Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe | A Spicy Perspective (2024)

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A totally foolproof, wonderfully easyCandied Orange Peel recipethat makes sweet and brightorangepeel candy – perfect for theholidays!

Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe | A Spicy Perspective (1)

Candied Orange Peels

The holidays call for a bit offlourish, don’t they?

Candied Orange Peelsare a terrificallyvibrant and deliciousway to add festive pizazz to Christmas cocktails and desserts. Bright golden slivers of sugar-coated orange peels taste as wonderful as they look, and bring some impressive flair to nearly any drink or dish.

Most recipes for making candied orange peels from scratch seem trickier than necessary. They often use candy thermometers, and include watching (and watching… And more watching) for crystallization. No, thank you.

This easy recipe makes the BEST, sweetest orange peel candy, without all the fuss. The pieces aresoft and perky, with just the right hint of chewiness and light, sugary crunch.

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What Ingredients You Need

Our uncomplicated recipe for tangy Citrus Peel Candy includes only 5 simple ingredients:

  • Navel Orangesjust the peels so feel free to use the juice of the orange to make other holiday recipes, likeHoliday Wine Punch Cocktails(You can also use Valencia or Cara Cara oranges.)
  • Waterfor simmering the peels
  • Granulated sugarto create perfectly sweet candied orange peels
  • Vanilla– adds a deep earthy flavor to balance out the sweetness
  • Saltessential for the candying process

You can also use this same recipe for making candied grapefruit,lemon peel, or limepeels! Orange you glad to know? *wink*

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How to Make the Easiest Candied Orange Peels

Instructions…

This effortless recipe is great to make as a relaxing weekend or weekday evening project. Just follow these few basic steps for making cheery, citrusy-good orange peel candyfrom scratch at home in less than an hour!

First, prep the oranges by trimming off the tops and bottoms with a paring knife. Then use a vegetable peeler tocarefully peel the orangesfrom top to bottom, into 2-4 inch long segments. It helps to press the peelervery firmlyagainst the orange to collect a nice even layer of peel, omitting as much white pith as possible.

Once you’ve peeled all of the oranges into wide strips, cut the slices into thinner ¼ inch strips.

Next, place theorange peel segmentsinto a medium saucepan and turn the heat on to medium or medium-low. Add water, sugar, and salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. As soon as the water begins to boil, set a timer for 20 minutes. You want to cook the peels until they arejust soft, but still have their lovely vibrant color. (Using medium to medium-high heat will burn your peels quickly.)

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Meanwhile, prepare for the next steps: Add the remaining ½ cup sugar to a bowl and set aside, and set out a drying rack with a piece of wax paper or parchment paper under it.

Once the orange peels have simmered for 20 minutes, stir in the vanilla extract. Turn off the heat andlet the peels rest in the sugar syrupfor several minutes.

Then use tongs (or a slotted spoon) to move the orange peels to the cooling wire rack. Allow the orange peels to rest for at least 15 minutes to dry and cool. (This allows the excess syrup to drain off the slices.)

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Toss the cooled peels in the sugar to coat.

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Let the peels dry completely at room temperature. This should take another 30 minutes or so.

Store the Candied Orange Peels in an airtight container, and keep in the fridge forup to 2 weeks. Enjoy as a snack or as a decoration on cake or cupcakes.

Get the Full (Printable) Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe + Video Below!

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How Can I Enjoy Candied Orange Peel?

Eat these homemade candies right out of the container as a special treat, or serve Candied Orange Peels as agarnish on desserts and drinks.

Add a few toHomemade Chocolate Puddingfor a delicious chocolate and orange dish, or top thisYogurt Cheesecake with Orange Shortbread Crustto add an extra burst of citrus flavor.

Use pieces of orange peels to finish festive cocktails, like anAperol Spritzor in aSpiced Manhattan Cocktail.

However, you choose to include, these homemade candies are sure to add some joy to your holiday celebrations!

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Looking for More Easy Candy Recipes?

  • Vanilla Orange Candied Cranberries
  • Bourbon Salted Caramel Candy Recipe
  • The Tastiest Turkish Delight Recipe (Lokum)
  • Bourbon Candied Bacon Bites
  • Chocolate Toffee Christmas Crack Recipe

Check this candy’s printable recipe card below for the prep time, total time, and nutrition information including calories, protein, sodium, potassium, vitamin c, and calcium percentages.

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Print Recipe

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The Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

A totally foolproof, wonderfully easy Candied Orange Peel recipe that makes sweet and bright orange peel candy – perfect for the holidays!

Servings: 20 servings

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Trim the tops and bottoms of the oranges. Then use a vegetables peeler to peel the oranges from top to bottom, into 2-4 inch segments. Press the peeler firmly against the orange to collect a nice even layer of peel. Be careful to trim off just the peel, not the white bitter pith. Then cut the wide strips into ¼ inch thin strips.

