma's Mince Meat
Old-fashioned mince meat with calf tongue, suet, dried fruit, candied citrus, brandy and whiskey. The traditional pie filling, aged in a crock for at least 7 weeks for deep holiday flavor.
Lots of Fruit Bread
Lots of fruit bread, a yeasted holiday loaf packed with prunes, figs, dates, raisins, candied peel, and almonds. The European-style fruit bread for Christmas mornings.
Golden Fruitcake
Golden fruitcake with dried apricots, raisins, candied cherries, orange peel, citron, and shaved almonds in a light cake flour batter. Baked low and slow for 4 gorgeous holiday loaves.
Raisin Pastries
Old-fashioned raisin pastries: flaky pie-dough half-moons stuffed with ground raisins, nuts, and citron in a honey-cinnamon-jelly filling. Hand pies for the holiday cookie box.
Lester's Fruitcake
Lester's fruitcake is a heirloom holiday loaf: pounds of candied fruits, figs, dates, raisins, pecans, and walnuts bound in spiced molasses batter. Slow-baked, brandy-soaked, aged a month.
Mom's Fruitcake
Old-fashioned bourbon fruitcake packed with golden raisins, candied cherries, pineapple, citron, pecans, and coconut. Baked low and slow in a tube pan for rich, dense results.
Cannoli Alla Siciliana
Traditional Sicilian cannoli with wine-spiked fried shells and a chilled ricotta filling scented with cinnamon, vanilla, and candied citrus peel. Topped with glace cherries and powdered sugar.
Citron Jewel Cake
A brown sugar loaf cake studded with candied citron and chopped nuts, topped with a nutmeg cream frosting. Warmly spiced with nutmeg throughout, this vintage gem belongs on every holiday baking list.
Mary's Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie with warm brandy, fresh lemon zest, and a sprinkle of chopped citron over the top. The brandy-citrus brightness lifts the spiced filling into something more sophisticated than typical sweet potato pie.
Holiday Fruitcake with Pecans
Traditional holiday fruitcake loaded with raisins, currants, citron, and pecans, enriched with sherry, honey, and orange marmalade. Baked low and slow, best after aging.
Molasses Cookies with Citron
Old-fashioned molasses cookies with candied citron, chopped nuts, cloves, and cinnamon. Rolled thin, cut out, and baked crisp. A heritage holiday cookie.
Green Tomato Minced Meat Pie
Traditional mincemeat filling with beef, suet, green tomatoes, tart apples, raisins, and warm spices. Canned with brandy for holiday pies, makes 3 quarts.
Favourite Lebkuchen
Traditional German lebkuchen: honey-and-molasses spice cookies studded with citron and nuts, finished with a brushed sugar glaze. A heritage Christmas cookie that gets better as it ages.
Bath Buns
Bath buns: lemon-scented English tea buns dotted with raisins and candied citron, brushed with sugared cream for a sweet, glossy crust. A traditional cousin to the rock cake.
Cannoli (Cream Rolls)
Homemade Italian cream rolls with cinnamon-spiced fried shells, sweet ricotta filling with candied citron and chocolate, finished with blanched pistachios and powdered sugar. Makes 16 to 18 cannoli.
English Fruitcake
Traditional English fruitcake loaded with raisins, candied orange and lemon peel, citron, candied cherries, and walnuts. Baked low and slow in a tube pan for over 2 hours.
Panforte Di Siena
Traditional Panforte di Siena with toasted almonds, hazelnuts, candied orange peel, citron, cocoa, and honey syrup cooked to soft ball stage. A dense Italian Christmas confection.
Updated Mincemeat
Homemade mincemeat with raisins, currants, apples, almonds, candied peel, and brandy. No suet needed. Ground twice, baked, and aged for rich, spiced holiday filling.
Lebkuchen (German Honey Cakes)
Lebkuchen (German honey cakes) blend honey, brown sugar, lemon, almonds, citron, and warm spices into a chewy spice cookie cut into fancy holiday shapes. Traditional Christmas cookie from Nuremberg.
Suet or Carrot Pudding
Old-fashioned Pennsylvania steamed pudding with mashed carrots, suet, molasses, raisins, currants, and warm spices. Three hours of steaming yields a dense, spiced holiday treat.
Cannoli
Homemade cannoli from scratch with Marsala wine shells and sweet ricotta filling studded with chocolate chips and candied citron. Crispy, creamy, and worth every minute of effort.
Indian Chutney - Microwave
Quick Indian apple chutney made in the microwave with raisins, curry powder, ginger, and brown sugar. Ready in under 10 minutes of cook time.
Christmas Rocks
Old-fashioned Christmas Rocks cookies bursting with candied fruit, dates, figs, pecans, raisins, and currants in a cocoa-spiced batter with a hint of coffee. Dense, chewy, and built to last.
Mincemeat(Real Meat)
Real-meat mincemeat in a manageable 20-serving batch. Beef, suet, apples, raisins, citron, and orange zest simmer with strong coffee, molasses, and warming spices into a deeply flavored holiday pie filling.
Aran Spiosrai (Irish Spice Bread)
Warm Irish spice bread studded with golden raisins and candied citron balances cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in every buttery slice.
