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Candied Orange Peel

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Making your own candied orange peel and candied lemon peel is super easy and the difference between homemade and store-bought is absolutely mind-blowing!  Leave the store-bought stuff on the shelf because nothing, and I mean NOTHING compares to homemade!  This candied orange peel recipe can be used to make any variety of candied citrus peel, including orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit.

candied orange peel recipe lemon how to make homemade citrus

Why You Should Make Candied Orange Peel 

If you’ve never made your own candied orange peel get ready to be absolutely dazzled!

Today we’re going to make delicious use of a portion of the citrus fruit you may normally discard by making candied citrus peels.  Think of these delightful sweet treats like citrus flavor on steroids!

While candied orange and candied lemon are the the most commonly used, candied grapefruit and lime also have a delicious place in the mix and I’m going to demonstrate the process using those as well.

There are a few reasons you should make your own candied peel: 1) The store-bought stuff is generally not organic and citrus fruits are highly sprayed with pesticides and fungicides.  2) It’s made with a lot of chemicals. 3) It’s not fresh.  4) Most of it tastes bad.  Like really bad.  I regularly have readers request recommendations for good brands of candied citrus and the best recommendation that I can offer is to make your own!  Because once you do and taste the difference, you’ll never buy it again.

The good news is, it is SO easy to make your own!  And it keeps for a long time, especially if you freeze it.  The flavor is 100% better than store-bought and will bring your baked goods to life.

candied orange peel recipe homemade how to make lemon citrus

How to Use Candied Orange Peel

There are so many delicious ways you can use candied orange peel and any candied citrus peel variety, whether orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit.  (Be sure to also try my Candied Ginger). Here just are a few ideas:

candied orange peel recipe homemade how to make candied lemon peel

Candied Orange Peel Recipe

Let’s get started!

*NOTE:  The process is the same for making any kind of candied citrus peel.

Select the best citrus fruits possible and give them a thorough scrubbing and washing.  We’re not sticklers about buying all of our produce organic, but we do stick to organic for certain items that are highly sprayed and/or waxed.  And in the case of citrus fruits, if I’m using the peels for zesting or candying, I use and recommend organic.

citrus fruits

Slice both ends of the orange.  Cut the peel on each each into 4 or more vertical segments, depending on the size of the fruit. Peel off each segment of rind.

Note: You can remove a some of the white pith, though not necessary.  The white pith has a bitter flavor, so keep that in mind, but also keep in mind that the thinner your peels the harder/more leathery they will be.  The purpose for blanching the peels (boiling in water and discarding the water) is to eliminate some of the bitterness.  If leaving the pith on you can repeat the blanching procedure 2 or 3 times to reduce the bitterness.

slicing the rind off

The process is the same for any citrus fruit.  Candied grapefruit peel, candied lemon peel, candied lime peel, candied mandarin or clementine peel…they’re all delicious!

slicing off the rind

Slice the peels into 1/4 inch wide strips.

candied orange peel recipe homemade how to make candied lemon peel

Keep the peeled citrus for eating, cooking or juicing.

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Boil the peels in water in a pot for 15 minutes.  Drain the peels in a colander, rinse and then drain again.  Discard the water from the pot.

**Note:  To further reduce the bitter flavor repeat this step.

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Add the sugar and fresh water to the pot and bring it to a boil.  Boil it for a couple of minutes until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the citrus peels, reduce the heat and simmer for about 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peels become translucent and the liquid becomes lightly syrupy.

how to make candied orange peel

Use a slotted spoon to remove a few of the peels at a time and let the excess syrup drip off for a few seconds.  Place the hot, wet peels in the bowl of sugar and toss to coat.  If you’re making a large batch it’s easiest to place the sugar in a ziplock bag and shake the peels in it.

candied orange peel recipe

Spread the candied citrus peels out on a wire rack to cool and dry completely, 1-2 days.

Stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, the candied citrus peel will keep for at least a month.  They’ll keep even longer in the fridge and for a few months frozen.  (I usually keep them in a ziplock bag in the freezer and then conveniently grab whatever I need.)

Note:  If you find your candied citrus peel gets hard after a while don’t worry – they will soften up beautifully as they bake in whatever recipe you add them to!

Tip:  To keep the candied peels even softer you can limit the drying time, skip the final sugar coating step and put the peels in a ziplock bag and either refrigerate or freeze them.

candied lemon peel recipe homemade how to make candied orange peel

Orange Simple Syrup

Finally, DON’T DISCARD THE CITRUS SYRUP!

This is a wonderful citrus-flavored simple syrup to add to your drinks for a wonderful kick of citrus flavor!

orange simple syrup

Enjoy!

candied orange peel recipe homemade how to make candied lemon peel

Candied Orange Peel

Candied citrus peel is easy to make yourself, contains no chemicals or additives, and tastes MUCH better than store-bought!
4.97 from 229 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Candy, condiment, Ingredient
Cuisine All
Servings 10
Calories 53 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 large oranges (can also use the equivalent of lemons, grapefruits, limes, or citrus of your choice, thoroughly washed and scrubbed; organic is recommended)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • Fine granulated sugar for coating

