I don't typically make candy any other time of year outside of the Christmas holidays (and for good reason!!), but I came across something I just couldn't pass up. A lady I used to work with several years ago posted on Instagram some rather delicious-looking candied orange peels she'd made recently. The kids and I had a rather massive looking pile of orange peels left over from after supper on Friday night, and since our compost bin on the kitchen counter was already overflowing, I decided to give this a try.
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| Peels in the pot ready to be boiled. |
I think the next time I do this, I won't slice up my peels prior to boiling. This made it a bit tedious when it came time to scrape the pith off the peels (which I recommend you do because it cuts down on the bitterness of the final product).
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| Boiling the heck out of those peels...5 times! |
My friend likes to dip her orange peels in chocolate and let it set up, which I absolutely would have done as well, had it not been for my chocolate-orange-phobic husband. *sigh!* So, I skipped that step but did everything else.
And this pile of beautifully crystallized orange-y goodness is what happened!!
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| Sugar-coated candied peels drying overnight. |
I followed her steps almost to the letter, the only difference being how I made my simple syrup, so let me recant for you what I did to arrive at this delicious result. It's a bit laborious for candy, not to mention a bit of a drawn out process, but it sure was tasty. Enjoy! :)
Candied Orange Peels
Cleaned orange peels of 3 large oranges
2 cups water
1-1/2 cups raw sugar, divided
1/2 cup white sugar
Optional: Semi-sweet chocolate chips and a little milk for glaze coating
1. In a large pot, boil orange peels at a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Drain peels. Repeat 4 more times for a total of 5 boilings.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium pot, make a simple syrup by bringing 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup raw sugar, and 1/2 cup white sugar to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. While syrup is simmering, drain peels and cover with cold water. When cool enough to handle, use the edge of a spoon to gently scrape off any white pith remaining. Using a sharp knife, slice the orange peels into 1/4-inch strips.
4. Add peels to simmering syrup. Cover and continue to simmer for 45-60 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Drain peels if necessary; do not rinse. Transfer to a large ziplock bag with remaining 1 cup of raw sugar and toss to coat. Arrange sugar-coated peels in a single layer on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with paper towels and allow to air dry for 24 hours.
6. (Optional) Dried peels can be dipped halfway into a chocolate glaze (melted chocolate with a little milk) and returned to the baking sheet to dry for a further 6-8 hours.
7. Once dried (the insides will still be somewhat soft), transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature.
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