Cedrata Recipe

Prepare cedro peel

Wash cedro fruits thoroughly. Using a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife, remove the outer yellow rind leaving as much of the bitter white pith behind as possible. Cut the rind into thin strips (about 1–2 cm long). Weigh out ~150 g.

Cold maceration (optional, for brighter aroma)

Place the cedro strips and split vanilla bean in a nonreactive container and cover with 400 ml of the infusion water. Refrigerate and let macerate 4–8 hours or overnight to draw out volatile aromatics. This step intensifies fresh citrus perfume but you can proceed directly to hot extraction if short on time.

Hot infusion

If you macerated cold, pour the maceration and strips into a medium saucepan and add the remaining 400 ml of water. If not macerated, place cedro strips and split vanilla into the saucepan and add all 800 ml water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer very gently for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 15–30 minutes to further extract oils and flavor.

Strain and measure liquid

Strain the infusion through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean saucepan or bowl, pressing gently on peels to extract liquid but not forcing bitter pith. Discard solids. Measure the infused liquid; you should have roughly 700–800 ml. If the volume is significantly low, add enough cold water to bring it to about 800 ml.

Make the syrup

Return the infused liquid to the saucepan. Add granulated sugar and citric acid. Warm over medium heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved—do not boil vigorously. Once dissolved, simmer gently 5 minutes to marry flavors. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice and vanilla extract (if using extract instead of bean). Taste and adjust acidity with small additional amounts of citric acid or lemon juice to reach a bright, tart profile typical of cedrata.

Cool and bottle

Cool syrup to room temperature, then transfer to sterile bottles or jars. Refrigerate. Syrup will keep 2–3 weeks refrigerated; for longer storage, bottle-hot-fill and seal or freeze in portions. This syrup is concentrated—about 45 ml syrup to 135 ml soda yields a balanced 180 ml bottle serving.

Chill a 180 ml bottle or serving glass and the carbonated water. Fill the bottle or glass with a few ice cubes if desired (ice will slightly dilute and chill).

Add 45 ml of the cedrata syrup to the chilled bottle or glass.

Slowly top with 135 ml chilled carbonated water to preserve effervescence. Pour gently down the side or over the back of a spoon.

Give a gentle stir or invert once briefly to mix. Garnish with a thin slice of cedro or lemon on the rim.

Serve immediately. Store remaining syrup refrigerated and use within 2–3 weeks.