Candied Caramelized Orange Peel with Cinnamon, Cloves and Brandy Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Brandy

by: TheWimpyVegetarian

November6,2009

0 Ratings

  • Serves 15 large oranges yields about 15 cups of candied peel

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Author Notes

I love to make these every November to get me in the mood for holiday baking. I've tried many different recipes and approaches, and this approach - while longer than most - has given me the most reliable, soft peels with a strong orange flavor without the bitterness. The ingredient amounts vary according to how many peels you're candying but I've provided some rough guidelines for this. The most important thing is that you make enough simple syrup to keep the citrus pieces mostly covered during the candying process. The candying process is a wonderful opportunity to add flavors, so feel free to use other flavors than what I chose, or amp it up with the ones that I did. Once candied, you can dip them in chocolate; add them to sweet yeast breads you might bake for the holidays; or use them as cake / tart decorations. For planning purposes, this can be a 4-day process! —TheWimpyVegetarian

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 15 Oranges, preferable thick skinned
  • Water
  • Salt
  • 3 cupsgranulated sugar
  • 3 cupswater
  • 5 Cinnamon sticks
  • 10 Cloves
  • 1/3 cupBrandy
Directions
  1. Day 1: Cut the citrus fruit in half, squeeze out the juice, reserving the juice for other purposes. (Like sorbet!) Put the citrus halves in a very large, non-reactive pot or container and fill it with water, adding 1 Tablespoon salt for every quart of water. A large soup pot can work well for this or large plastic containers. Let sit overnight.
  2. Day 2: Drain the peels and remove all the membranes leaving the pith behind. I have found a grapefruit spoon to be very effective for this.
  3. Put the peels in a large non-reactive pot, cover with water, and the water to a boil. Boil the peels for a couple minutes and drain, discarding the water. Repeat this two more times always using fresh water to start with.
  4. Make a simple syrup with equal amounts of sugar and water. I recommend you start with 3 cups of each. If you don't need it all, you can have it available if you need to add a little more part way through the candying. Boil for 10 minutes to ensure the sugar is completely liquified and the liquid is clear. Now you're ready to start the candy the peels.
  5. Reduce the simple syrup to a simmer and add the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Stir, adding the brandy. Add the peels and cook for four hours at a low simmer.
  6. Test the peel by tasting it after four hours. If it still tastes raw, continue to simmer for at least another hour. To caramelize, increase the heat to a soft boil, and continue to candy the peels for 45 -60 minutes or until the syrup has turned a deep amber color. If the syrup gets too thick, add a little water to thin.
  7. Turn off the heat and let the peels sit in the simple syrup overnight.
  8. Day 3: Remove the peel from simple syup and drain on cooling racks placed over cookie sheets or newspaper until tacky to the touch. This can take anywhere from an hour to a day. I store them in the oven on racks overnight if they don't dry the first day.
  9. When done, either roll in sugar or leave clear. If I roll them in sugar, I keep the sugar afterwards in a special tupperware container for cooking/baking when I want to add an orange or lemon flavor to a dish that calls for sugar.
  10. The candied peel will keep for several months in a jar.

Tags:

  • Candy
  • Fruit
  • Brandy
  • Cinnamon
  • Clove
  • Orange
  • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
Contest Entries
  • Your Best Edible Gift
  • Your Best Holiday Confection

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13 Reviews

Susan April 7, 2014

Maybe I missed it in there, but I assume at some point you slice the halves into strips. Do you do this right after scraping the insides out?

laurel November 13, 2013

I've been doing a lot of citrus candying, and am always curious - to you think the boil/drain/repeat steps cause any loss of flavor? Or do you think it's just the bitter compounds that are released during this process?

TheWimpyVegetarian November 13, 2013

In my own experience, it's to release the bitter compounds, and I'm sure some flavor is unavoidably lost. But you can always add a little orange extract to the candying mixture if you want a stronger orange flavor.

laurel November 13, 2013

Never mind - found my answer with Harold McGee. Bitter compounds are water soluble, aromatic/flavorful oils in the skin are not.

laurel November 13, 2013

Oh good idea! (Sorry, didn't see your comment before I added my other one)

Thanks!

TheWimpyVegetarian November 13, 2013

Harold McGee is a fabulous resource! I had thought I was losing some flavor too, so I'm glad you posted this additional information! Thanks!!

FayD December 3, 2012

I have made this 3 times now and just have to write and thank you for submitting the recipe. It is awesome and addicting. I dip mine in chocolate and they are so GOOD! Everyone on my Christmas list is getting some of this. Thanks for sharing!

gingerroot November 2, 2011

These look and sound wonderful, ChezSuzanne!!

TheWimpyVegetarian November 2, 2011

Thanks so much gingerroot!

AntoniaJames December 10, 2009

I'm going to make some and use them in Lebkuchen (the German traditional cookie . . . . . I posted a recipe for a gingery variation), the next time I make a batch. I still have a huge quantity in the fridge from my marathon cookie-bake/truffle-make over the weekend. I grew up in a house with 6 kids, so the only way I know how to make cookies is in huge quantities!!! Do you use navel oranges for this? The only organic oranges I've seen have rather thin skins . . . . .

