This citrus balsamic reduction is just another condiment I’ve been using for years! When I discovered balsamic reduction, my very first reaction was to make it with citrus zest – the technique my mom used a lot (especially in wintertime, when oranges were available) to zest up various dishes. Needless to say that even though I didn’t like cold and snowy winters, I’ve always looked forward to the zesty meals! In wintertime our house was filled with citrus flavor, which was the easiest way to spice up various meals and I thank my mom for bringing zest to my life very early on…I still remember devouring my zesty porridge in the morning, while other kids struggled in front of their regular ones.
Let’s get back to the balsamic vinegar now…it comes with two variations: white and dark. White balsamic vinegar is cooked at a low temperature to avoid darkening. The flavors of the two are very similar, although dark balsamic is slightly sweeter and more syrupy. I tend to use balsamic reduction quite frequently as it is the easiest way to zest up many dishes: fish, meat, salads, vegetables, desserts and more! Please fell free to check this recipe of mine for a simple idea of using a citrus balsamic reduction on vegetables. And by the way, you can use lemon, lime, orange or a combination of citrus fruits in the balsamic reduction or even replace the citrus zest with a few drops of any of these gourmet extracts. Besides, you can replace the citrus juice with such fruits as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, passion fruit etc., which will end up in a firework of flavors!
Speaking of the fireworks, last month Vancouver held the annual fireworks festival. This event is called the Celebration of Light and each year a winner is chosen. This year event featured the Netherlands, Australia and the USA in the competition. The winner for this year was the USA but my personal preference was given to Australia, whose fireworks were more “photogenic”, according to my camera 😉
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 4 tablespoons coconut sugar*
- ½ cup citrus juice**
- 2 teaspoons citrus zest***
- 1 level teaspoon gelatin (optional)
- In a medium size shallow saucepan combine the balsamic vinegar, coconut sugar, citrus juice and the citrus zest and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, around 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle over the gelatin while stirring and set aside to cool.
- Serve as a condiment!
** You can use orange, lemon, lime (or a mixture of citrus fruits) for juicing and zesting.
*** Feel free to replace citrus zest with a few drops of citrus-flavored extracts.
Variations: Omit orange juice and add 1 cup of your favorite berries. As soon as the reduction is ready, run it through a sieve to remove pulp.
This recipe was shared on the Little Bites of Beauty AIP Christmas Recipe Party
Maria is the blogger behind the Zesty Paleo website. As a Hashimoto's patient for more than a decade, Maria has constantly been taking steps to improve her quality of life, including nutrition and lifestyle choices.
I can’t wait to try this firework of flavors and by the way, your fireworks are gorgeous!
Thank you, Svetlana! I appreciate you commenting on my firework shots, it makes me think that I am getting better at mastering my camera 😉
I love orange flavored dark Balsamic reduction and is definitely going to try your recipe. Can I use ordinary sugar in place of coconut sugar?
Hi Gerda, thanks for dropping by! To answer your question: sugar helps to extract flavor from the zest, so there will be no difference in this regard.