Instructions
 

  • Slice both ends of the citrus fruits. Cut the peel on each each into 4 or more vertical segments, depending on the size of the fruit. Peel off each segment of rind. (You can remove a little of the white pith, though not necessary. The pith is bitter but the blanching process below will help reduce the bitterness. Note that if you remove the white pith, the thinner the peels are the harder and more leathery they will be when they’re candied.) Slice the peels into 1/4 inch wide strips. (Keep the peeled citrus for eating, cooking, juicing, etc)
  • Boil the peels in a pot of water for 15 minutes. Drain the peels in a colander, rinse and then drain again. Discard the water from the pot.
    Repeat this process one or two more times to reduce the bitter flavor.
  • Add the 1 cup of fresh water and the sugar to the pot and bring it to a boil. Boil it for a couple of minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Add the citrus peels, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peels become translucent and the syrup becomes lightly syrupy (on a candy thermometer this will be be approximately soft ball stage).
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove a few of the peels at a time and let the excess syrup drip off for a few seconds. Place the hot, wet peels in a bowl of sugar or a ziplock bag with sugar in it and toss/shake to coat.
    Spread the candied citrus peels out on a wire rack to cool and dry completely, 1-2 days.
    Stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, the candied citrus peel will keep for at least a month. They'll keep even longer in the fridge and can be frozen for several months.
    Yields roughly 8 ounces of candied citrus peel depending on peel thickness.

Notes

* If you find your candied citrus peel gets hard after a while don’t worry – they will soften up beautifully as they bake in whatever recipe you add them to!
*To keep the candied peels even softer you can limit the drying time, skip the final sugar coating step and put the peels in a ziplock bag and either refrigerate or freeze them.
*DON’T DISCARD THE CITRUS SYRUP! This is a wonderful citrus-flavored simple syrup to add to your drinks for a wonderful kick of citrus flavor!
*If you’d like to make more candied citrus peel, simply increase the amount of water and sugar by the same 1:2 ratio.
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 53kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 0.4gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 88IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 0.1mg
Keyword candied lemon peel, candied orange peel
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet January 9, 2017

kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!

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Recipe Rating




4.97 from 229 votes (153 ratings without comment)

340 Comments

  1. I use this recipe every year when making Stollen. The only tedious process is chopping up all the dried strips (I hear my knives cry as I’m doing it). If I’m only making this for Stollen, can I omit the step of tossing them in the granulated sugar? I would think that the syrup would be adding most of the sweetness. Maybe add a touch more sugar to the Stollen?

    1. Fantastic, Steve! Yes, you can omit that step (and there’s no need to add extra sugar to the Stollen). Tossing them in the sugar is largely to just keep them from sticking to each other and it helps preserve them a little longer if you’re storing them at room temp. I usually skip that step myself and instead freeze my candied peel. It’s easier, it lasts much longer, and I can just pull out what I need from the freezer.

  2. Ok I have made lemoncello and orange cello and will have all the peel that’s been soaking in the lovely booze for 6 weeks. Do you think I could just go to the powdered sugar stage and not boil? All fruit was from my own garden. I think the candied peel will be great on the side of the glasses of lemon and orange cello.

    1. Hi, the peel needs to go through the process of simmering in the sugar syrup, otherwise it won’t become “candied”. As for the first step of boiling the peels in water a couple of times or so, that’s to remove the bitterness from the pith, which I also strongly recommend doing.

  3. Hi there! Making this right now for my dad for a surprise stollen for Easter . In the 15 minute boiling process, you rinse them. It says repeat this process one or two more times. Does that mean the boiling and rinsing ? Or just the rinsing part? Thank you!

  4. Hello thank you for this recipe and the Eccles cake one. I will be making the peel tomorrow and the cakes on Wednesday. I’m just wondering what you do with the syrup? How do you use it in drinks? 🤔

  5. Thank you very much for your amazing stolen recipe and the candied orange-lemon peels. I tried to make the stolen bread for first time in my life because I love to have it every year at Christmas days !!!! Your recipe and the site are the best I had ever found. I thank you so much for all your specific details and suggestions!!!! From the island of Crete Greece have A very healthy and happy New Year 💝Areti

  6. I am making the stollen this week and I was wondering if I can use the candied peel (add in the dough) without drying? I don’t think my family have the patience to wait 1-2 days to make the stollen haha.

  7. Hi there, I am just in the process of making these, so that I can make the stollen recipe. But I would like to use the flesh/ juice of the fruits somehow. Do you have any ideas or recipes. Many thanks in advance. X

  8. Can’t describe how totally delicious this is! I made some orange and lemon to put in my Christmas cake and was going to store the rest for use in other things – not a chance! We’ve been snacking on them and they didn’t make it to the jar! I don’t generally like store bought candied fruit and usually leave it out of recipes, not any more. Have never left a recipe review but this one totally deserves one. You’ve GOT to try it

    1. I’m beyond thrilled that you enjoyed this, Jen, thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback! I agree completely – I’ve always HATED the store-bought stuff and would always just omit it from any recipe calling for it. And then I started making homemade candied peel….total game changer! Thanks again!

  9. I love your site I am an army brat and miss Europe desperately . I am going to tackle stollen bread this year to ease my pain. I live in Florida so waiting patiently but it seems moving in the right direction. I usually don’t leave comments but your site is a favorite. Funny thing I was condensing syrups and ended up with a rather fantastic marmalade. Thank you for giving us your time

    1. Thank you so much for the compliment, Rutilla, I appreciate it! <3 That's wonderful that you're going to make the Stollen and that you're making this homemade candied peel for it - you won't regret it. Happy baking and please let us what you think about the Stollen!

  10. I have just made your candied orange and lemon peel and i’m so proud of how it turned out. I dried it for about 8 hours in my oven on the defrost cycle instead of leaving it out to dry, a lot of the excess sugar fell off but there was still a good sugar coating left on. (In Queensland, Australia we get a few ants.) I also have about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of sugar syrup for my drinks, yum. This batch made 400 grams with 2 lemons and 5 oranges.