As the countdown to Christmas begins, we find ourselves inspired by the delightful recipes that celebrate this wonderful season. Candied fruit is, of course, a seasonal staple ingredient for celebratory cakes, pies that reference historic connections to meat (and confuse those not brought up with an idea of ‘mincemeat’ as something meat-free and heavily fruited), and a host of other festive fare falling into elf-adjacent categories. Candied peel, we’ll admit, can easily be sourced in the average supermarket at this time of the year: sitting in syrup, chopped into tiny dice, and crammed tight into flimsy plastic tubs – ready for action and to add its slightly medicinal tasting, bitter-sweet note to whatever it is that you may want to use it for.

The home-made variety we are going to share a recipe for here is, by contrast, a whole different animal of a superior nature. Tangy, citrussy, sweetly aromatic, slightly addictive and super easy to make – it will also perfume your house like Christmas oranges while you prepare it. And if you’re already eating or juicing oranges, it’s a no-brainer – a recipe to prevent you from throwing away a perfectly good ingredient.

Ingredients 

• 4-5 oranges – or other citrus fruit (peel only – see below for methods)
• 500g granulated sugar (+ extra, or caster, for dredging)
• 250ml water (+ extra for blanching)

Method

Prepare the oranges

• There is more than one way to skin an orange. It may be that you already have some oranges that you have juiced – you can use the skin from these. Or you can cut the oranges in half (crosswise) and scoop and scrape the pulp and membranes from the centre leaving a cleaned-out half with white pith intact. Alternatively, you can do as we have here and disrobe your orange with a sharp knife, leaving behind a naked fruit ready to slice or to segment for a salad, a dessert, your breakfast, … – your house, your rules!

• Once you have your peel – free from flesh and membrane, and further trimmed of any extremes of white pith if you are a complete perfectionist – slice it into whatever size and shape appeals to you – we went for approximately ½ cm wide long strips.
• The peel now requires pre-softening or ‘blanching’. Place the peel in a heavy-based pan, cover in boiling water (a boiling water tap makes this easy, but a kettle will do), bring back to the boil on a hob, then simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander.

• Repeat this process four times more (5 times in total). This is necessary for reducing the bitterness of the peel and preparing it to receive the sugar.

Make a sugar syrup

• The quantities given in our ingredients are normally right for the quantity of oranges given, but it is the proportions that are important – one part water to two parts sugar is the formula – you need enough syrup to comfortably submerge the peel.
• In the same (rinsed) heavy-based pan you have been using for blanching, add the sugar and water and, over a low heat, stir the sugar gently until it has completely dissolved. Then turn the heat up high, bring to a boil, and boil for about a minute.

Candying method

• Add the peel, distribute it evenly, bring back to the boil momentarily, and then lower the heat to medium and allow to simmer*, partially covered, for about an hour and a half. This enables the peel to absorb the sugar right through to its core.

*We used a Bora hob on level 3

• The peel is ready when it is tender and slightly translucent, by which time the syrup will also have become thicker and bubblier.
• Remove the peel from the hot syrup and lay on a draining rack to cool (put a tray underneath, lined with baking parchment, to catch any drips).

• Once the peel is cooled and no longer dripping syrup or feeling wet to the touch, transfer to a tray lined with waxed or baking paper, dredge in sugar (caster or granulated), toss to coat, and leave to finish drying somewhere suitable – until it is no longer tacky. Your candied peel is now ready to use or to store in an airtight container.

Serving suggestions

You can dip these strips of peel into melted chocolate to serve with coffee or offer as gifts, use them as an ingredient in Xmas cakes and pies, or as a garnish for any number of sweet things – or feel free to eat them straight up as a snack – naked, unashamed, and at will. As a kindness to any hardworking elves in the vicinity, you can also leave them accessible in places where elves are likely to visit – keeping them suitably nourished while they carry out their seasonal toil.