Easy Peasy Candied Orange
Don't throw those peels away! Why not try our candied peel recipe. Only needs two ingredients, orange & sugar, and stores for a few weeks once made (if they can last that long in your house!)
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This same recipe can be used for grapefruit & lemons too! Although for those fruits we recommend that you blanch the skins twice or 3 times before popping in the sugar syrup. This candied orange peel recipe also makes a delicious and fragrant simple syrup as a by-product— don’t throw it away! The sugar syrup is fantastic drizzled over some sponge cake or used to make a cheeky wee old-fashioned cocktail.
The peels need around 2/3 days to properly dry, but once dried, they will keep up to two weeks in an airtight jar.
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Ingredients
- 2 large oranges
- 4 cups sugar, divided
- Using a sharp knife, slice off tops and bottoms from the oranges. Score the orange vertically into quarters and then remove peels (keep the white pith attached!) Save your orange's flesh for another use.
- Slice peels lengthwise into 0.5cm wide strips.
- Gently simmer peels in a pot of boiling water for 15 minutes; drain, rinse.
- Bring 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stir to dissolve sugar. Add the peels, reduce heat, and simmer until very soft, (40–45 minutes) Drain.
- While the peels are still warm, sprinkle 1 cup of sugar into a baking tray or large plate and toss the peels in the sugar to coat. Transfer orange peel to a large sheet of foil and let sit until dry for around 1–2 days. Make sure you cover them with a tea towel or hide the tray somewhere safe, to keep those pesky flies off!