Homemade Candied Orange and Lemon Peels for Christmas Cake

The house smells wonderful on the day I make candied citrus peels. It is one of those Christmas preparations that begins before the cake itself: fragrant orange and lemon peel, a little patience, and a jar waiting for the next stage.

I prefer navel oranges, although Nagpur oranges can also be used. For lemon peel, I have used regular nimbu and a large Italian lemon. The finished peels can be chopped for the fruit-soaking mixture, or kept in strips for cakes and desserts. The citrus syrup left behind is another treat for drinks such as mojitos and daiquiris.

This stovetop recipe includes researched starting quantities and cooking steps, alongside the citrus preferences, drying and storage details from my own Christmas preparation posts.

Homemade Candied Orange and Lemon Peels

A stovetop preparation for candied citrus peels to add to Christmas fruit cake, with optional sugar coating.

Ingredients

Candied peels

• 1 1/2 cups prepared orange or lemon peel about; or a mixture
• 2 cups granulated sugar about 400 g
• 2 cups water 480 ml, plus fresh water for blanching
• extra granulated sugar optional, for coating

Instructions

• Wash the citrus. Remove the rind, scrape away attached flesh and trim unusually thick pith, leaving enough for a substantial peel. Cut into strips about 6 mm wide.
• Cover the peel with fresh water. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Repeat twice, using fresh water each time, for three blanching rounds.
• Dissolve 2 cups sugar in 2 cups water. Add the peel, bring just to the boil, then lower to a gentle simmer.
• Cook for about 40–60 minutes until tender and translucent at the edges. Thin lemon peel may finish earlier; judge by texture.
• Lift out with a slotted spoon or drain through a sieve, reserving the citrus syrup.
• Spread the drained peels in one layer on baking parchment. Air-dry overnight or for at least a couple of hours. Let them cool and lose excess surface syrup before packing.
• For a sugar-coated finish, toss the cooled, slightly tacky peels in extra sugar and shake off excess. Leave uncoated for a glossy finish.
• Store the finished, cooled peels in an airtight container. Chop into small pieces for the Christmas fruit-soaking mixture.

Notes

Use a 240 ml cup. Syrup uses equal volumes of sugar and water, not equal weights. Choose a pan where the syrup covers the peel; scale both equally if needed.

The measured starting quantities, blanching and simmering steps are adapted from published citrus-peel methods. My own posts supply the citrus preferences, drying and airtight storage details. This stovetop adaptation has not been kitchen-tested and does not document the quicker oven method mentioned in my earlier caption.

Peels are included in the cake’s 280 g soaked-fruit mixture, weighed before straining, rather than added as an extra amount. Reserve the citrus syrup for drinks such as mojitos and daiquiris.

Christmas cake preparation

Chop the peels into my rum-soaked fruit mixture, then use that mixture in my Christmas Fruit Cake. The peels are part of the fruit mixture, rather than an extra addition above its measured weight.