Slow-Dried Citrus, Five Quiet Uses

Drying citrus is an exercise in patience. Sliced thin and left in low heat for hours, oranges, lemons and limes lose their water and keep everything else — the oils, the sugars, the colour deepening to amber at the edges.

One: drop two or three slices into a pot of tea as it steeps and let them bloom with the leaves.

Two: cover a slice with hot water alone for a clear, fruit-forward infusion — excellent after dinner.

Three: set one on the rim of a glass. It needs no preparation and never complains.

Four: steep them in simple syrup for desserts, or press one into the top of a cake before it bakes.

Five: keep a jar on the counter, where the light passes through it. Some of the ritual is simply looking.