Gearing up for holiday baking? Try making this easy candied citrus peel using just 3 simple ingredients and put those leftover peels to use to add that bright, citrusy flavor to all your favorite cookies and sweet treats.
Making your own candied peel has never been easier- and this foolproof recipe is perfect for anyone and everyone!
My recent trip to the supermarket ended up with me buying a slightly more than necessary amount of citrus fruits, so of course, I just had to look for creative ways to put them to use.
With the holidays approaching, I thought making some spiced orange honey was a great idea, and I also whipped up some homemade lemon marmalade and homemade golden syrup using some extra lemons that I had.
The zest of the fruits got used up in my citrus kosho, which was another huge win, but I still had a few fruits left, that I really wanted to use up to the fullest. And that's when I thought of making these candied peels.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
Making candied peel is so easy, and I'm over the moon that I finally perfected this recipe. You'll just need a few minutes in the kitchen and your basic kitchenware- no fancy equipment or measurements.
And of course, the best part is that it's so much better for you than those store-bought and processed candied peel.
Recipe Ingredients
Citrus fruits: I used a mix of fresh lemons and oranges here. You could also use other citrus fruits like grapefruit, kumquats, mandarins, tangerines and limes if you have them at hand.
Sugar: Just your regular white sugar works well. This will help tone down the tart, slightly bitter peel of the citrus fruits with its sweetness, take away all the moisture and harden the peel, and also preserve it.
Vanilla: Just a dash, for that beautiful aroma and flavor. It's optional though, and you can skip this if you don't have it at hand.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Candied Citrus Peel
Wash and clean the citrus fruits and use a sharp knife to scoop out the flesh.
In a pot, add equal quantity of water and sugar with a splash of vanilla and add in the peels. Let this simmer for 30-40 minutes.
Get the peels out and allow them to dry at room temperature on a lined baking sheet. You can also toss them in some granulated sugar after this if you want to.
After a day, once the peels have hardened and turned slightly chewy, chop them up into small bits like I did, or even finer if you want to.
💭Top Tip
Don't discard the syrup after you remove the peels- it actually packs in a ton of sweet, citrusy flavor and can be used for a lot of recipes.
How to Store Leftover Citrus Peel
Store your leftover citrus peel in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and it should stay fresh for 2-3 weeks.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Since you're using the actual peel of the fruits here, it is a great idea to choose organic fruit if you can.
- Also make sure to nicely clean and scrub the fruits before you use the peel for this recipe. This will help remove any traces of wax or pesticides on the surface.
- Remove only the peel, and try to stay away from as much of the white pith portion as you can- since it can be quite bitter.
- To cut down the bitterness of the peels, you can boil them in a pot of water for 15 minutes, strain the water and then repeat the step again before you use the peels for the recipe.
How to Use Candied Citrus Peel
You can use this candied lemon and orange peel to garnish your cakes and bakes! I love chopping them up finely and adding them straight into a simple pound cake batter, reserving some for the garnish.
It's also a delicious and fun textural topping to sprinkle over your scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can chop up the citrus peel and top it over your French toast or over your granola bowl.
And of course, they're excellent as a homemade holiday gift- just like my strawberry sugar and homemade herb salt.
Related Recipes
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If you tried this candied citrus peel or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Candied Citrus Peel
Ingredients
- 3-4 citrus fruits
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Wash and clean the citrus fruits and use a sharp knife to scoop out the flesh.
- In a pot, add equal quantity of water and sugar with a splash of vanilla and add in the peels. Let this simmer for 30-40 minutes.
- Get the peels out and allow them to dry at room temperature on a lined baking sheet. You can also toss them in some granulated sugar after this if you want to.
- After a day, once the peels have hardened and turned slightly chewy, chop them up into small bits like I did, or even finer if you want to.
Notes
- Since you're using the actual peel of the fruits here, it is a great idea to choose organic fruit if you can.
- Also make sure to nicely clean and scrub the fruits before you use the peel for this recipe. This will help remove any traces of wax or pesticides on the surface.
- Remove only the peel, and try to stay away from as much of the white pith portion as you can- since it can be quite bitter.
- To cut down the bitterness of the peels, you can boil them in a pot of water for 15 minutes, strain the water and then repeat the step again before you use the peels for the recipe.
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