Our country occupies a fairly important place in the world production of citrus fruits. In Europe, for example, we are second only to Spain, but it is a constantly growing and expanding market.
The leading regions are mainly the southern ones, with Sicily and Calabria in the front row.
In addition to tangerines, lemons, oranges, and so on, it exists in another citrus that is typical of this season. We are talking about cedar, a fruit similar to lemon and bergamot which, as we will see, boasts numerous beneficial properties and is also extremely delicious.
Full of minerals and vitamins C with this antioxidant citrus that helps digest
Among the most popular citrus fruits since ancient times, the cedar comes from the “Citrus medica”, a tree that can reach 8 meters in height and is remontant. This means that it bears fruit in various months of the year, especially in this period, between November and December.
The cultivation of cedar is widespread mainly in the southern regions of our peninsula, especially in Campania, Calabria and Sicily. Unlike lemon, this citrus fruit has a more rounded and oval shape, and can have characteristic protuberances.
Benefits and contraindications
As reported by the Humanitas Institute, cedar is a source of minerals, vitamins C, flavonoids and other antioxidant molecules. Usually, it is used for medicinal purposes in the form of an infusion. In fact, it seems that a cup of cedar juice, diluted with hot water, on an empty stomach, can have a laxative effect.
Incidentally, those with constipation problems could also consume these two fruits that help fight abdominal bloating.
In addition to the recognized digestive and disinfectant properties, cedar is also recommended against cystitis, kidney problems and cellulite.
So, let’s get ready to fill up on minerals and vitamins C with this antioxidant citrus that helps digest.
An excellent digestive
To increase the digestive effectiveness of cedar, a great way is to make a liqueur at home to consume after meals.
To make a delicate citron digestive we will need:
- 5 cedri;
- 1 liter of water;
- 700 milliliters of pure alcohol at 95 degrees;
- 550 grams of sugar.
First of all, wash the cedars well and peel them, removing only the peel and not the white part below.
We place the peels in a glass jar and cover them entirely with pure alcohol. We close hermetically and leave everything to rest for 20 days in a dark place, shaking the contents every day.
After the necessary time, we filter the mixture with a colander. Meanwhile, pour the water and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring often. By doing this we will create the syrup, which will be combined with the flavored compound.
We give one last stir and pour everything into sterilized and hermetically sealed glass bottles. We let it rest for a month and then we are ready to taste it.