Ever since I've moved into my new place I've felt the compulsive need to pump out at least a few of the hundreds of food pins I've been accumulating the past few years of college. Now that I have a kitchen, I feel like I have no excuse not to.
With all of the beautiful summer citrus out right now, I figured candied citrus peels would be simple and delicious enough to satisfy my compulsion at least for now.
I used this basic recipe from Martha Stewart, but made a few alterations here or there. The recipe is reproduced at the bottom of this post as well.
With all of the beautiful summer citrus out right now, I figured candied citrus peels would be simple and delicious enough to satisfy my compulsion at least for now.
I used this basic recipe from Martha Stewart, but made a few alterations here or there. The recipe is reproduced at the bottom of this post as well.
First I washed the citrus really thoroughly - you never know what's been crawling all over them!
Next I topped and tailed the citrus to give myself I steady work surface.
Using a pairing knife, I trimmed the peel by guiding the knife along the round of the fruit, careful to leave as much of the bitter pith on the fruit as possible.
Next I sliced the peel length-wise into quarter inch strips.
The peel needs to boil for about 10-12 minutes in order to soften it up a bit. When finished, remove with a slotted spoon and spread on a drying rack. After the peels have dried for about 15 minutes, return them to a pan along with one cup of the boiling liquid and one cup of sugar.
Bring to a boil and allow the boiling liquid to reduce to a thick, translucent syrup.
When they're finished, spread them on the same wire rack to dry for about an hour. Then toss them in a big ol' heap of superfine sugar to coat. Allow to dry for another 20 minutes and then enjoy or package for gifts!
Recipe Rundown: Candied Citrus Peels
Adapted from this recipe.
The goods:
3 oranges, 1 lemon (or whatever other citrus you have on hand)
1 cup regular cane sugar
1/2+ cup superfine sugar, for coating (I just used a big ol' pile)
1 cup reserved boiling liquid
The process:
1. Top and tail the citrus for an even work, trim the peel avoiding as much of the pith as possible.
2. Slice the peel into 1/4" strips
3. Boil the peels for 10-12 minutes, until softened slightly
4. Allow to dry on a cooling rack (lined with paper towel) for about 10 minutes.
5. Transfer back to boiling vessel with 1 cup of the reserved boiling liquid (or 1 cup of water, but I find using the boiling liquid adds more flavor!) and 1 cup of pure can sugar.
6. Boil for another 10-12 minutes, until the boiling liquid is reduced to a slightly thickened, translucent syrup and the peels a shiny.
7. Remove peels with a slotted spoon, spread out on the same wire rack to dry for approximately 1 hour. It is important to spread the peels out in a single layer so they don't stick together!
8. Toss in superfine sugar to coat
9. Allow to dry for another 20 minutes.
10. Have at 'em!
{k}
Recipe Rundown: Candied Citrus Peels
Adapted from this recipe.
The goods:
3 oranges, 1 lemon (or whatever other citrus you have on hand)
1 cup regular cane sugar
1/2+ cup superfine sugar, for coating (I just used a big ol' pile)
1 cup reserved boiling liquid
The process:
1. Top and tail the citrus for an even work, trim the peel avoiding as much of the pith as possible.
2. Slice the peel into 1/4" strips
3. Boil the peels for 10-12 minutes, until softened slightly
4. Allow to dry on a cooling rack (lined with paper towel) for about 10 minutes.
5. Transfer back to boiling vessel with 1 cup of the reserved boiling liquid (or 1 cup of water, but I find using the boiling liquid adds more flavor!) and 1 cup of pure can sugar.
6. Boil for another 10-12 minutes, until the boiling liquid is reduced to a slightly thickened, translucent syrup and the peels a shiny.
7. Remove peels with a slotted spoon, spread out on the same wire rack to dry for approximately 1 hour. It is important to spread the peels out in a single layer so they don't stick together!
8. Toss in superfine sugar to coat
9. Allow to dry for another 20 minutes.
10. Have at 'em!
{k}