Candied Orange Peel
It’s orange season! In our family we all love oranges; they are not just good for you, they are sweet and sour, juicy and delicious! But what about the orange peel? Throw it in the garbage? Not in our house. Orange peel can be a base for a delicious orange preserve or candied orange peel that you can nibble on or put in cookies, cakes, even as decoration in a tea cup or cocktail glass. Or you can give them away as a gift of appreciation to someone dear to you, a neighbor, or a teacher. The possibilities are endless!
Total Steps
9
Ingredients
11
Tools Needed
4
Ingredients
- 8 naval oranges
- water, for parboiling
- 3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cup water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anis
- 5 cardamom pods
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar, for coating
- 0.25 cup red sugar, for coating(optional)
- simple ganache, for coating(optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Wash the oranges well and dry them off with towel paper. Peel the oranges and cut the peel into 5 mm wide strips. You can eat the orange meat or preserve it for another recipe.
Step 2
Into a big enough pot, put the orange peel and enough water to cover it. Bring to a boil over high heat, let boil for about 2-3 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Step 3
TIP: If you prefer less bitterness, repeat the parboiling process one or two more times.
Step 4
In another pot, combine 3 cups of sugar, 2 cups of water, cinnamon stick, star anis, and cardamom pods. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let the simple syrup boil for 5 minutes.
Step 5
After 5 minutes, first add 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water and gently stir. Then, add the drained orange peel. Let the orange peel cook in the simple sugar syrup for 40 minutes or until it becomes translucent. Remove from heat, drain, and transfer the orange peel onto towel paper to dry and slightly cool for about 5 minutes.
Step 6
TIP: Preserve the orange/spice/orange blossom water infused simple syrup to use in sweet tea, as a base for cocktails, or as a cordial.
Step 7
After 5 minutes of cooling, start coating the orange peel in sugar. You can use granulated sugar and red sugar for a more colorful result. Work with small batches for easier control. Arrange the coated orange peel on towel paper and let them dry for 4-5 hours, or overnight.
Step 8
Optionally, cover some candied orange peel in chocolate (e.g., simple ganache) the next day.
Step 9
Store your candied orange peel in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator to keep them fresh for a long time.