Candied Buddha's Hand

Remember the funky Buddha's Hand Citron? Some readers asked me - what do you do with that thing?

After infusing a jar of salt, a jar of sugar, and a bottle of tequila, I decided to candy one. You'll see these candied Buddha's Hand cubes in my Christmas baking. Maybe sooner! Recipes to come on the infused salt, infused sugar, and infused tequila. Those take a bit longer to finish.

Ingredients

• 1 organic Buddha's Hand citron
• 1-1/2 C organic granulated sugar + some for dusting
• 2 C  water + some for boiling

Procedure

Wash and dry the citrons. Cut them into 1/2" cubes. Place the cubes in a large saucepan and cover with at least an inch of water. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes - until the cubes are translucent. Drain the cubes.

Place the cubes back in the sauce pan with 1-1/2 C organic granulated sugar and 2 C of water.

Cook until the syrup is thickened. Or, if you're using a candy thermometer, until 230 degrees F. Gently stir so that the pieces don't stick to the bottom of your pan.

Once done, remove the pan from the heat and let the Buddha's Hand pieces sit in the syrup for an hour.

At this point, you can store your candied Buddha's Hand two different ways. One, spoon the candied pieces into a mason jar and pour the syrup over them. Any leftover syrup can be added to sparkling water or sparkling wine. Store this in the refrigerator.

O, two, coat the pieces in sugar. To do that, let the pieces drain overnight. Roll the pieces in organic granulated sugar. Shake off the excess and store in a clean, dry jar. Store this in the pantry.