Making Your Own Candied Citrus Peel

It is very easy to make your own candied peel.  Orange, lemon and grapefruit work the best.  Limes tend to turn a dark colour and are unattractive when candied.

This is my recipe after trying several different recipes and adapting them to what I think makes a good candied peel.

The corn syrup in this recipe prevents the large sugar crystals from forming while the completed peel cools.  I squeeze the juice first so nothing is wasted.  Then I cut the orange halves into quarters and then remove the flesh and pithy part.  Then cut into strips.

These are finished by tossing in fine granulated sugar.  Use this peel in recipes that call for chopped candied citrus peel.  Or if you want to dress them and serve as a candy, dip in tempered dark chocolate.

Candied Citrus Peel

peel of 3 oranges, 2 grapefruit or 6 lemons
1 c granulated white sugar
3 T corn syrup
3/4 c water

1.     Remove the inner flesh and white pithy part from the peel.  The white part tends to make the peel bitter.  Cut the cleaned peel into strips.

2.     Blanch the peel in salted boiling water for 15-20 minutes. Empty and blanch again in fresh water for 15 minutes.  Blanching serves two purposes.  Firstly, it tenderizes and takes away bitterness.  And secondly, it changes the cellular structure so that the sugar will be accepted into the peel.

3.     Bring the sugar, corn syrup and water to a boil.  Add the blanched peel.  Simmer until the peel is translucent.  This will take about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit overnight in the sugar syrup.

4.     The next day, reheat the sugar syrup before removing the peel.  Drain the peel on a rack and let sit for a day to dry.
5.     Toss the peel in granulated sugar.  It is now ready to use or it can be dipped in tempered chocolate.