This candied orange peel recipe is one of my mum’s signaturedishes. She makes jars of these sweet citrusrolls when orange is in season and stores them for use all year-long. You can enjoy them as such, you can use them to decorate cakes, you can cut them and use them in cakes or cookies. They make perfect gifts for those in love with citrus sweets.
You can find a printable recipe here
Orange peel
For the syrup
Sugar
Water
Lemon juice
To make the syrup
In a pot add 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for every two cups of sugar
Simmer over medium heat till the sugar dissolves completely.
Allow to cool.
To prepare the orange peel
Slice ends off theoranges, score the peel from one end to the other, and remove the peels from the oranges
Collect the orange peel in a bag in the fridge till you have enough (try not to make it more that a week or 10 days at most or the peel might go bad)
Place the orange peels in a pot,add enough cold water to cover the peel
Bring to a boil, turn off the heat.
Allow to cool completely then drain the water.(This process will get rid of the bitterness in the peel)
Allow the peel to drain in acolander for a couple of hours or overnight
Roll the orange peel into little rolls and secure them with tooth picks
Arrange the rolled peel in a pot
Add enough syrup to cover the rolled peel.
Bring to a boil using low heat (if you use medium or high heat you might burn the sugar) and cook for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat, allow to cool for a few minutes
Pour the peels into a colander to drain off the syrup (do not discard it)
When the peel has cooled take out the tooth picks and arrange in jars
Important notes
- Adding the lemon juice to the peel prevents it from re-crystallizing when it cools
- Boiling the peel reduces the bitterness in the peel
- The amount of time you cook the peel in the syrup determines the texture of the final product. 10 minutes will give you soft candied syrup. an extra 10 minutes will give you caramelized and really chewy candied peel (something similar in texture to fruit leather). For decorating cakes, I prefer the soft ones. As a sweet treat Iprefer the chewy ones.
- If you made your orangepeel chewy and after trying it youdecided you liked the chewy ones better. Place thecandiedpeel in a pot and add a little water (enough for water to come up half way up the rolls) and cook over medium to low heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.Drain theorange peel.This willsoften the orange peel.
- The syrup that you get from draining the candied orange peel is amazing on ice creamor to top your yogurt with. It is infused with a citrus orange flavor.
FAQs
Candied Orange Peels are beautiful, festive, and are full of nutrients. The orange peel has more vitamin C than the actual fruit of the orange. Likewise, the fruit peel also has about three times as much the amount of Vitamin A, B-Complex, and minerals such as manganese, calcium, and zinc.
How do you make candied orange peels less bitter? ›
You can choose to boil up to 2 more times to remove more bitterness from the peel before candying. With oranges, you can blanche the peels just once or twice if you want to save time, but with more bitter citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, or grapefruit, I recommend repeating the step twice. Make a sugar syrup.
What do you do with candied orange peels? ›
Bitter and sweet, fruity and chewy, candied orange peel is one of citrus season's under-appreciated treats. Whether spooned over ice cream, garnishing a fancy co*cktail or mocktail, drizzled over pancakes, or chopped and mixed into cookies or scones, they are as versatile as they are delicious.
What does candied orange peel taste like? ›
These Candied Orange Peels taste bitter on their own but once candied are literally like gummy worms. These candied orange peels are the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth while practising sustainability. They are super easy to make and I love having them on hand for when I'm craving some candy.
What are the disadvantages of orange peels? ›
Though studies have found the inner fruit of oranges to have very low or undetectable pesticide levels, the peels contain significantly higher amounts (14). Studies link chronic pesticide intake to negative health effects, including increased cancer risk and hormone dysfunction ( 15 , 16 ).
Do you refrigerate candied orange peel? ›
Use candied orange peel to garnish desserts and beverages, as part of a cheese tray, etc. Store the dry candied orange peel in an airtight jar or container for up to 7 days at room temperature, or a month in the refrigerator.
What does orange peel do to the body? ›
Immense volumes of flavonoid hesperidin present in orange peels have shown to maintain blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels. While, being a strong anti-inflammatory agent, orange peel extracts help to mitigate inflammation and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Can you freeze orange peel to candy later? ›
Do Ahead: Orange peels can be candied 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature, or freeze up to 2 months.
Where do you store candied orange peels? ›
Candied orange peels can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. Larger batches can also be frozen in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Store with silica packets if you have any or homemade desiccants like dry rice to help absorb moisture.
What is the Italian name for candied orange peel? ›
Candied Orange Peel / Scorza D'Arancia Candita.
To rehydrate: Use 3 parts water to 1 part peel, let stand 15 minutes. Substitute 1/3 as much dry as recipe calls for.
How do you take the bitterness out of candied oranges? ›
Boil to remove bitterness
Add orange peels to a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then drain. Repeat this process 3-5 times. This is removing the bitterness, and the water needs to be changed out as bitter compounds are released into it.
How to remove the bitterness of orange peel? ›
Also, after washing you should slice orange peels sliced through boiling water to reduce the bitter taste of essential oil in oranges. You just need to catch boiling water and put the orange peeled into quills for 2-5 minutes, then rinse through cold water can be blanched several times to orange peel does not bitter.
Why is my candied orange peel bitter? ›
Second, America's Test Kitchen claims that when the peel and pith are rubbed together, like when zesting, "acid and enzymes convert the peel's flavorless compounds into new ones with pronounced bitterness." The important take-away here is that you can leave the pith on when making candied orange peels.
Is eating an orange peel healthy for you? ›
The orange peels are rich in fiber, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, calcium and other essential nutrients. The skin of the oranges contains a good amount of polyphenols that protect against several diseases. Peels have anti-cancerous properties, due to the presence of limonene, a naturally occurring chemical.
Can you eat too much orange peel? ›
“For some people, orange peels can cause an upset tummy, so start with small amounts first,” VenHuizen said. The chewiness of orange peel could pose some problems of its own. “The texture and flavor of orange peels may be difficult to tolerate or aggravate any jaw or chewing issues,” Brownstein said.
Is orange Candy good for you? ›
Orange Candies are quite nutritious and many people enjoy consuming these sweet, citrusy fruits from time to time all over the world. Oranges are used in recipes, in drinks, in making beverages and juices.
How many calories are in a candied peel? ›
Candied Orange Peel Nutritional Facts and Calories
| Amount Per Serving | % DV |
|---|
| Calories | 73kcal | 4% |
| Fats | 0g | 0% |
| Sat. fats | 0g | 0% |
| Mono. Fats | 0g | 0% |
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