These candied orange peels are super easy to make and requires only 3 ingredients: orange peels, sugar and water. Its a great way to reduce kitchen waste waste and as a bonus, you get some orange simple syrup to use for your teas and coffee.
Enjoy these candied orange peels as as a post meal palette refresher, paired with tea, or as a simple snack. They are also shelf stable, vegan and gluten free, making it perfect for gifting.
The Process, Tips & Recommendations
Pre-boiling the peels
You’ll notice that in Step #1 of the recipe, we are boiling the orange peels before we candy them. Boiling the orange peels removes the bitterness from the peels. If you noticed that you orange peels are still bitter after boiling, boil them again in a pot with fresh water.
Candying process
The process of “candying” the peels happens when simmering the orange peels in sugar water. Make sure to fully dissolve the sugar in the water before adding the peels and avoid stirring the peels once it is added to avoid crystallization. You can “swirl” the liquid around the pot and over the oranges to fully coat them. Make sure to cook the liquid down to a syrup, with the consistency slightly thinner than maple syrup.
Drying the orange peels
Transfer the orange peels to a wired rack, making sure none of the peels are touching. Let it dry overnight. You can tell when they are ready when the sugar coating becomes sticky and the orange peels are able hold some of its shape. If the peels do are not dry enough, leave it out to dry longer.
Coating the orange peels
Once the orange peels are dry, they are ready for their sugar coating! I like to pour some organic cane sugar in a large tubberware, add some of the orange peels, layer on some more sugar, cap the container and shake well to give the orange peels that even sugar coating. After that, leave the orange out, uncovered on baking tray, to further dry until it is stiff and holds its shape.
Looking for more simple recipes? Check these out:
Candied Orange Peels
Ingredients
- 2 large oranges, peels preferably organic
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
Instructions
- Remove the peel from two oranges and slice into strips. Add it to a pot and fill it up with enough water to cover the top. Boil them until they are bendable and semi-transparent. Strain the orange peels and discard the water. This extracts the bitterness from the peels.
- Put 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar into the pot and bring to a simmer. Once the sugar completely dissolved, add the strained orange peels. Evenly layer them in the pot and let it simmer untouched for about 40minutes or until the the oranges have completely cooked through (you'll notice the white parts of the peel turning translucent) and the sugar mixture has reduced to a syrup. Turn off the heat and let it cool in the syrup for 20-30 minutes.
- Transfer the orange peels to a wire rack to cool and dry at room temperature overnight. Make sure to evenly space the peels. Save the orange syrup for future use.
- Once the peels have dried, toss them in a baking sheet with enough sugar to evenly coat. Let dry for another 12 hours. The peels are ready when they feel light and stiff. Store in an air tight container or bag for a couple months or in the fridge or longer.
