Wondering what to do with mixed peel? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 26 recipes to put it to work.

What is mixed peel?

Mixed peel is candied citrus peel, usually a blend of orange and lemon (sometimes citron), chopped into small chewy cubes. The peel is cooked in heavy sugar syrup until the bitterness mellows and the pieces turn glossy and sweet, with just a faintly bitter edge.

It is a baking staple far more than a snack. A spoonful scattered through a batter adds bright citrus aroma and little bursts of chew, which is why it turns up in so much traditional fruited baking.

You will usually find it pre-chopped in a tub near the dried fruit.

Baking With Mixed Peel

Mixed peel belongs to the world of rich fruited cakes and breads. It carries the heavy fruit batters of Rich Christmas Cake and Cherry & Almond Christmas Cake, and the dark, stout-soaked Porter Cake and Irish Barmbrack lean on it for their citrus note.

It works just as well in smaller bakes. The lacy Mini Florentines set candied peel into caramel, and the spiced currant filling of Eccles Cakes uses a little peel to lift the fruit.

Beyond Recipeland's recipes, mixed peel is the defining citrus note in classic festive baking around the world: hot cross buns, panettone, stollen, and mince pies all rely on it. It also folds into a Fruit Loaf or Mothers Fruit Cake for everyday tea-time slices.

A little goes a long way. Two to three tablespoons is plenty to flavor a standard loaf or cake without the peel taking over.

Flavor and Common Mistakes

The taste is sweet orange and lemon with a clean, slightly bitter back note that keeps it from being one-dimensional. It pairs naturally with warm spices, dried currants and raisins, almonds, glace cherries, and a splash of brandy or stout.

The most common complaint is that mixed peel tastes harsh or soapy. Cheap, mass-produced peel is the usual culprit, often heavy on bittering pith and artificial flavor.

If you only have a coarse, bitter peel, chop it finer and give it a brief soak in warm water or brandy to soften both the texture and the sharp edge before it goes into the batter.

Substitutes

The closest swap is to candy your own peel, or buy whole candied orange and lemon peel and dice it; the flavor is fresher and you control the bitterness. Use the same total weight the recipe calls for.

For convenience, an equal amount of other chopped candied or dried fruit fills the same role: chopped glace cherries, dried apricots, or sultanas all work. You lose the citrus note, so add a little grated orange or lemon zest to make up for it.

In a pinch, plain fresh citrus zest plus a touch of extra sugar gives the aroma without the chew, which is fine in a cake but won't replace peel where its texture matters.

Buying and Storing

Mixed peel is sold pre-diced in small tubs and bags, usually shelved with the baking fruit, and occasionally as whole candied halves in better shops.

Look for pieces that are still soft and moist with a clear citrus smell, and lean toward a brand with visible peel rather than uniform tiny cubes, which are often more pith than fruit.

Thanks to its high sugar content, mixed peel keeps for a long time. An unopened tub stores in a cool, dark cupboard for up to a year.

Once opened, press out the air and seal it tightly so the pieces stay pliable; sealed well, opened peel keeps for months. If it dries hard, a short soak in warm water or a little citrus juice brings the chew back before you bake with it.

Quick facts

In Chinese

混合皮

British (UK) term

Mixed peel

en français

peau mélangée

en español

cáscara mezclada

Recipes using mixed peel

There are 26 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 26 recipes