Crystallized Citrus PeelsCandied Citrus Peel
Citrus peels are loaded with vitamins and nutrients, so why toss them? Reduce your food waste, and get some yummy treats in the process!
To keep your citrus peels let them air dry overnight before storing them in the fridge. Any moisture on them will shorten their refrigeration life. You can store peels for up to a week in a closed container in the fridge. This allows you to accumulate them between batches.
Of course, if you are making a big batch of orange juice or lemonade, then you might have enough peels to get started right away.
Thoroughly clean the peel, before peeling, to remove any wax. I then score the citrus in 1/4 sections with a sharp knife, before peeling. It makes it easier to peel, and you end up with nice sections to work with.
Each of those pieces is then cut in half, length-wise.
Remove the white pith by slicing each piece horizontally. Get as much white pith as possible, but it is ok if some remain.
Then cut up each piece into 4 pieces (optional).
Soak the peels in 1/2 tsp baking soda and water for a few hours to clean them further. This helps remove any potential wax on the fruit.
If you prefer a milder flavour, you can fill with water, bring to a boil, and discard the first water at this point. This is recommended for civilsweet and lime which seem to be much more bitter than other citrus. I also recommend boiling once and discarding the water, if it is your first time trying this. The flavour might shock you otherwise. These are strong treats. Great for a new flavour and to change the flavour of your palate. Crystalized citrus peels also are amazing paired with chocolate!
Drain the soaking water. Top up with fresh water, and 1 cup of sugar. Stir and bring to a boil.
For larger batches or weak palates, add more sugar. I tend to try to reduce the sugar in all recipes, so this works great for those accustomed to the strong flavour of citrus peels.
Keep boiling until all water is dissolved. This takes a while, but it creates a nice disinfecting scent in your home in the process. Stir occasionally.
Keep boiling on medium-low heat. Stirring occasionally.
As the water dissolves, the sugar will become more concentrated, and the peels will start to look translucent. Stir more often at this stage, to make sure all peels get submerged in the little water that is left.
As the water is almost all dissolved, and the sugar concentration increases, the liquid will thicken. Keep stirring.
Keep stirring as long as there is any liquid at the bottom. It is very important at this stage to not let any of the pieces sit on the bottom too long. It is hot, and it will burn quickly.
Keep stirring. The pieces will appear more and more translucent.
Keep stirring as long as there is any liquid. Skipping ahead will not yield desired results. You want to keep stirring until the bottom of the pan is dry.
When it seems dry enough, add 1 cup of sugar, and stir. The sugar should coat the peels. If it melts, there may still be water left on the peels. Add more sugar until the sugar coats the peels evenly. Keep stirring so nothing burns at the bottom.
Once the sugar is staying granulated on the peels, and the peels are well coated, remove from heat. Keep stirring as it cools.
As it cools, the sugar coating the peels will become more and more granular. Each piece should be separately coated at this point.
Let cool completely before storing in a tightly lidded jar.
Enjoy!
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