What better way to savor the delicious Sumo Citrus mandarin then saving that zest and turning it into an easy to make fudge. You can do this with the citrus of any type of citrus.

Sumo Citrus Fudge pilled up with pieces of wax paper in between sitting on a white towel with a Sumo mandarin behind it.

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The wait.

The anticipation.

The arrival.

The first bite. A simple way to describe what I go through each year waiting for my favorite piece of citrus - SUMO Citrus. This mandarin that it more the size of a navel orange has a rich, melt in your mouth kind of taste.

Perfect to enjoy on their own. But I have more in mind. I made Meyer Lemon Fudge during the Christmas season. Back then I though I need to try this with other citrus. Of course my beloved SUMO was on my mind.

The next morning after buying my first batch of the season, I gathered my fudge making ingredients and got into the kitchen.

? Check out this other Sumo Citrus recipe - Sumo Citrus Sugar Cookies

? Ingredients

Here is what you will need for this recipe :

Pure cane sugar
Whole milk
Butter
Yellow gel paste food coloring
Red gel paste food coloring
White baking chips
Fresh squeezed SUMO Citrus juice
Zest of 1 SUMO Citrus
Kosher salt

Let's look a little closer at those ingredients.

The recipe I use, which is based off a recipe from the blog, Through Clouded Glass, calls for milk. I like this better than fudge recipes calling for sweetened condensed milk, because I always have milk on hand, so I don't have to worry about missing an ingredient at the store.

Most of the flavor of the fudge comes from the zest of the SUMO. Normally you would just peel it and throw the peel out. This gives you a chance to use something to add flavor that was headed for the trash.

It also uses about 2 tablespoons of juice, which is roughly half a SUMO, so you still have the other half to snack on while making the fudge. .

Cane Sugar

I am a big fan of Morena Pure Cane Sugar. You can buy it at Walmart. It is a minimally processed non-GMO sugar. It has a better flavor than regular white sugar. It is a little more coarse, so I run in through my food processor so that it mixes into the fudge more readily.

Read about the Differences Between Cane and Beet Sugar

White Chips

The recipe uses white baking chips that are stirred in at the end. Choose chips that use real vanilla instead of the fake or artificial vanilla. I paid a little extra to get Ghirardelli. The quality of those chips was a little better than the cheap store brand or even Nestle.

Food Coloring

The fudge didn't get that orange color on it's own. I had to use food coloring. I used a gel paste food coloring. It has more vivid colors and it's not a liquid so it won't mess with the fudge setting up. You could also try a natural food coloring method. Check out the blog, Nourishing Joy for some ideas.

? How to Zest

To remove the zest you could use a vegetable peeler and peel off the zest. Then run a knife to remove any of the white stuff (or pith) still remaining. Then chop up the zest.

For an easy way I use a Microplane Zester. I move the fruit around the zester to remove the zest. Just go around once, trying not to get any of the pith.

? More Sweet Treats to Make

SUMO Citrus Fudge

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Author: Eric Samuelson

Ingredients

1 ½ cups fine sugar
⅔ cup whole milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 drop yellow gel paste food coloring
1 drop red gel paste food coloring
10 oz white baking chips
2 tablespoons SUMO Citrus juice
zest of 1 SUMO Citrus
pinch kosher salt

Instructions

Line a 8 x 8 baking pan with wax or parchment paper. You can pray the paper with a little bit of oil to make sure it doesn't stick (optional)
Place the sugar into a food processor. Process for 30 seconds until the sugar is fine.
Combine sugar, milk, and butter in a medium sauce pan. Heat the pan to just melt the butter, then bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Boil for 5 minutes, do NOT stir during this time.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the white baking chips and food coloring. Keep mixing until it completely melts. It may look like it won't fully melt but just keep stirring.
Stir in the juice and zest.
Quickly place into your 8 x 8 pan. Smooth out with a spatula.
Allow to complete cool to set up before cutting.

Tried this recipe?Mention @eatlikenooneelse or tag #eatlikenooneelse

Alternative Way to Get Sumo Citrus

I recently discovered that in February, Sumo Citrus is one of the varieties in Golden State Fruit's monthly fruit club (affiliate link) that you can order right on Amazon. They offer better choices than other fruit clubs I have researched. During the year they offer special varieties like Sumo Citrus, Sugar Cot Apricots, Pixie Tangerines, Bing Cherries, Pearl White Nectarines, and more. The club comes in 3-month, 6-month, 12-month.