by: AndiPosted on:

How to Make Candied Orange Peel

gingered orange peels

My Pfeffernüsse recipe calls for candied fruit, which instantly brings to mind those plastic containers crammed with dark sticky fruit, not to mention some bad fruitcake I might have had.

So I’m going to go with homemade candied orange peel. Not only am I quite sure there are fewer ingredients, but I like the idea of the single strong note of orange with all the spices in the cookies. Winter in an excellent time to get some oranges.

Candying fruit like citrus peels keeps it from spoiling as the sugar acts as a natural preservative.

This is the recipe I generally follow although it’s extremely simple once you get the basic idea. You won’t want to throw away orange peels ever again!

Candied Citrus Peel

Ingredients

  • 2 medium oranges (or 1 large red or pink grapefruit)
  • 1 cup sugar, plus ⅓ cup for coating
  • ½ cup water
  • dark chocolate, melted (optional)

Directions

  1. Cut the ends off the grapefruit or oranges. Cut the peel from the fruit in long strips, from top to bottom and remove carefully so that you have long sections of peel.
  2. Place the citrus strips into a saucepan, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then drain. Repeat two more times. (This removes some of the bitterness. Alternatively, you can simple bring them to a boil and simmer them until they are soft, about 15 minutes)
  3. Drain the peels. After they’ve cooled a bit, use a spoon or a knife to scrape off the pith until it’s about ¼” thick. Then slice the sections lengthwise into smaller strips, about ¾” wide.
  4. Place 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup water in the pot and bring to a boil, dissolving the sugar into the water. Add the peels and simmer until the peels are translucent, about 20 minutes.
  5. Drain the peels. You can reserve the syrup to use in other recipes or drinks. Dry the peels on a piece of waxed paper for at least 2-4 hours but overnight is fine.
  6. Add about ⅓ cup of sugar to a plastic storage bag. Add the citrus peels, a few at a time, and shake until evenly coated with sugar.

For a tasty treat: Dip the ends of the peels into the melted chocolate until evenly coated. Place on wax paper or parchment paper until dry.