Candied Orange Peel Recipe

Today I want to show you how to make Candied Peel, in particular – Candied Orange Peel Recipe. Using this method, you can prepare candied peels of any citrus.

Candied Peels are delicious on their own, they can also be added to a variety of desserts, baked goods, or used to decorate sweet dishes. One of my favorite ways to use candied orange peels in the wintertime is to make a Christmas fruit cake recipe.

Ingredients:

oranges
sugar
water
*You can use any number of oranges. The exact amount of sugar and water we’ll need I will tell you a little bit later.

Step 1

Wash the oranges in hot water and whipped them dry. Next, cut off the ends of the orange and make four cuts. This will help to easily remove the orange peel without damaging it. Pry off the peel with your finger and easily remove it. Do the same with all the oranges.

Step 2

Next, we need to cut the peels. I like when they’re long, so I cut them along. In general, candied orange peels can be made of any shape. You can even use small cookie cutter and make the orange peels in shape of hearts, stars, flowers or animals and use them to decorate cupcakes, for example. The trimming peels can be chopped and used in yeasted pastry dough. I cut the peels about a quarter of an inch wide.

Use the orange pulp itself as you wish. You can eat it fresh, make a fruit salad, squeeze juice or make orange jam.

Step 3

The next step is to cook the orange peels in boiling water for about 5 minutes. It will help to take the bitterness away and make them tender. After five minutes, drain the peels using a strainer. Place the orange peels in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Wash the peels and strain the water again.

Step 4

Next, is a very important step. We need to weight our prepared orange peels in order to figure out how much sugar and water to use for the syrup. I have 489 grams of orange peels, so I will take the same amount of sugar and water. That is why it doesn’t matter how many oranges you start with.

In a heavy bottom saucepan combine the sugar and water and bring it to a boil. Add the sliced orange peels to the boiling syrup. Make sure that all the pieces are covered in liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook the peels for about an hour and a half to two hours, stirring occasionally.

*If you wish, you can also add a stick of cinnamon, couple pieces of gloves, fresh ginger, lemon juice or even vanilla extract to the syrup to make the candied orange peels more festive. 

My orange peel cooked for one hour and forty minutes. Syrup is almost boiled down and the orange peels are translucent. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stove.

Step 5

While the candied peels are hot and not stuck together, quickly lay them on a wire rack. It is more convenient to do by wearing gloves. You can air dry orange peels at room temperature for up to two days or you can use an oven at 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 hours.

It’s very convenient to store candied peels in the syrup. Place them in a clean glass jar, cover with syrup, close the lid tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Candied orange peels can make a great sweet treat for the holiday season. Coat them in powdered sugar, granulated sugar or deep them in dark chocolate.

Place in a cellophane treat bag, decorate with a beautiful ribbon and add to the cookie gift box for your friends and family.

Notes:

It’s not necessary to specially buy oranges to make candied peels. You can collect the citrus peels and store them in an airtight bag or container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, you can also freeze them for up to six months.
Use the orange pulp itself as you wish. You can eat it fresh, make a fruit salad, squeeze juice or make orange jam.
Keep in mind that the cooking time will vary, depending on the amount of the orange peels, boiling intensity and diameter of your cookware.
Sugar coated orange peels can be stored in an airtight container or a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to six months.

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please see my Full Disclosure Policy for details.

You may also like: