Mixed candied peel recipe

Mixed Candied Peel recipe

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About this recipe

In this blog post I will guide you thru the steps and ingredients needed to craft this recipe. Grab your favorite apron and let's start.
This recipe for mixed candied peel is a delightful treat that adds a burst of citrus flavor to any dish or dessert. Whether you're baking a cake, making homemade fruitcake, or simply snacking on a sweet and tangy treat, this recipe is a must-try. The process involves simmering strips of orange, lemon, and grapefruit peel in a sugar syrup until they become tender and candied. The result is a vibrant and versatile ingredient that can be used in various culinary creations.

Keywords: candied peel, citrus flavors, homemade, versatile, and sweet treat.

Mixed candied peel recipe details

Mixed candied peel recipe, recipe Rating: 4.6
Number of votes:104 

Ingredients

2 large	lemons
2 medium	oranges
1 large	pink grapefruit
1 large	pomelo or ugli fruit
600 g	granulated sugar

Instructions

Mixed peel, sometimes incorrectly and confusingly called ‘Dried Peel’ is used as an ingredient in fruit cakes and some other baked items and is usually quite inexpensive. When bought as a commercial product it is often sold in a glucose syrup which keeps it moist for long periods. The glucose can be a nuisance, and is easily rinsed off if not required.

Making your own is neither difficult, unduly time consuming or expensive. Most of the fruit will be eaten and the peel discarded. Some fruits are bought especially for their peel although the fruit can be eaten or used in marmalades or other preserves.

The number of servings is included only as an arbitrary number and is irrelevant. The quantity produced will be approximately 500g and should last several months to a year if correctly stored. If you are able to find the very large varieties of lemons, many of which exceed 20cm in length, they can also be used if the peel is cut into smaller pieces before treatment.

Scrub the fruit in warm water with a brush or rough cloth and allow to dry on kitchen paper. Cut the lemons lengthwise into four and remove all traces of flesh; if any remains, it will become very hard and will spoil the appearance of the finished product. Cut the remaining fruits into quarters in the same way and then vertically in half again. Remove all traces of the flesh.

If the peels are significantly thicker than about ¼-inch or 5-6mm, remove excess white pith with a paring knife, until the pieces are about 4mm thick.

Keep the peels for the different fruits separate.

Place a fruit at a time into a small pan – (I would do 2 at a time in individual pans). Add enough water to cover and boil gently until soft and translucent. Top up with more boiling water if necessary as it may require 1-1½ hours of cooking time. The larger fruits may require a little longer than the smaller ones.

Drain off the water and set the peels aside on a plate and cover with cling film. Refrigerate until required.

Process remaining peels as above.

When all the peels are blanched, place them into a medium large pan and cover with boiling water and boil gently for another 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a clean saucepan, dissolve the sugar in about 300ml of water on medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil and carefully add the peel pieces. Bring back to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently until almost all the syrup has been absorbed. This may take 2-3 hours. Remove the pan from the heat.

Lay a sheet of baking parchment on a baking tray and lay out the peel pieces in a single layer.

Set the oven to its lowest temperature and place the tray on a middle-low shelf to dry for about 20-30 minutes. Remove the tray and turn the peels upside down and return to the oven for the same time. Do check after about 10 minutes because some ovens will allow lower settings than others and you do not want the peel to become rock hard – dry but not hard.

Alternatively, if you have access to a location which is reasonably warm for days on end, Loosely cover the tray with a clean tea towel and allow the peels to dry slowly over 2-4 days.

Once as dry as necessary, cut into small pieces with a kitchen scissors or sharp knife and store together in a glass jar or other airtight container. The container may be refrigerated if wished.

Preparation time:
ca. 30 min
Resting time:
ca. 3 days
Grade of difficulty:
easy
Calories per portion:
n/a