Calamansi Juice

What is it?

Calamansi juice comes from the calamansi citrus fruit (Citrofortunella microcarpa) which is also called the calamondin. It's native to Southeast Asia, and used extensively in Filipino cooking.

The fruit tastes something like a cross between a lime, tangerine, and kumquat with a distinct sourness and delicate floral notes. When making Calamansi juice, you'll tame that sharp acidity with a little simple syrup and dilute it with water, similar to making lemonade or limeade.

Tips

With only three ingredients, calamansi juice is a breeze to make. You begin first by juicing the calamansi fruit, then you'll make a simple syrup, and blend both the juice and syrup together with water before serving. There's a few tips to keep in mind.

• If you can't find calamansi locally, you can order it online.
• Use a hand-held citrus press to juice fresh calamansi. Split the fruit in half cross-wise, and then tuck a few into the press and squeeze tightly to release the juice. Strain it well to remove seeds.
• Make the simple syrup. It's tempting to ditch the simple syrup and whisk sugar (or another sweetener as you like it) straight into the juice and water, but making a syrup first will ensure that the sugar dissolves smoothly without any grittiness.
• If you're not serving it right away, just stir the (cooled) simple syrup into the juice, and store it in an airtight jar in the fridge up to 1 week. When you want a drink, swirl a few spoonfuls into water and ice.

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