How to Make Candied Citrus Peels

What a shame to waste all those peelings from your oranges, limes, grapefruits and lemons when you can make something really simple and yummy from them instead. This is a quick and easy delicious recipe to make treats out of what would have been garbage. Kids and grownups alike will love these. They're also good in recipes for anything that uses candied fruits.

Things You'll Need

• Citrus peels (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit) or any combination of them
• Sugar
• Water
• Drying rack
• Thermometer
• Waxed paper
• 1 tbsp. butter (optional)
• 1/2 cup semisweet or dark chocolate morsels

Instructions

1. Scrub the outside of the skins really well with a vegetable brush to make sure that they're really clean. If you use grapefruit peels that are much thicker than the other citrus fruits, you should boil them for a little while before any other fruits. Boil them alone for about ten minutes, which is generally enough time to soften the thicker skins.

2. Pour out the water and add the other rinds into the pan. Add water and bring it to a boil. Put a lid on it and turn heat down to low. Cook for twenty more minutes. Drain and refill the pan, boiling for twenty minutes two more times. Drain them the last time and run them under cold water for a few minutes until they're cool enough to handle.

3. Scrape away the white, pithy loose part of the peel to where the peel is firmer. Slice the peel into strips about 1/2-inch wide and then cut them across into pieces about 2 inches long.

4. Make up a sugar syrup of one cup of white table sugar mixed into one cup of water for each cup of peeling that you have. Pour your mixture into a sauce pan or Dutch oven, depending on how big a batch you have.

5. Put the pieces of rind into the sugar and water mixture. Clip a candy thermometer on the side of the pan. Cook the water and syrup without stirring for about twenty minutes or until the thermometer registers 230 degrees.

6. Add the drained peel pieces into the syrup mixture. Cook slowly over low heat about twenty more minutes or until the thermometer reads 240 degrees, stirring well every once in a while.

7. Take the pan off the heat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces of peeling. Throw out the syrup or save it to use for another batch later on. Store it in the refrigerator for up to one month. Put them on the drying rack and let the extra syrup drip onto the waxed paper. Cool the pieces until they are no longer dripping.

8. Pour sugar onto another sheet of waxed paper. Roll each strip one at a time in the sugar until they're well coated. Wash off the drying rack and put a clean piece of waxed paper under it. Put the strips on the wire rack so that they aren't touching one another. Let them dry well for at least an hour. You may need as much as two hours. Keep them there until they are good and dry to the touch.

9. Take some of them and dip them into melted semisweet or dark chocolate for a different taste. The orange peels are especially good with dark chocolate but you will probably like all of them. Melt 1 tbsp. of butter and add 1/2 cup of dark or semisweet chocolate bits. Dip the peels into it one at a time coating them about half way up. Use your rack and clean waxed paper to dry these also. They need to dry completely.

10. Keep candied rinds in an airtight plastic container. They should keep about two weeks in a cool place. If your home isn't cool enough for the chocolate ones to stay firm, put these in the refrigerator in the vegetable drawer. Take them out and let them sit a few minutes before serving.

Tips & Warnings

• If the candied rinds get too sticky after storing them, just dip them each in sugar again.

• Be sure the candied rinds don't touch each other while they're drying or they will dry improperly and the sugar or chocolate will peel off when you separate them.