Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Christmas recap: candied orange peels




Alright, here's the last of the Christmas projects: candied orange peels! My future mother-in-law Ruth made these at Thanksgiving and I had to try it. (She got the recipe from Parade Magazine, Dec. 13, 2009). I wanted to make them to give at Christmas in jars like I did with the honey roasted nuts, but I was too afraid of them rotting while people stored them so I ended up just giving them all to my mom who used them at the holidays (or just ate them between her and my dad, I'm not sure!).



I also tried to dry them out a bit in the dehydrator to see if I could get them to a point where I was comfortable they wouldn't rot but that didn't work at all. They just got too hard and never quite dried out. So here's the recipe, make and enjoy in quick succession!



Candied Orange Peels
makes about 50
  • 5 navel oranges
  • 4 c. water
  • 3 c. sugar
  • 1/4 c. lemon juice
  • extra sugar for sprinkling on top
Slice the peel (including pith and a thin layer of fruit) and cut into 1 inch wide strips. Boil in water for 2 minutes, drain and rinse, Repeat twice more.
Rinse the pot, pour in the water, sugar, and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add the strips, lower heat, and partially cover. Simmer gently for 1 hour, until soft.
Pack in a heat proof jar, covered with cooking liquid, cool, then refridgerate. For dried peels, drain and leave on a rack for 1 to 2 days. Toss with granulated sugar.



2 comments:

Mom said...

There are about five orange peels left in the large jar that you gave us. They were an amazing late afternoon snack!

Rosemary/sonrie said...

these look delicious and, I think, would be exquisite dipped in chocolate.

definitely I would make them for a party though otherwise I would end up eating everything.