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.