Candied Citrus Peels

I really love candied citrus peels, especially lemon, orange, and tangerine. Unfortunately, I have noticed that store-bought products are no longer as attractive and often cause me discomfort. I fondly remember a visit to a German café, where I enjoyed a delicious coffee alongside a candied orange peel, half-dipped in chocolate. The taste was phenomenal, and I decided to find out the secret of those wonderful peels. After a few less successful attempts, I finally managed to come up with a recipe that delivers the desired result.

Today, I will share with you how to candy tangerine peels, as I recently had an abundance of them. It is important to choose large tangerines with slightly bitter skin but sweet, juicy pulp. In the past, there were canned whole tangerines, cut at the ends, in a thick syrup, which remind me of my childhood.

For this recipe, you will need 3 large navel oranges. Start by carefully peeling the oranges, cutting a small cap or making marks on the peel with the tip of a knife, avoiding tearing it. Then, cut the peels into julienne strips about 0.5 cm wide, or larger, depending on the intended use.

Reserve the juice from half an orange for later. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil and toss in the orange peels for one minute. Repeat this process three times, and during the last draining, prepare a pot with one cup of water and one cup of orange juice. Let it boil until the syrup thickens, then add the peels and let them simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.

After this interval, remove the peels and, if they are too wet, let them drain in a strainer for 2-3 hours. Gently stir them occasionally to ensure even draining. Once well-drained, place the peels on a sieve, on parchment paper, or in various strainers, allowing them to dry for about 10 hours, depending on humidity.

To store them, you can keep them in a glass jar, alternating layers of granulated sugar between them. Personally, I like to keep them in both forms, whether I use them in cakes or consume them as they are. These candied delights last about 3 months in the fridge, but they may not last that long considering how delicious they are! I hope you enjoy this recipe! Happy baking!

 Ingredients: Peels from 3 large oranges, juice from half an orange, one cup of water, one cup of sugar, granulated sugar for dusting.

 Tags:  sugar fruits oranges gluten-free recipes lactose-free recipes vegetarian recipes fat-free recipes