Buddha's Hand Selection Information | Nutritional Information | Tips & Trivia

Image of Buddha's Hand

Buddha's Hand is one of the oddest and scariest looking members of the citrus family you will ever see - and is simply the very best source of lemon zest.

Scientific Binomial Name:

SELECTION INFORMATION
Usage

When any dish calls for lemon zest, look first for Buddha's Hand. Use a small piece as the twist of lemon in your favorite cocktail. It's said that some cultures even use Buddha's Hand as a good luck charm.

The fragrant oils will add a zing to any juicing combination.

Selection

Also called Citron or Fingered Citron, choose Buddha’s hand that is firm bright and yellow where even the very ends of each finger-like digit are of equal color, not browning, soft or limp in any way.

If you only need a small amount (and a little goes a long way) ask the produce person to cut off a finger for you as this item is usually sold by the pound - and is fairly expensive.

Avoid

Avoid any spots that are soft or have decay or that has a dry look or feel to the skin.

Smell Buddha’s hand - it should overwhelm your senses with lemon when freshly cut or even lightly scratched with your fingernail.

Storage

In general, you don't need to refrigerate citrus if it will be consumed quickly, but it will last longer when refrigerated. Once they reach your preferred level of sweetness, place remaining fruit in the refrigerator to extend the shelf life.

Ripening

As a general rule, citrus will not ripen further after picking. Higher brix (sugar) levels are gained by leaving the fruit on the tree longer, so early season fruit tends to be a bit tart while late season product can be prone to molding due to the highe

  • Nutritional Information

    • Buddha's Hand is very high in Vitamin C.

  • Tips & Trivia

    • Buddha's Hand is at its best when used fresh, but can be frozen for use at a later time and still be better than the zest you would get from the average lemon rind.

    When you can't find Buddha's Hand at your local specialty store (and it is difficult to find), use the peel of a large lightweight lemon, which will have more skin than meat (just the opposite from how you'd usually choose your citrus).

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