How to make a box of green tangerines last

Once you get a box of green tangerines, it's easy to wonder "how do I eat these?" and leave them sitting awkwardly in a corner of the kitchen. Here's how we make syrup every year between summer and autumn.

Cheonggyul and putgyul are actually different words

True cheonggyul is a native Jeju citrus variety; what comes out in this season is putgyul — tangerines picked green before they ripen. But since they're commonly called cheonggyul, we use the same name here. Green tangerines are much more sour than ripe ones and have thin skins, so they're hard to eat raw, but there are many ways to use them.

The easiest way: green tangerine water

Just mix 1–2 spoonfuls of fresh green tangerine juice into 500 ml of water. You can drink it as easily as lemon water, and add honey or ice to taste.

How to make homemade syrup

Wash: since you'll use the peel, scrub them clean with coarse salt, baking soda and a vegetable wash, then dry them completely or let them dry in the shade.

Washing green tangerines with coarse salt and baking soda.

Slice and juice: slice about a quarter for looks, and juice the rest with a juicer.

Green tangerines sliced for looks.

Sugar ratio: add white sugar 1:1 by the combined weight of the slices and juice. Brown sugar can make the color murky and the taste heavy, so we use white sugar.

Rest: leave it at room temperature for about a day, then keep it in the fridge.

Storing and using it

By our original notes, we kept it in the fridge for about 3–6 months and tended to finish it within a month of opening. But how long homemade syrup keeps depends on its sugar content, hygiene and the container, so don't eat it if it changes color, ferments, grows mold or smells off. There are many ways to use it — 2 spoonfuls in warm water makes green tangerine tea; 2–3 spoonfuls in sparkling water with ice makes green tangerine ade; add mint leaves for a non-alcoholic mojito; and mix with olive oil and vinegar for a salad dressing.

Looking back now — the habit of recording ways to enjoy ingredients that only come once a season, for longer and in different ways, is cut from the same cloth as how we've expanded tangerines and kohlrabi into processed foods.