I found this tucked into my mother’s recipe book and decided it was perfect for Christmas. It isn't difficult to make and is worth trying, if only for the wonderful citron smell that will fill your kitchen.
If you squeeze your own orange juice, then you’ll regularly have a pile of squeezed-out orange skins -this is the perfect alternative to the compost heap. Once you’ve made your candied peel, you can add it to your Christmas cake or use it in cookies or breads. Just chop it up small and you’re good to go.
6 citrus fruits – oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit
300ml cold water
250g caster sugar (plus 100g extra for dusting)
Prepare the fruit
Wash and scrub your chosen fruit to remove any dirt.
Remove the peel - the easiest way to do this is to score the skins from top to bottom until you reach the flesh. About 6-8 strips. Then pull off the skins and put into a saucepan.
Cover the peel with cold water and bring to a simmer – about 5 minutes. Strain and repeat twice more to remove any bitterness. Then put the peel back into the saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer until soft – about 30-40 minutes.
When the time is up, drain and reserve about 300ml of the water. Allow the skins to cool slightly before removing any excess pith - I used a teaspoon for this, scraping it carefully along the inside of each piece – then, slice the peel into strips about 5mm thickness.
Put your reserved water into a clean saucepan with the caster sugar and bring to a simmer over a low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and then bring to the boil. Add the strips of peel. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes until the liquid is syrupy and most of it has absorbed into the peel. Keep an eye on it. Drain off any remaining liquid and allow the peel to cool slightly.
Put some caster sugar onto a flat tray or into a shallow bowl and put the sliced peel into the sugar, a small amount at a time. I used tongs for this. Toss to coat with sugar and place on a wire rack to dry – this will take 1-2 days so put it out of temptations way! When it's dry, store in an airtight container - it will keep for about a month. You can also freeze it.
If you want to make an indulgent treat for Christmas or a gourmet gift for a friend, dip half of each slice of peel in dark chocolate.
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