TheWimpyVegetarian December 11, 2009

I use navel, or anything with a thicker skin. If they have the thin skins - almost like clementines, I would slice the top and bottom off and then make thin horizontal slices, removing the seeds, and candy the entire slice. It would make for a beautiful decorative topping for a tart or cake that could be slightly overlapped. I'll need to look at your gingery version of a Lebkuchen - it sounds great. I'm also getting ready to make some holiday sweet yeast breads - which I only indulge in this time of year - where I'll use some of these candied orange peels. I also make candied lemon peels following the exact same recipe except I put a couple vanilla beans into the simple syrup for flavoring. Have fun!

AntoniaJames December 9, 2009

Lovely . . . . . simply lovely. I've never been a big fan of candied citrus peel, but I think you may have converted me ;o) I'm definitely going to try this one. I think I'll use Drambuie . . . . . Thanks for posting this!

TheWimpyVegetarian December 10, 2009

Thanks. Truthfully, this is the only way I really like them. It's a little time consuming, I admit, but really worth it. I have friends now that put in their requests for these every year.

Candied Caramelized Orange Peel with Cinnamon, Cloves and Brandy Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How do you make candied orange peels less bitter? ›

Blanching peels

And those compounds dissolve in hot water, which is why blanching works so well. In fact, blanching reduces bitterness by 50%. Repeat the blanching step until the orange peels taste just slightly bitter. The bitterness won't disappear completely, but it should be tolerable.

What does candied orange peel taste like? ›

On their own as a snack, candied orange peels are just like sugar-coated jelly candies but better. Because they're homemade, they taste like real oranges instead of orange flavor. You can also incorporate them into also sorts of recipes: To elevate dessert.

How long does candied orange peel last? ›

Seal the candied peel in a glass jar and store at room temperature for up to 3 months.

How do you soften candied orange peels? ›

Place the candied peel in a pot and add a little water (enough for water to come up half way up the rolls) and cook over medium to low heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the orange peel. This will soften the orange peel.

What makes orange rind bitter? ›

What makes citrus bitter? A substance called naringin, that imparts the bitter flavor, is present in the peel, pith, membranes and sometimes the juice. The white pith just under the peel is especially bitter. If you juice any citrus and drink it immediately, you won't notice the bitterness.

Which part of orange peel is bitter? ›

You may know that the white part of citrus fruits, that slightly spongy layer under the peel, is discarded because of its bitter taste.

Is candied orange peel good for you? ›

Candied Orange Peels are beautiful, festive, and are full of nutrients. The orange peel has more vitamin C than the actual fruit of the orange. Likewise, the fruit peel also has about three times as much the amount of Vitamin A, B-Complex, and minerals such as manganese, calcium, and zinc.

What is the Italian name for candied orange peel? ›

Candied Orange Peel / Scorza D'Arancia Candita.

What is the name of the candied orange peel? ›

Succade is the candied peel of any of the citrus species, especially from the citron or Citrus medica which is distinct with its extra-thick peel; in addition, the taste of the inner rind of the citron is less bitter than those of the other citrus.

Do you need to refrigerate candied orange peels? ›

Use candied orange peel to garnish desserts and beverages, as part of a cheese tray, etc. Store the dry candied orange peel in an airtight jar or container for up to 7 days at room temperature, or a month in the refrigerator.

Can orange peel go bad? ›

You can store citrus peels in the refrigerator in a sealed container and they'll last a few days. Orange peels tend to get soggy faster than lemon peels. In experiments I found that orange peels lasted 1 day at maximum crispness, while lemon peels could go at least 2-3 days.

What do you do with candied orange peels? ›

You can eat the candy as is, dip it in chocolate, add to cake, muffins or salads, etc. The syrup can be used in co*cktails or tea. It's popular around the holidays but I will be doing this regularly, holiday season or not. You can use lime or lemon peels too.

How do you make candied orange peel with Martha Stewart? ›

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil over high, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peel and boil until it turns translucent and syrup thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer peel to wire rack, separating the pieces as needed. Let peel dry 1 hour.

Where do you store candied orange peels? ›

You can store your homemade candied orange peels in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. Alternately, you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Why is my candied fruit chewy? ›

The sugar will be chewy if it hasn't been heated to a high enough temperature. The temperature we want to reach is hard crack. However, if you don't quite reach that you will get a candy shell at soft crack. At this stage, it will set, but with a stick in your teeth, chewy consistency.

How do you make bitter oranges sweeter? ›

It's the seeds that cause the bitterness. You can add little bit of salt and keep it in refrigerator for a while…then serve with adding honey and lemon juice..it works well.. Sometimes, if no peel inside, the taste is bitter, firstly you need to consider the orange is spoiled or not.

Are candied orange slices bitter? ›

The orange slices get preboiled twice, to remove any of the bitterness that may be present. What you are left with is an intense orange flavour that is sweet and not unpleasant at all. The proportion of sugar and water is perfect. Your candied orange slices will be sweet and will have a nice texture when dried.

How do you counteract bitterness without sugar? ›

Balance out bitterness with some fat.

Try using a cream sauce, milk, fatty cheese, olive oil, or similar fatty ingredients to help cover bitter tastes.

References

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