Candied Orange Peel

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make candied orange peel? Get your ingredients ready. Choose oranges by the quality of the peel — it should be as thick as possible, and the oranges ripe. Mine, unfortunately, wasn't as thick as I'd hoped, but it still came out delicious.

2. Step 2:

   

   Scrub the surface of the oranges very well, using a stiff brush or even baking soda if needed. With a sharp knife, score the peel of the clean oranges into 4–8 segments and carefully separate it from the juicy flesh. Cut the orange peel into lengthwise strips and put them in a suitably sized saucepan. Add enough water to cover the peel. The salt is what we'll use to draw out the bitterness.

3. Step 3:

   

   Cover the peel with water, add 1 tsp of salt, bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes over low heat. Drain, rinse the peel under running water, cover with fresh cold water, add another 1 tsp of salt, bring to a boil, and cook for 10 more minutes. Drain and repeat a third time. Taste a piece; if it's still bitter, boil it with salt once more (always over below-medium heat). Rinse, drain in a colander, and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

4. Step 4:

   

   Make the syrup by combining the water and sugar and bringing it to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the well-cooked orange peel strips to the boiling syrup. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook the peels for about 30 minutes (go by your own stove). At the end, add a tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and stir gently. Take the candied peel off the heat and let it cool completely.

5. Step 5:

   

   Drain the candied orange peel in a strainer to let as much syrup run off as possible, then spread it out to dry on a sheet of parchment paper. You can dry it in the oven at 120°F (50°C) or at room temperature for 1–2 days. Just don't let it over-dry — properly candied peel is pliable and doesn't stick to your hands.