Thursday, November 29, 2012

Candied Citrus Rinds - Preserving 101


- Jessica S. Herwick

Candied citrus rinds have a long history.  Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all soaked citrus peels in honey (there was no such thing as refined sugar in ancient days).  These preserves were used as sweet treats, and as medicine. Candied citrus reached the height of popularity back in the Eighteenth Century.  When most of the world’s cultures still referred to candies as sweetmeats, these candied lemon and orange rinds  - know as citrus chips during this period- considered some of the most desired of all treats.
Citrus fruit was  more difficult to obtain in those days, and so, imported lemons and oranges were candied to increase their shelf life (and their value).  You might say that the truest fans of citrus chips then, were as dedicated a group as today's chocoholics.

I have been using the recipe below to candy lemon and orange peels for years.  You can also try it with grapefruit and lime peels.  I prefer the lemon, and find that as a jam maker, I often have an excess of rinds, which I don’t like to waste!  I give them as gifts along with the loose herbal teas that I dry from my garden.  I also use this recipe 
when introducing my friends to the art of home made jams and the science of preserving.  If you are a seasoned canner who likes to make jams and compotes, you can use this recipe to make good use of all those left over rinds. After squeezing your fresh lemon juice, you know there’s always a nice handful of left overs!  If you are a beginner canner, and have never made or canned jams before but would like to try, this recipe is a great way to boost your preserving confidence through safe practice.  You will become familiar with how the sugar reacts to heat, with the rhythm and timing sugar recipes require, and the various changes your syrup goes through as it cooks on the stovetop.  

The best part of this process for beginners (and for all) is the safety aspect. Because there is no fruit in your mixture, and you are only candying the peels, you do not have to process these rinds to preserve them safely once you finish the recipe – meaning no hot water bath or pressure canner is necessary!  If you follow the recipe, and ensure your finished candied rinds are completely dry and covered properly in sugar, you can store the finished product in an airtight container for up to 6 months (in a dry, cool, dark place where temperature does not fluctuate too often) without any need for additional preserving processes to be applied!.

Candied lemon rinds can be eaten as-is as a candy treat.  You can chop them and use them in cookies and candies.  They make adorable cake decorations, and are also pretty yummy when you dip the tips of the finished, dried rinds in chocolate.  My favorite use for these rinds is to put them in my herb tea.  The lemon and sugar combination adds a nice flavor and acts as a mild sweetener.  Best of all, when your tea is gone, you are left with a warm, chewy burst of lemon to munch on once the candied rind has soaked in the tea. 

PHASE ONE: PREPARE THE CITRUS PEELS                
                                                          You Will Need
The Peels from 5 pounds of Citrus Fruit (lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime)                                   
Clean Scrub Brush or Veggie Scrubber
Sharp Knife
Bowl (to hold the fruit once you peel it)
Strainer
Large Pot with Lid (to blanch rinds)
Access to cold water                                               
           
Instructions
   ·      Use the scrub brush to wash the exterior of the fruit thoroughly.
Hint: Many citrus fruits have a sticker or brand name stamped on them.  Inspect your citrus to ensure stickers or the glue they leave behind as well as ink from name-brand stamps are completely scrubbed from your fruits.
   ·      Cut the leathery ends from the fruit.
   ·      Use a knife to score into quarters and remove rinds (aka peels) and  
        cut rinds into strips – no wider than ¼”.
Hint: The pith (white layer between the skin of the peel and the fruit) candies very well.  Do not pick it away, unless there are long, loose strands that would fall off during the candying process.
    ·      Blanch Peels

BLANCHING- A fancy way of saying boil quickly, sometimes more than once. Blanching sanitizes and softens the rinds, making it
easier for the food to accept the syrup you’re using to preserve it. It also reduces the amount of bitter oils in the rind. How to blanch is below. 
            ·      Place citrus strips in large saucepan and   
            cover with cold water. 
            ·      Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil   
                uncovered for 60 seconds. 
            ·     Drain, then return rinds to saucepan, 
                cover with cold water (MUST be cold) 
                and bring to a boil a second time.
            ·    Repeat 4 to 10 more times, until rinds 
               are soft and more flexible.
                   (thicker rind = more repetition).
            ·    If you haven’t already started your   
               sugar syrup, drain rinds and place back  
               in the pot you boiled them in, removed from heat, and put the lid back on. Keep in pot until   
               Sugar Syrup is prepared.

PHASE TWO: PREPARE SUGAR SYRUP          
                                  You Will Need                                                                                    
        Large pot with high ends
        5 cups Sugar
        5 cups Water
        Candy Thermometer

Instructions
    ·      Combine 5 cups sugar and 5 cups water with wire whisk over medium heat.  Stir often and bring to a rolling boil, then quickly lower heat so the sauce remains at a low simmer. (Photo 5)
    ·      Do not let the temperature rise above 220 degrees on the candy thermometer.  

Hint: If your heat cannot be lowered fast enough, remove your pot for a few moments while waiting for
your burner to cool down if your thermometer reaches 220.  I often have to do this when using an 
electric stovetop.

CAUTION!  The sugar and water may react to each other when the temperature gets very high and the syrup boils, which is why it’s recommended to use a pot higher and larger than the mass of the syrup.  See photo on right and consider yourself warned!


PHASE THREE: CANDY THE PREPARED PEELS                    
          You Will Need
Prepared Rinds (see above)
Prepared Sugar Syrup (see above)
Sugar for coating the rinds

Instructions
    ·      Add the prepared peels to the already prepared and simmering sugar syrup.  Continue to simmer gently. DO NOT STIR.  Simmer rinds undisturbed. 
     
Hint: If you find rinds peeking out of the syrup, swirl the pot by 
the handle to move peels around, or use a tongs to gently flip 
peels or push them into the syrup. Resist the urge to stir. This is 
the hardest part for me!  I constantly fight the urge to stir.

·      Simmer until peels turn translucent. This is a process.  It will 
take from one to 5 hours, depending on how quickly the water 
boils out of your sugar syrup, and the quality and size of your 
rinds (and how well you blanched them)
·      Pull rinds out in small groups and drain peels on a wire 
cooling rack overnight. Do not let them touch each other or you 
will have a sticky mess in the morning!
·      After overnight drying, toss the rinds in sugar to coat each 
one. Place on wax paper to dry again for 4 to 5 hours (or 2 hrs. 
in an unheated oven on a cookie sheet).
·      Store in clean, air-tight containers or bags and enjoy at your 
leisure.


To learn more about what Cooperative Extension is saying, check out the links:

Go here for more information about food preservation safety from the Extension.

National Center for Home Food Preservation Interactive Tutorial.

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