Candied Citrus Peels
Candied citrus peel is "Wicked Easy" to make yourself, contains no chemicals or additives, and tastes so much better than store-bought!
Sugar and citrus fruit peels are all you need to make candied citrus peels. Besides oranges and lemons, other citrus fruit can also be used such as limes and grapefruits!
Slice both ends off the citrus fruits. Then fillet the peel off vertically by following the contour of the fruit. Trim each peel of any fruit that is attached as well as any excess pith. Then slice each section of peel into 1/4″ wide strips.
Be sure to keep the peeled fruit for other uses such as eating, cooking or juicing.
Place the strips of raw citrus peels into a saucepan and cover with water.
Boil the strips of raw citrus peels in a pot of water for 15 minutes.
Drain the blanched citrus peels in a colander, rinse, and then drain again. Put them back into the saucepan, cover with water, and repeat the process once again. These steps reduce the bitter flavor of the peels.
Add one cup of water and two cups of sugar to the saucepan and bring it to a boil. Let is simmer for a couple of minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the blanched citrus peels to the saucepan of boiling sugar water, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peels become translucent, and the cooking liquid becomes lightly syrupy.
Don’t discard the cooking liquid because this wonderful citrus-flavored simple syrup can be used in numerous other ways, such as with baked goods or cocktails.
Put a cup of sugar into a large bowl. When cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove a few of the cooked citrus peels at a time from the saucepan, allowing the excess syrupy cooking liquid to drip off as needed. Place the hot, wet peels into the bowl of sugar and toss to coat. Then spread the candied citrus peels out onto a wire rack to cool and dry.
The drying process usually takes 1 to 2 days. Once dry, store them in an airtight container, in a cool, dry place. The candied citrus peel will keep for at least a month and even longer in the refrigerator.
I like to divide my candied citrus peel into small sandwich bags and then freeze them where they last for numerous months until needed.
If you find your candied citrus peel gets hard after a while, don’t worry because they will soften up nicely as they bake in whatever recipe you add them too.
Candied Citrus Peels
Candied citrus peel is wicked easy to make at home, contains no chemicals or additives, and tastes so much better than store-bought!
Ingredients
- 3 each Navel Oranges
- 4 each Lemons
- 3 cups Sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash and scrub the fruit. Then slice both ends off of each citrus fruit. Then fillet off the peel vertically, by starting at the top cut end of the fruit and cutting downwards, following the contours of the fruit.
- You can then trim some of the white pith from each peel if necessary and then slice each section into 1/4-inch-wide strips. (Save the peeled fruit for eating, cooking, juicing or other use).
- Place the strips of peel into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Drain the peels in a colander, give them a good rinse with cold water, and then drain well. Repeat this process by putting the peels back into the saucepan, covering with water, and boiling them again for 15 minutes. This process removes the bitter flavor from the peels.
- After draining the peels into the colander for the last time, add one cup of fresh water to the saucepan and 2 cups of the sugar. Bring it up to a boil and let it cook for a few minutes to fully dissolve the sugar. Then add in the blanched citrus peels, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally, until the peels become translucent, and the sugar liquid becomes lightly syrupy.
- Place the last cup of sugar into a large bowl. When the peels are ready, use a slotted spoon to remove a few at a time from the saucepan being sure to allow the excess cooking liquid drip off for few seconds. Place the hot, wet peels into the bowl of sugar and toss to coat. Don't discard the cooking liquid! This citrus flavored simple syrup can be added to cocktails or other baked dishes for a wonderful sweet citrus flavor.
- Spread the sugar-coated citrus peels out on a wire rack to cool and dry completely, usually 1 to 2 days. Then store the candied citrus peels in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. They will keep for at least a month as is, or for a few months in the refrigerator or freezer.
- NOTE: If you find your candied citrus peels get too hard after a while, no worries as they will soften up as they back in whatever recipe you add them too.
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