CANDIED ORANGE PEEL
This is so easy, and a no-fuss way to prepare sweet and bright orange peel candy to eat as is or to use for decoration! Feel free to slice it thick or thin, depending on what you want it for. I deliberately made it thicker as we enjoyed them as is and some I did end up using on a dessert as well.
- 2 large navel oranges
- 1 cup of tap water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar divided ** (½ cup + ¼ cup)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cut off the top and bottom of each orange and discard.
Take a vegetable or potato peeler to peel the oranges as wide as possible, 2 – 4-inch strips.
Also, try to get as thick as possible strip when peeling the orange from top to bottom.
Lay the strips out on a cutting board and cut each strip into thinner pieces, ± ¼ inch wide.
Add the water to a pot together with ½ cup of sugar**, and salt.
Bring to a simmer. Simmer for roughly 20 minutes (or more) to get a sticky syrup, or until the peel strips look soft, but still have their naturally vibrant color.
Be careful not to overcook as the strips will turn brown.
In the meantime, take the remaining ¼ cup sugar** and place it in a bowl, and set it aside.
Get a baking tray and drying rack ready. Place some parchment paper under the rack on a baking tray.
After simmering the peels, add the vanilla extract and switch off the heat and leave the peels in the sugary syrup for a minimum of 5 – 10 minutes.
It’s best to use tongs to remove the orange strips (it’s a sticky business) and place them on the cooling rack.
Let it rest for 15 minutes or more to dry from the syrup and cool down.
Toss all the peels in the remaining sugar and shake them up and make sure to coat them well with the sugar.
Use the tongs and place them back on the drying rack to dry out completely at room temperature. You can leave it overnight or for several hours.
Store in an airtight container once cold and you can refrigerate them for up to 2 weeks if needed.
Recipe and photo: Esme Slabs
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