Why in the world would anyone want to eat orange peel? That was always my thought when I saw it in a candy case. Even dipped in chocolate...who would want that?
A. It's fruit, which is not dessert.
B. It's the PEEL of a fruit...what the heck?
Well, my friends, this girl has changed her tune.
I needed some candied orange peel for a recipe. I looked online; how hard could it be, right? Um, making candied peels is a much more time-consuming process than I imagined. So, I checked my grocery store - no dice. Yes, you can buy it online, but I wanted to make that recipe, and I wanted it now. *channeling Veruca Salt*
Here's the deal. Candied orange peel isn't hard to make. Also, it DELICIOUS! The taste reminds me of those orange candies, but much, much better. Tart, sweet, a little chewy...heaven.
The basic recipe comes from this one on Imperial Sugar's site. The recipe is from Chef Eddy...an actual chef, so he knows his stuff. I modified it a bit, using a peeler for less pith and thinner strips. This also led to a shorter cooking time which is a bonus.
First, you'll peel oranges. Three to five per batch for this recipe.
Some of the white pith will come off with the peel. Scrape away any that you can, but don't worry about a thin layer.
Next comes a series of simmering and cooling. You'll start with water and salt. Then, just water.
After a couple of times, you'll add the sugar. Simmer and cool again. The sugar will soak into the peels.
Once the peels are translucent and sweet, it's time for drying. This can take 24-48 hours.
The peels are edible while they're still tacky, but you'll want them to be completely dry before storing or dipping in chocolate. (I just shortened that whole process by eating them with a few bittersweet chocolate chips.)
I have a great Irish recipe coming up using these candied peels, but in the meantime, here are a few other ideas for using your candied peels:
- dip in bittersweet chocolate
- chop and use in cookie dough
- use for a delicious cannoli filling
- topping for oatmeal, preferably with chocolate chips
- an addition to chocolate bark
- in a fruitcake people will eat ;)
- straight up, baby!
Oh, oh, oh!!! Don't throw away that beautiful orange simple syrup leftover from cooking the peels! It is just heaven sweetening a cup of Hibiscus tea!
Candied Orange Peel
3-5 large oranges
water (lots of water)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Peel the oranges with a vegetable peeler. Use a paring knife to remove excess pith, but don't worry about a thin layer.
Bring 8 cups of water plus the salt to a boil. Add the peel and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the peels and discard the water.
Repeat with 8 more cups of water and no salt. Drain again, discarding the water.
Bring 1 1/2 cups more water plus the sugar to a boil. Add the peels and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do NOT drain. Place the lid on the pot and let cool. Refrigerate for a few hours to cool completely.
[Note: any of the cooling periods can be done overnight.]
Once totally cooled, bring the same mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cool as above for several hours. Once cooled, remove one peel from the syrup and test a small piece. If translucent, soft, and sweet, the peels have finished cooking. If the peels are tough and you can taste the bitter pith, cook as above once more.
Drain the peels reserving the syrup. Store the syrup in the fridge and use for sweetening tea or cocktails.
Separate the peels and place on a wire cooling rack placed over a cookie sheet. Let the peels dry for 24-48 hours. The peels are edible while still tacky to the touch, but make sure they are completely dry before storing or dipping in chocolate.
Store dried peels in an airtight container in the pantry.
Stay tuned for the Irish-inspired recipe coming soon!