CANDIED CITRUS PEELS: A ZERO WASTE KITCHEN RECIPE

It’s an undeniable fact that homemade food is always better than canned or store-bought food. The best example to justify this fact is the super easy and scrumptious homemade candied citrus peels.

You don’t even have to go shopping to try out this easy peasy recipe, which takes no time and zero ingredients. And it evens helps you to reduce your kitchen waste. Amazing!

You might have tasted the traditional candied citrus peels, but we are going to show you some awesome ideas for turning your citrus peels into super delicious treats.

Let’s get started:

Candied Citrus Peels

Gloria

It's a mouthwatering dish for Christmas, Valentine's Day, and other events.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

8 hrs

Total Time 9 hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 30 Slices

Calories 50 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 3 Whole Oranges, grapefruits, limes You can also take lemons/2-3 cup peel strips
• 8 Cups Water
• 2½ Cups granulated sugar
• 3 Bars Chocolate (optional)

Instructions

 

• Peel the sticker from your fruits and wash them with water until they are clean. Peel of the rinds from the fruits. After peeling, cut the peels into strips.
• Now put the peels into a non-stick saucepan and add 4 cups of water. Water should be enough to cover your citrus peel strips. Bring the water to a boil and boil the peels for at least15 minutes.
• Take the peel strips out of the water and rinse them off with fresh water.
• (Take one strip and check the bitterness, if you want to remove the remaining bitterness, bring the peels to boil for another 15 minutes and rinse them off with fresh water.)
• Take 2-3 cups of water and add sugar to it. Keep stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved in water. Now add the peel strips into the sugar water and boil for15-20 minutes and reduce it to simmer for additional 20 minutes.
• When you see a translucency in the strips, remove them from heat, and lay them to dry on a wire rack. Let them dry for 6 to 8 hours/ overnight, and when they have completely dried, toss them in granulated sugar or dip them in melted chocolate.
• Shake off the excess sugar, and store them in airtight jars in a cool dry place.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Make sure to remove the white pith from the citrus fruit peels because it plays a major role in the bitter taste.

Note 2: The thinness of the peel strips will decide the hardness or softness of your citrus candies.

Note 3: By reducing the dry time and skipping the sugar tossing step, you can keep your peel softer. But make sure to keep them in a refrigerator in an airtight jar.

Note 4: The sugar syrup left from the final boiling and simmering step can be used in drinks and lemonades.

Disclaimer: Video shown in the above recipe might be different from our recipe, we’ve included different recipes for reader’s ease. You could follow any of the recipes to suit your needs better. But, we recommend using the recipe shown in the text form, as we have used this recipe by ourselves.

Keyword citrus peels, zero waste recipe

Nutritional Facts

Nutritional information might change with a change in the ingredients and is taken from the best possible source.

• Calories: 50g
• Saturated fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 17g
• Protein: 1g
• Sugars: 19g
• Sodium: 0g

Some nutritional facts about candied citrus peels

• Do you know, orange peel has more vitamin C than orange itself!
• Candied citrus peels are not only deserts but healthy treats, in fact as they have a rich amount of vitamins and essential minerals that are found in the fruit.
• If we talk about the nutritional value of a peel of one orange, it contains rich amounts of Calcium, Vitamin A, vitamin B6, and other minerals.
• Anti-oxidants are immune boosters, as they play big roles in making the immune system stronger. And guess what citrus peels are rich in anti-oxidants.
• Polyphenols present in the peels of citrus fruits help fight against different chronic diseases.

Read related recipe: The Best Easy Apple Pie Filling Recipe

FAQs

Can you eat candied lemon peel?

Answer: Yes, you can eat candied lemon peels. Candied citrus peels can be made from all the citrus fruits including lemons, and can be used in many recipes.

How long do candied citrus peels last?

Answer: Candied citrus peels can last for a week without a fridge, a month in the refrigerator, and can stay good for at least 11-12 months in the freezer.

How to use candied citrus peels in other desserts?

Answer: You can add candied lemon peels in baking; cookies, fruit cakes, and bread. Also, you can use your candied citrus peels in cake decoration.