  • Place the orange peel segments into a medium saucepot. Set over medium to medium-low heat. Add the water, 1 cup of sugar, and the salt. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, set the timer and simmer approximately 20 minutes, or until the peels look soft, but still retain their vibrant color. (You don’t want them to turn brown, so set the stove just hot enough to hold the simmer.)

  • Meanwhile, place the remaining ½ cup sugar in a bowl and set aside. Set out a drying rack and place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper under it.

  • Once the orange peels have simmered 20 minutes, stir in the vanilla extract. Turn off the heat and let the peels rest in the sugar syrup for another 5-10 minutes.

  • Use tongs to move the orange peels to the cooling rack. Allow the orange peels to rest at least 15 minutes to dry and cool. Then toss them in the sugar to coat. Let the peels dry completely at room temperature. Then store in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

You can candy lemon and lime peels as well!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 71kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 59mg, Potassium: 47mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 59IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Candy, Dessert, Drinks, Snack

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

Making this recipe?Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

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Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe | A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe | A Spicy Perspective? ›

Add the water, 1 cup of sugar, and the salt. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, set the timer and simmer approximately 20 minutes, or until the peels look soft, but still retain their vibrant color. (You don't want them to turn brown, so set the stove just hot enough to hold the simmer.)

How to make candied orange peels not bitter? ›

You can choose to boil up to 2 more times to remove more bitterness from the peel before candying. With oranges, you can blanche the peels just once or twice if you want to save time, but with more bitter citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, or grapefruit, I recommend repeating the step twice.

What is orange peel spice? ›

The outer peel of the orange, commonly referred to as orange zest, holds the highest amount of essential oils. To get the best flavor, and avoid bitter undertones, we only use the thin outer layer of tree-ripened oranges for our Spice Islands® orange peel.

How long do candied orange peels last? ›

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

How to use candied orange peel? ›

Bitter and sweet, fruity and chewy, candied orange peel is one of citrus season's under-appreciated treats. Whether spooned over ice cream, garnishing a fancy cocktail or mocktail, drizzled over pancakes, or chopped and mixed into cookies or scones, they are as versatile as they are delicious.

How long to boil orange peels to get rid of bitterness? ›

Place orange peel in a sauce pan cover with a generous amount of water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 10 minutes. Strain in a colander.

What makes orange peel bitter? ›

One of the main challenges for the citrus industry is bitterness, generally associated to the peel of the fruit because of having a high content on polyphenols, mainly flavonoids and limonoids.

What is the orange Mexican spice? ›

Mexican Spices List. Achiote – This seed imparts a brilliant orange color and mildly earthy flavor. It is used in sauces and marinades, and as a natural food coloring.

What is the orange spice called? ›

Turmeric, which is a root, is orange and highly used in curries and soup. That could also be something called galangal ( in Thai) that is a dense, orange, tough root- kind of like ginger. If it is a paste, it could have other ingredients added, like habanero peppers or orange Chiles.

What is dried orange peel called? ›

Chenpi, chen pi, or chimpi is sun-dried mandarin orange peel used as a traditional seasoning in Chinese cooking and traditional medicine. It is aged by storing them dry. The taste is first slightly sweet, but the aftertaste is pungent and bitter.

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.

Why are my candied orange slices bitter? ›

A: You may not have boiled your orange slices long enough in plain water to pull out the bitterness from the peel.

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.

What can you make with orange peel? ›

12 Simple Ideas to Use All the Citrus Peels
  • 1 Candy the peels. Remove as much pith as possible from the peels of 4 to 6 citrus fruits. ...
  • 2 Freeze citrus zest. ...
  • 3 Make citrus salt. ...
  • 4 Clean your home. ...
  • 5 Clean your sink. ...
  • 6 Repel garden pests. ...
  • 7 Toss on compost. ...
  • 8 Make orange essential oil.
Jan 28, 2016

How do you rehydrate candied orange peel? ›

To rehydrate, add three parts water to one part peel and let stand 15 minutes.

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.

How do you fix bitter orange peels? ›

Also, after washing you should slice orange peels sliced ​​through boiling water to reduce the bitter taste of essential oil in oranges. You just need to catch boiling water and put the orange peeled into quills for 2-5 minutes, then rinse through cold water can be blanched several times to orange peel does not bitter.

How do you reduce the bitterness of oranges? ›

heat will draw out most of the bitter tasting. substances from the pith (bitter substances in the. orange pith are water-soluble).

How to make oranges not bitter? ›

The secret to getting rid of the bitterness. is to boil your citrus for 2 minutes. and then toss it in an ice bath to stop the cooking.

References

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