Candied Orange Peel Recipe: How to Make Candied Orange Peels
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Dec 8, 2024 • 3 min read
This easy recipe for homemade candied orange peels makes for a perfect sweet holiday treat that puts your leftover citrus peels to good use.
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What Is Candied Orange Peel?
Candied orange peels are thin slices of orange peels that have been candied, or simmered in a homemade syrup, which infuses the bitter peel with a pleasantly sweet flavor. Candying is a culinary process where fruits, roots, or peels are simmered in simple syrup. As they cook, the fruit’s natural water is replaced by the sugar syrup mixture, resulting in extra sweetness and longer shelf life.
These naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan sweets are delicious on their own or can be used to add subtle orange flavor to a variety of baked goods and desserts. Candied orange peels are a staple in French and Italian bakeries, and are frequently used to create traditional holiday treats such as fruitcake and figgy pudding.
3 Tips for Making Candied Orange Peel
Once you’ve mastered the basics of making these citrusy sweets, you’ll never turn to store-bought candied orange peels again. These tips will help you make the most of your candied fruit.
- 1. Plan ahead. Candying orange peels is a quick process that takes little more than an hour, but drying the peels beforehand can take up to 2 days. If you’re relying on your homemade candied peels to make another dessert recipe, be sure to prep the peels days in advance.
- 2. Pick the right produce. Since the candying process requires the peels to be cooked in boiling water several times, you’ll want oranges with peels that are thick and substantial—that way, they won’t break apart during boiling and will retain their shape the best. Avoid orange varieties that have thin peels, such as mandarin oranges. Instead, opt for sturdier Valencia and Navel oranges.
- 3. Make the most of your candied peels. These bite-sized sweet treats are delicious on their own, but there are plenty of other ways to use these candied peels. Mix candied orange peels into the batter of fruitcakes, muffins, cupcakes, scones, and cookies, or use the candied peels to garnish homemade ice cream, sorbet, and pudding. For a classic chocolatey treat, dip the candied peels in melted dark chocolate.
Candied Orange Peel Recipe
makes
2 cupsprep time
15 mintotal time
1 hrcook time
45 minIngredients
- 1
Rinse your oranges and cut off the top and bottom of each orange.
- 2
Using a knife, make 4 vertical scores on the orange rind. Remove the peel in 4 segments.
- 3
Slice the peels into ¼-inch wide strips.
- 4
In a medium saucepan over high heat, cover the peels with cold water and bring the liquid to a boil.
- 5
When the water begins to boil, drain the pot and add fresh water. Bring the liquid to a boil, and drain again. Repeat this process 3–5 times. The more times the peels are blanched, the less bitter your candied orange peels will be.
- 6
After you blanch the peels for the final time, transfer the orange peels to a bowl and set it aside.
- 7
In the same saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 cups of the sugar and 2 cups of water, and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- 8
Bring the liquid to a simmer and add the orange peels, stirring to coat the peels.
- 9
Reduce the temperature to medium-low and cook the peels in the syrup until the peels are very soft and the white pith has turned nearly translucent, about 30 minutes. Don’t stir the peels after adding them to the pot.
- 10
Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the peels to a medium bowl and discard the syrup, or set it aside to use as simple syrup in other recipes.
- 11
Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar to the peels and gently toss to coat the peels. Transfer the candied peels to a metal cooling rack or parchment paper-lined baking sheet to dry completely, which will take several hours or up to a day.
- 12
Store the candied orange peels in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months.
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