Korean Honey Citrus Tea (Raw Version)

Submitted by Kate S.

"This 'tea' is delicious, and very soothing on the throat through the winter. In Korea, it is made with pomelo or citron, but I have also enjoyed it with lemon, and have heard that it can be made with any citrus fruit. Among my small circle of Korean friends, no one makes this at home, so I learned from some kind of sketchy instructions off the internet, and am enjoying the results. I've made two batches so far, and they turned out quite differently. One was delicious, the other was bitter enough that I doubt most people would want to drink it--though I still find it good. The only think I can figure out that might have made the difference was that the good batch sat and extra hour with the sugar on it before I added the honey, and included more of the pith. Anyone with insight on how to minimize the bitterness of the peel, please tell me!"

Download

Ready In:: 3hrs
Ingredients:: 3
Yields:: 5 pints

ingredients

1 lb pomelo fruit, with peel or 1 lb other citrus fruit
¹⁄₂ lb brown sugar (or white, raw, turbinado)
¹⁄₂ lb honey

directions

Set a bowl on top of your kitchen scale, and adjust the weight to zero.
Peel the citrus fruit, and remove seeds, membrane, and as much of the white pith as you can. With pomelo, there's a thick layer of pith that can be shaved off with a knife.
On a cutting board that doesn't taste like onion or garlic, thinly slice both fruit and rind, and transfer to bowl. Catch and include as much of the juice as you can. When the scale reaches 1 lb, you have enough.
Pour in sugar until the scale reads 1 1/2 lbs. Toss with a spoon and leave for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, pour in honey until the scale read 2 lbs.
Transfer mixture to glass jars with lids. If necessary, add a bit more honey until the fruit solids are covered with liquid.
Place jars in the refrigerator. According to your measure of patience, leave it in the refrigerator 1-4 weeks before using. (I personally only lasted 24 hours, but it's supposed to improve with age.).
To use: Place one or two generous spoonfuls of fruit and honey mixture in a mug. Add boiling water. Drink up! You can eat the fruit and peel if you like.