The candied citrus peel (orange and lemon) are such an amazing addition to the kitchen! Bake with them to make Xmas cakes or add them for some flavor into muffins!
Candied citrus peel (both orange and lemon) are just the right tastemakers to add in any cake, muffin or cookie! Or just dip them in chocolate and enjoy the flavors!
All of us use lemon in our cooking on a regular basis. If you’re someone who likes marmalades and that tangy-bitter flavour of a lemon and have some lemons or some oranges lying around, don’t throw away the peels! You could make some candied citrus peels. With the holiday season coming up, you can use these in the yummy Christmas cake you’re planning to bake or even in some savoury muffins.
Candied peels not only bring out the boozy flavour in the timeless Christmas cake, but also add to the essence and are quite a hit with every age group. You can also add candied peels to minced pies and other savoury dishes to enhance their flavour. Add them to your favourite cookie dough and you have a brand new favourite cookie now with chewy bits that the kids will love biting into! You can use them as garnish for cakes and pies as well. Try dipping them in chocolate for a fondue-like holiday treat.
Candied peels also store quite well, so you can make them in bulk and use it as and when needed. You can even give away candied orange peels or citrus peels as an edible gift. You will have the only other ingredient needed for this anyway – you guessed it right – sugar.
These peels are not only tasty, they are very healthy too! Citrus peels are known to aid in weight loss, help aid digestion and improve the oral health. They are also known to the overall health of the heart and provide protection against respiratory problems. So why not make these candied citrus peels, eh?
And oh, I did end up make some carrot, ginger and candied citrus peel muffins out of them! Check the recipe here!
Candied Citrus Peel | Candied Orange and Lemon Peels
Ingredients
- 6 lemon peels
- 6 orange peels
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- cup sugar 1/3 for decoration
Instructions
- Cut the peels of the lemons and oranges in 1/4 inch thickness. Make sure you remove most of the pits from them.
- In a medium sized saucepan, place the lemon and orange peels and pour in enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, drain and set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture reaches the thread stage. To check when has it reached the thread stage, drop a small amount in cold water - if it forms a soft thread; it is done.
- If you have a candy thermometer, bring it to 108 degrees C. Add in the boiled peels, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Drain the excess water with a sieve.
- Roll the peel pieces, a few at a time, in the 1/3 cup of sugar that was set aside for decoration. Let the pieces dry on a wire rack. They are ready for consumption as soon as they are of room temperature. Store in an airtight container for later use.
Phoenixritu says
Thanks! I always wanted to make these at home. It’s such an easy recipe to follow
sinamontales says
Thanks Ritu, it is easy and makes delicious stuff.
Sundari Giri says
Wow, nice recipe, will try this