Candied orange peel

Candied peel is a kitchen treasure but for the best taste you have to either make it yourself or buy it from - I don't know where? I once saw some glistening, amber peel in La Fromagerie, off Marylebone High Street in London, otherwise I have not seen good quality candied peel sold anywhere. 

In my home town of Ilkley my options are Whitworth's chopped mixed peel or whole peel which is preserved by steeping it in glucose syrup rather than sugar. Neither taste very strongly of orange or taste particularly nice.

The advantage of making your own peel is that it retains limonene, the essential oil with the deep orange aroma which goes so well with so many different spices. The finished candied fruit tastes like a cross between home made marmalade and a meringue. An outer crust of sugar crystals form during the drying process and give the peel a slight crunch as you bite through to a tender layer of sugary pith.

I use  most of my cache of candied peel for making panforte. This spicy Tuscan honey and nut cake stores well, is great with coffee, robust enough to take on trips away and can be packed up in my handbag for a train journey. Candied peel comes into its own at Christmas and Easter where it is used in cakes, mince pies and hot cross buns. Strips of it are also good dipped in melted dark chocolate.

I have tried to candy lemon peel but have not met with the same success as I have with orange peel.

Candied peel is a byproduct of breakfast when I squeeze the juice of oranges to make a smoothie. The peels store in the fridge for a week and can also be frozen for later use. The only other ingredients are sugar and time.

To make candied orange peel

Makes 500g

8 orange peels, cut in half

600g granulated sugar

300ml water

500g caster sugar

Place the halves of orange peel in a saucepan of water and bring to the boil. Boil for five minutes, drain and allow to cool. Using a dessertspoon, scrape the softened remains of the orange flesh but retain the white pith. Cut each half of orange into four segments. 

Place the granulated sugar in a large saucepan with the sugar. Bring to a simmer and stir until it dissolves. Place the orange segments into the sugar syrup and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet and lay the orange segments evenly over the wire. Sprinkle with a layer of caster sugar. Place the peel in a warm dry place and leave for a day. 

*Retain the original cooking syrup for use on day four of the preserving process.

For the next three days:

Turn the peel and sprinkle with a thin layer of caster sugar.

On day four, remove the cooling rack from the baking sheet and place the candied peel on the baking sheet with any syrup that has dripped through the wire. Dribble a tablespoon of the original syrup over the candied peel and sprinkle with a little more caster sugar. Mix well and allow the peel to dry for another day. It should then be ready to use. It is important not to let it dry our too much. I find the peel stores best in an airtight container in the fridge.

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