Candied Orange and Lemon Peel

This recipe is the first of many I plan to try from one of my new favorite books ~ The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders.  It was the perfect recipe after the Cranberry Relish as we had several orange and lemon rinds left over.  I will think twice about throwing away any citrus rinds after making these tasty little morsels.  They’re GRRreat!!!  This recipe is a base from which to start.  I plan to try doing some Ruby Red Grapefruit next….and who knows what I’ll get into while in Florida.

RECIPE FOR CANDIED ORANGE PEEL:

• 4 sweet oranges, such as navel or Valencia
• 4 1/2 cups white sugar, plus additional sugar for coating candy peels
• 2 cups water

1. Cut oranges in half and juice.  Retain the juice for another use (like making cranberry relish).  Place the orange halves in a medium stainless steel saucepan (nonreactive pan) and cover generously with cold water.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat and vigorously simmer for approximately 10 minutes.  Drain the water and repeat the process several times depending on the tartness and thickness of the rinds.  The more bitter the citrus the more times the process should be repeated.
2. Place orange halves in a stainless steel saucepan and cover with cold water.  Over high heat bring them to a boil.  Reduce heat and vigorously simmer, partially covered until the orange halves are tender (approximately 30-60 minutes).  Drain and discard the water placing the orange halves in a bowl.
3. Let the oranges cool to the touch.  Then using a spoon remove the excess pith bit by bit, careful not to remove too much and/or break through the rind.  To achieve a uniform thickness go over each one multiple times until the interior is smooth.  Repeat the process on all of the cooked orange halves.  You will want to leave a thin layer of white pith in each orange half.
4. Thinly slice each orange half into uniform pieces about 1/4″wide (the lengths will vary).  Return the strips to the saucepan, add the sugar and water making sure the water covers them.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and gently simmer without stirring for about 1 hour.  The rinds will be done when the underside appears semitransparent and the liquid is thick and syrupy.  Remove from the heat and let the rinds and syrup stand for about 30 minutes.  Note: do not leave them to cool too long as they will harden in the sugar and be difficult to properly separate onto the drying racks.
5. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the rinds to a wire cooling rack that has been placed over tinfoil, a tray, or cookie sheet (to prevent the sticky drippings from getting all over the kitchen).  Space the rinds evenly on the rack so they are not touching one another.
6. Place the racks out-of-the-way as the rinds will need 1 to 2 days to dry to the touch.  And, prehaps more time if you are living in a humid area (ours spent 3 days drying).  Once dry to the touch, place sugar in a bowl and add the rinds bit by bit to dust in a thin layer of sugar.  Store in an airtight container.
7. Shelf life 6 to 12 months…but I doubt they’ll last 1 month.

Put up Total:

• 2 x 500mL vintage mason jars