Despite it being essentially a juiceless lemon, I'm drawn irresistably to its shape and its scent. I didn't have time to make candied lemon peel this year, so I went with a popular but quicker use for this crazy citron: Buddha's Hand vodka.
Although we don't drink much vodka and tend to roll our eyes whenever we see the flavored vodkas in the liquor store (toasted marshmallow vodka--really???), it seemed like this might be one flavor worth putting in the mix for our cocktail experiments. And it could hardly be easier: slice the Buddha's Hand, scrape away the excess pith, add to bottles, and fill with vodka.
After letting it sit for 30 days, we gave it a try. Still a very harsh vodka taste but it had promise. Back to the bottles for a bit more time to let the subtle Buddha's Hand flavor try to overcome the dominant vodka.
A month later, it's still harsh but getting better. I don't know if it will ever be good on its own but I think it can be a decent mix-in. One combo we found that definitely did not work was a gin-based drink. Probably will work better with something sweeter. Anyone have any good suggestions? We have enough to practice with for quite awhile.
If nothing else, it sure is pretty to look at--and the Buddha's Hand peel is really tasty after being soaked in booze for a couple of months....
Salut! That sounds marvelous. How about ice, your vodka, freshly squeezed juice of a lemon, and soda water? Call it: Buddha's Beverage.
ReplyDeleteApril update: it has continued to improve with time, losing much of its harsh edge. Our favorite use so far has been mixing the Buddha's Hand vodka with a too-sweet Oliver's cider.
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