Candied Orange Peels
If you've never had candied orange peels, you're in for a treat. These are fantastic as is and even better with the ends dipped in chocolate!
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Servings: 2 cups
Calories: 297kcal
Ingredients
- 8 orange peels
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups sugar divided
- 2 tablespoons salt
Instructions
- Either cut the peel directly off your orange or peel your oranges and slice them into about 1/2 inch slices as long as you can. The short ones still work, but it's easier to work with the longer slices.
- Place the slices into a heavy saucepan. Cover with 1 1/2 cups of the water and add the salt. Bring to a boil and boil for two minutes. This helps to remove the bitterness that you have from the pith of the orange (the white part on the inside of the peel). Remove from the heat after two minutes and rinse your peels thoroughly to remove any trace of the salt, washing out your pot at the same time.8 orange peels, 3 cups water, 2 tablespoons salt
- Set the peels aside for a moment and add the last 1 1/2 cups of water and 2 1/2 cups of sugar to the pot. Bring to a boil, then add the orange peels and turn down to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for a half hour, until the peels look thinner and almost a little translucent on the white side of the peel. If your peels still look the same, simmer them a little longer.3 cups sugar
- Drain the peels and place them on a sheet of parchment paper.
- Sprinkle the peels with additional sugar and use tongs to toss them to avoid getting your hands quite as sticky. Add more sugar as needed until the peels are thoroughly coated on all sides.
- Using the tongs, pick up the peels and place them gently on a wire cooling rack without touching so that they can dry. Drying will take 2-4 hours generally, though longer if it's humid outside. Once they have dried completely, place them in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- These work well by themselves, or you can dip them in chocolate for an extra special treat. Serve as candy, place as decorations in cakes and other baked goods, or any other fun way you choose. This recipe is very forgiving to go up or down in quantity of peels you make. Just make sure you cover your peels with water (barely) and add almost but not quite twice as much sugar as water to the boiling stage.
- Save the orange syrup you made when simmering the peels. It is perfect to add to club soda or to brush over a cake to give it added moisture and flavor without overpowering it. You can keep it in your fridge in a sealed container for two or three weeks.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 cup | Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Sodium: 1749mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 75g
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.