- 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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