Candied Citrus Peel
from https://www.daringgourmet.com/

Making your own candied orange peel and candied lemon peel is super easy and the difference between homemade and store-bought is absolutely mind-blowing! While candied orange and candied lemon are the the most commonly used, candied grapefruit and lime also have a delicious place in the mix. The good news is, it is SO easy to make your own! And it keeps for a long time, especially if you freeze it.

Dip in chocolate for an elegant sweet treat (dip candied orange peels in chocolate to make orangettes, a classic French confection).

Ingredients:

3 Valencia or Naval oranges and 4 lemons (can also use the equivalent of grapefruits, Meyer lemons and limes, or any citrus of your choice, thoroughly washed and scrubbed (as citrus is highly sprayed, I recommend using organic)
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
Fine granulated sugar for coating

Technique:

Slice both ends of the fruit. Cut the peel on each into 4 or more vertical segments, depending on the size of the fruit. Peel off each segment of rind. Note: You can remove a some of the white pith, though not necessary. The white pith has a bitter flavor, so keep that in mind, but also keep in mind that very thin peel—from limes, for example—turns leathery when candied. The purpose for blanching the peels (boiling in water and discarding the water) is to eliminate some of the bitterness. If leaving the pith on you can repeat the blanching procedure 2 or 3 times to reduce the bitterness.

Slice the peels into 1/4 inch wide strips. Keep the peeled citrus for eating, cooking or juicing.

Boil the peels in water in a pot for 15 minutes. Drain the peels in a colander, rinse and then drain again. Discard the water from the pot. **Note: To further reduce the bitter flavor repeat this step.

Add the sugar and fresh water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Boil it for a couple of minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Add the citrus peels, reduce the heat and simmer for about 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peels become translucent and the liquid becomes lightly syrupy.

Use a slotted spoon to remove a few of the peels at a time and let the excess syrup drip off for a few seconds. Place the hot, wet peels in the bowl of sugar and toss to coat.

Spread the candied citrus peels out on a wire rack to cool and dry completely, 1-2 days.

Stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, the candied citrus peel will keep for at least a month. They’ll keep even longer in the fridge and for a few months frozen. (I usually keep them in a ziplock bag in the freezer and then conveniently grab whatever I need.)

Note: If you find your candied citrus peel gets hard after a while don’t worry – they will soften up beautifully as they bake in whatever recipe you add them to!

Note: To keep the candied peels even softer you can limit the drying time, skip the final sugar coating step and put the peels in a ziplock bag and either refrigerate or freeze them.

Finally, DON’T DISCARD THE CITRUS SYRUP! This is a wonderful citrus-flavored simple syrup to add to your drinks for a wonderful kick of citrus flavor!

Yields approximately 8 ounces of candied citrus peel depending on peel thickness.