Floral and bright, the scent of yuzu, a small citrus fruit with aromatic skin and little juice, is unique. If you could inhale the uplifting aroma released by an opened jar of the yuzu syrup that I make every winter, you might agree that preserving this seasonal citrus to enjoy through the year is a way of bottling optimism. A spoonful of yuzu syrup stirred into chilled seltzer or into a cup of steaming-hot water releases that happy aroma and allows you to pause for the few minutes it takes to sip your drink. The technique for making it is easy. It’s just yuzu, sugar, and time.
The complex result is referred to as yuzu marmalade (transliterated as yuja-cheong in Korean), and when it is steeped in hot water it becomes yuzu tea (yuja-cha, or yuzu cha, in Japanese), whose reputation is as a therapeutic tonic (but that doesn’t mean you can’t drizzle it over ice cream…).
Here’s how to make it.
Photography by Marie Viljoen.


No water is added in this syrup-making technique: Sugar draws out the moisture from whatever it is combined with, and the result is a flavor that is intense and concentrated. I don’t view these large quantities of sugar (equal volumes of sugar and fruit) with alarm. Sugar is an outstanding natural preservative, and the finished syrup with fruit is deployed in moderation, around a tablespoonful at a time. My own yuzu syrup technique has evolved to add time to the normal fermentation period of a few days; I leave it on a countertop for up to two weeks, so there are additional probiotic benefits to it, too. Or so I tell myself.

In the golden-hued syrup, the slices of yuzu turn gradually translucent, like candied citrus peel. They are a delicacy in their own right. I add them to cakes and cookies, drape them over the frosting for seasonal baked treats, chop and stir them into savory sauces, whisk them into vinaigrettes, and add the pieces of fruit to trays of roasting root vegetables. Nothing goes to waste. Even the tops and tails of the citrus are used: slivered into matchsticks they make their own syrup, slightly less juicy (because they contain no fruit segments), but powerfully flavored.

This technique (fruit layered with sugar) can be used for any aromatic citrus, such as Meyer lemons and clementines, as well as any other fruit. Once your fruit of choice has been cleaned and sliced, and combined with sugar, all you have to do is shake the jar, and wait. Soon, you have that scented syrup. It is more than a little magical.
For a late spring version of this syrup method, see our Ground Ivy and Strawberry Cordial recipe.


One of the many appeals of this syrup-making technique is that you can use any amount of fruit. All you need is an equal volume of sugar. Recently, I made bergamot syrup with the grand total of two small bergamots from my tiny, indoor-grown tree—at least, indoors for winter. Bergamots are increasingly available to online shoppers, or if you live in a citrus-growing region. (Think of the aroma of Earl Grey tea—that’s bergamot.)





Fermented Yuzu Syrup (Yuja-Cheong)
You may have 3 fruit, or you may have 3 pounds. So you may need one small jar, or a flock of 32-ounce Mason jars to contain your yuzu syrup.
- Ripe yuzu fruit, washed, dried and sliced
- An equal volume of granulated sugar (I use organic suga)
Yuzu have many large seeds, and I find it easier to slice the fruit with a serrated knife. Once sliced, prick out the copious seeds with knife tip or your fingers. Measure the fruit slices in cups. Measure out the same volume of sugar. Combine the yuzu and the sugar in clean jar. You can either layer slice with sugar, or dump all the sugar on top. Either way, you will be shaking the jar to distribute the sugar through the fruit. Add the lid before you shake.
Place the jar on a countertop. You will notice a syrup forming in the bottom after an hour or so. Magic. Every day, for 7 days, shake the jar to redistribute the sugar and the increasing syrup. Make sure to loosen the lid after a couple of days, because the process of fermentation will cause carbon dioxide to be released. It can escape through the slightly loose lid. After a week check to see whether the syrup covers the fruit. If it does not, add some more sugar. Continue the daily shake for another 7 days. The syrup will be turning golden. The volume of fruit-with-syrup will have dropped in the jar, and if it is below the halfway mark you can now transfer it all to a smaller jar for convenience, and then into the fridge. The yuzu syrup will continue to ferment, but much more slowly in the cold. It keeps indefinitely. My very best batch last two years and only improved with time.
To use, dip a clean spoon into the jar and remove syrup with fruit. Place it in a cup or heat proof glass and pour just-boiled water on it for a soothing tea. For a chilled drink, stir it gently into chilled seltzer.(For cocktails, it complements gin.) The syrup also adds a delicious flavor to cake frostings, to vinaigrettes for salads, and to cooked carrots, parsnips and even Brussels sprouts.
See also:
- Candied Citrus Peel: A Fun and Delicious Winter Project
- Calamansi: A Petite, Intensely-Flavored Citrus
- Yuzu Season Is Here: Rejoice, Harvest, and Make Yubeshi
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