Candied orange peel

1 batch

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
3 Med.-large oranges bright-skinned
1½ cup ;Water
1¼ cup Sugar
3 tablespoons Light corn syrup

Directions

To remove peel from the oranges, score it into quarters, if necessary cutting a slice from the top and the base of the orange in order to free the sections. Using a blunt knife or the bowl of a spoon, pry the quarters of peel off the fruit. Save oranges for another use.

Scrape as much as possible of the white pith from the inside of each peel section; a serrated grapefruit spoon does this fast, but the edge of a teaspoon also serves. Combine peel with enough water to float it generously in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the peel, add fresh water, and repeat. Drain the peel again, add fresh water, and cook the peel until it is tender when poked with a knife tip, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain the peel in a sieve.

When the peel has cooled, snip it into ¼" strips (kitchen scissors do this fast).

In the same saucepan (no need to rinse it), combine 1½ cups of water with the sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Add the drained peel and cook at a simmer, covered, until peel begins to look translucent; remove the cover and continue to cook peel until syrup has reduced to a spoonful or two, watching carefully toward the end to prevent burning.

Fork the peel onto wire racks to cool and dry. If you'd like it to be crisp, set the racks in a barely warm oven (heated by a pilot light, a viewing light, or by being turned on briefly at "warm"); or just leave the peel at room temperature until its texture suits you. For a sugary finish for peel to be served as a sweetmeat, roll the strips in granulated sugar while they are warm, then dry them thoroughly.

Keeps for many weeks at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or in a cool cupboard or pantry.

Yield: About ½ pound.

Witty writes: "Perfectly delicious just to munch, full of flavor for cakes and other baking, and remarkably simple to prepare, home-candied peel leaves only the slenderest excuse for purchasing the commercial product. Double this recipe if you like - the timings are about the same.

"These directions apply equally well to grapefruit and lemon peel.

Just don't mix various kinds of citrus in a batch - to keep the flavors pristine, it's better to candy them separately." From "Fancy Pantry" by Helen Witty. New York: Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 1986. ISBN 0-89480-037-X. Pg. 306. Posted by Cathy Harned. From: Cathy Harned Date: 09-24-94

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