Source: The New Doubleday Cookbook by Jean Anderson & Elaine Hanna.
Makes: variable, adjust by rate
Preparation time: 2 hours
Tips: Best recipe for peels!. Slices stay soft for weeks, eat alone, dip in chocolate or use in bake goods.
Ingredients
Preparation
Peel from 3 large thick-skinned orange (navel are good), 4 large lemons or limes or 2 grapefruits
5 quarts of cold water
2 cups sugar + 1/2 cup hot water ( Ratio: 4/1 , adjust as amount of syrup needed)
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin mixed with a tablespoon of cold water, see note 3
1 cup confectioners’ sugar or granular sugar, to coat ( I use confectioner’s sugar), see note 1
Do Not mix type of peel or you will combine the flavors. i.e cook oranges, lemons etc... separate.
1. To overcome the excessively bitter of peel, specially grapefruits, soak peel overnight in heavily salted water (weight peel so it stays submerged). Rinse the peel well before beginning recipe. If collecting peel over few days while you eat the fruit, place peel in the salted water in the refrigerator until ready to cook. It should last up to 5 days. For longer storage prior to cooking try freezing them in light sugar syrup.
2. Cover peel with 1 quart cold water, bring to a boil, then drain. Repeat process FOUR times until peel is tender. If peel are thick pith, scoop out the excess.
3. Cut peel in thin strips or petal shapes etc. Heat 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup hot water in a heavy sauce pan over moderate low heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Add peel and boil slowly until clear and candy like, about 25 minutes, moving a wooden spoon occasionally over bottom of pan to keep peel from sticking. Add gelatin, cook and stir 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes; remove peel and place in silicone lined tray, a few pieces at a time, allowing excess syrup to drain off.
While cooling, using a sieve dust the peels with confectioner’s sugar moving them gently with a fork or toothpicks.
If using granular sugar, roll in sugar at this time until they acquire a thick coat.
4. Dry peel on wire racks and store airtight. See note 2
NOTE: This the best recipe for peels I have found so far. They are great to eat dipping a tip in melted chocolate or using them whenever citrus peels are call for in bake goods.
1) I like the powdery and soft feel of the strips when eating them alone. The granulate sugar will give them a different look and texture, just as good but different. Try both and decide for yourself.
2) I have found that candied peels stored in a tight container more than 2 weeks tend to get moldy if not totally dry. I leave mine in a open container for few days before closing it, if they are any left!
3) Gelatin makes the peel stay soft for weeks.
Candied Citrus Peel
Soft & Powdery
