It isn’t everytime that I save peels from oranges and put them to later use. How many of us do that? There are actually so many different ways in which a peel can be used instead of throwing them away in a trash. Beauty, health and cooking! I am a big fan of DIY’s, so I am in constant search of putting things to use at home. If not anything else and you suffer from a sweet tooth, go ahead and make some candied orange peels for yourself. I never thought of making these myself at home, but until recently! All you need is some oranges and sugar. The whole process is so much fun, it tastes awesome and smells great while it is cooking.
Ingredients -
- 4 Oranges
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Water
- 250 gms chocolate (optional)
Method -
- To begin with, rinse oranges and remove the skin. Be sure of removing all the pith (thick white skin underneath the peels) otherwise it will taste bitter. Cut the skin into 1/4 inch wide.
- Place the strips in a pan and cover them with cold water. Set the stove on high heat and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and drain all the water. Repeat this process two times more.
- In a small bowl whisk together 1 cup water and granulated sugar. Pour the water – sugar mixture in a medium saucepan and bring it to simmer. Let mixture cook for about 10 mins on constant simmer.
- Add the peels and cook for about 45 mins to 1 hour, adjusting heat as necessary. Avoid stirring. Adjust the peels with the help of a whisk with a light hand so that all the peels are covered with the sugar syrup. By the end of this, peels should look translucent.
- Drain all the syrup, if any, from the peels and let them cool on a wire rack for 15-20 mins. Roll them a powdered sugar and store in an air-tight container. Alternatively, you can melt chocolate in a microsafe bowl and roll these peels in a chocolate.
So next time you have eaten those oranges or made a juice from them, remember you don’t have to throw the peels. Candied peels can also be used for various baking purposes like when you finish baking and decorating the cake, sprinkle minced candied peels over a cake for some jolly orange color.
