Candied Peels

Candied orange peels are the holiday gift that proves the value of leftovers. Six oranges that you’d otherwise eat for breakfast become forty-eight glossy candies wrapped in a thin sugar shell. The flesh you scoop out goes into juice, salad, or just straight into your mouth.

The double-blanch is the technique that separates great candied peels from bitter ones. Two rounds of 15 minutes in boiling water draws out the bitter naringin compounds in the white pith, leaving you with sweet citrus oil character without the medicinal aftertaste. Skip a blanch and you’ll regret it.

The gelatin is the unusual move that distinguishes this version. Standard candied peel uses just sugar syrup, but adding orange-flavored gelatin amplifies the citrus flavor and gives the peels a slight chew that holds up better than crystallized-sugar versions. The gelatin also helps the sugar coating adhere.

Light corn syrup keeps the syrup from crystallizing during the simmer, which would turn the peels into hard candy chunks rather than tender chews. The optional version with all sugar and no corn syrup gives a less sweet but slightly grittier result.

Drying overnight on parchment is the patience step. The peels need 8 to 12 hours to dry properly so the sugar coating sets without melting in storage.

Pro Tips

• Use thick-skinned navel oranges. Thin-skinned varieties don’t have enough pith for the right tender chew.
• Cut peels into uniform ¼-inch strips so they cook at the same rate.
• Roll in sugar a few at a time so each piece gets coated before the previous ones dry out.
• Store in an airtight container with a piece of parchment between layers.

Variations

• Dip half of each candied peel in melted chocolate for an elegant dessert garnish.
• Use grapefruit peels with grapefruit gelatin for a slightly more bitter, adult flavor.
• Mix into shortbread cookie dough for a gift-able orange-shortbread treat.