Hear me out on this one. When I first saw this in my the dessert files I thought my Grandparents were joking around. I honestly didn't know that a person could eat orange peels. Much less candy then and make them dessert like. But I was wrong.
I know you're reading this and still thinking I'm crazy. I hear you, I do. But this isn't super complicated so give it a try and see how it goes before you decide I've lost my mind.
This recipe only requires a few super simple ingredients that you might actually already have in your kitchen: 2 large oranges, 1/2 cup of sugar (plus more for coating) and 1/4 cup of water. That's it. Well, that and time. This isn't super fast.
The first step, shockingly, is to peel the oranges. After you peel your oranges cut the peel into strips that are about a 1/2 inch wide. You can eyeball this. The trick with peeling the oranges is to keep the peel as intact as possible. Which is definitely more delicate than how I normally peel my oranges, which is just to tear at them. What I started doing when I make these is to run the knife around the middle of the orange and then try to peel the half back. It worked pretty well.
After you do that you'll want to place the peels in a large saucepan and cover it with the water. This is not the quarter cup of water in the ingredients, this is just covering the peels with water, so based on your saucepan use the necessary amount of water. It's important that you cover the peels otherwise the water cannot do its magic. So add water as necessary (but don't add too much water or it'll take forever). Once you add the water, bring it to a boil. Once it's boiling wait about a minute or two, remove the peels from the heat and drain the water. You'll repeat this process three times. This step is very important because it's what makes the peels pliable and good to eat. It also takes all the good for you stuff out of the peels, but you were making a candied orange peel, you weren't here for health food. :)
Once you have done that process three times you'll move on to the next step! In a medium sized sauce pan you'll want to add the 1/4 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar and bring to a soft boil (235 degrees). Use a candy thermometer. Don't eyeball this, you'll be wrong unless you're a wizard. And if you are a wizard you shouldn't need to be cooking your food, surely there's a fun spell for that. I've tried eyeballing temperatures, it's dumb. Just use a thermometer. Make sure and stir this often or it'll burn super fast on you. There isn't much water so it shouldn't take too long to boil, but everybody has a different stove. Once the sugar and water mixture hits a soft boil reduce the temperature to a simmer and add the orange peels to it. Let it simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Keep stirring this often too. Your goal with the timing here is to get the water to disappear. I live in Texas where humidity can be it's own element so this might be harder to do. But, try to get the water as evaporated as possible. If after 15 minutes there's still water it's okay to drain it out.
Let the peels dry for a few minutes until they're cool enough to handle. When they are, roll them in a plate full of sugar. The sugar will get gross and clumpy, but it's fine. Just keep adding more sugar! The more sugar the merrier, you are candying them after all.
When you're done rolling them in sugar, arrange them on a wire rack so they have plenty of space to air dry and let them dry out. My Grandmother's recipe seems to think that this can be accomplished in 4 or 5 hours. The few times I've made these I have not had that kind of luck. It has taken me overnight and then maybe some. Your mileage may vary based on whether or not you live in a swamp.
After they're dried out store them in an airtight container. This is not a suggestion, this is a command. If you do not put them in an airtight container they will be gross and soggy and all the swamp air will return to them. Airtight container is the way to go. (Unless I guess you live somewhere fancy and without 1000000% humidity, then maybe you have other options, but I don't know that life, I just know the swamp).
I hope you enjoy these. I was genuinely surprised how much I liked them the first time I made them. It's a fun and different kind of treat. It feels fun and old and like something I have no trouble seeing my Grandmother make. I think that's what makes it special.
CANDIED ORANGE PEELS
SERVES: 1/2 POUNDS | PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES | COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES + 5 HOURS
Ingredients
2 large naval oranges
½ cup sugar + more for coating
¼ cup water + more for boiling
Instructions
Remove peel from oranges and cut into ½ inch wide strips.
Place orange peel in a large saucepan, cover with water (this is not the quarter cup of water), and bring to a boil. Drain. Repeat boiling procedure 3 times and set aside.
Combine ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water in a heavy saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring often until mixture reaches soft boil stage (235 degrees). Add the peel and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, or until most of the liquid evaporates. Drain, if necessary.
Let peels dry until cool to touch. Roll them a few pieces at a time in sugar. Arrange in a single layer on wire racks, let dry 4 to 5 hours. Store in air-tight container.
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