Sweet Candied Orange and Lemon Peel
Citrus peel blanched three times to pull out the bitterness, then simmered slowly in syrup until translucent and rolled in sugar. It takes an afternoon of cooking and a night of drying.
- Prep30 min
- Cook1 h 15 min
- Total6 h 40 min
- Serves20
AI-generated illustration
Ingredients
Method
- Score the oranges and lemons from top to bottom in quarters and peel the skin off in wide panels, then cut those into 1/4-inch (0.6 cm) ribbons. Scrape away any thick white pith with the edge of a spoon, since pith is what turns candied peel bitter.
- Put the peel in a saucepan, cover it with cold water, bring it to a boil, and drain. Do this twice more with fresh water each time. Three blanches strip out the harshness while leaving the citrus oil intact.
- Bring 2 1/2 cups of the granulated sugar, the water, light corn syrup, and kosher salt to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then add the drained peel.
- Simmer very gently and uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, until the strips look translucent all the way through and the syrup has thickened to about the consistency of honey. Keep it at a lazy bubble; a hard boil toughens the peel and can crystallize the syrup.
- Lift the strips out with a fork, letting the syrup drip off, spread them in a single layer on a wire rack, and leave them to dry 4 to 8 hours, until they are tacky rather than wet.
- Toss the dried peel in the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar until coated, shake off the excess, and store airtight for up to a month.
Notes
- Scrub the fruit well before peeling, since the outermost surface is what you are eating.
- The leftover syrup is intensely citrusy and is worth keeping for cocktails or drizzling over cake.
