What To Do With Your Etrog After Sukkot

An etrog (citron) Image by iStock

By The Scribe September 30, 2018

It’s been a long 8 days of eating and sleeping in the sukkah, shaking your lulav and etrog to and fro.

But now that the holiday of Sukkot is coming to an end, what are you supposed to do with that fruit you spent so much money on?

Because of the high amounts of pesticides that are often required to keep an etrog looking pristine, it’s not recommended to use yours for food or beverage unless you know how it was grown or that it was grown organically. But for the brave souls, here are a few good uses for the too often discarded fruit:

Whip Up An Etrog Marmalade

Bake An Etrog Cake

Make Etrog Liquor

This is my personal favorite.

Ingredients:
2-3 etrogs, thoroughly scrubbed and zested
1 cup sugar
750 mL vodka
aromatics such as thyme or rosemary (optional)
1L glass bottle

1) In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water, the etrog zest, and the aromatics (if using) to a boil. Add in 1 cup of sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove the aromatics and discard.

2) Using a funnel or a measuring cup with a spout, add the simple syrup to the liter bottle, then fill to the top with the vodka.

3) Allow flavors to infuse for at least one month, then enjoy!

Musings and findings from the editors of Scribe, the Forward’s curated contributor network.

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