I candied this orange peel for a specific cookie recipe I will be sharing soon, but as soon as I finished making it, I wished I had made twice as much. Candied orange (or lemon or grapefruit) peel is really easy to make and it is good to eat on its own just as candy. It can also be used in baked goods, as a garnish, as a topping, dipped in chocolate… It is very versatile and it makes use of a part of the fruit we normally compost or throw away.
To candy the peel, you simple slice the peel (including the white pith) into strips, boil it in water to reduce the bitterness, and then boil again in sugar syrup. The resulting soft peel is then coated in sugar to add crunch and help preserve it. If you are doing lemon or grapefruit, the boiling process is repeated twice because those fruits are more bitter.
An amazing bonus of making this is that you end up with tons of delicious orange syrup that you can use in cocktials, coffee, tea, etc. You all know I love a good homemade cocktail so I will be putting that orange syrup to good use.
Candied Orange Peel
Ingredients
- 3-4 large oranges
- 4 cups sugar, divided
- water
Instructions
- Slice off tops and bottoms from 3 large oranes. Cut off the peels with white pith attached. Eat the fruit that is left. 🙂 Slice peels lengthwise into ¼"-wide strips.
- Cook peels in a large pot of boiling water 15 minutes; drain, rinse, then drain again. If using lemon or grapefruit, do this twice.
- Bring 3 cups of sugar and 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peels, reduce heat, and simmer until very soft, 40–45 minutes; drain.
- Toss peels with remaining sugar on a rimmed baking sheet to coat. Transfer peels to a large sheet of foil and let sit until dry, 1–2 days.
- You store your candied peel at room temp for about a month (trust me, it will be eaten long before then) or in the freezer for 2 months.
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