An easy recipe for candied orange peel, with step-by-step photos. Use them in your favorite recipe, dip them in chocolate for a sweet treat, or give them as homemade gifts!
Quick Note: This is an updated version of a post that originally appeared on Bright-Eyed Baker in 2012. Updates include new text and photos, as well as some details added to the instructions for clarity.
The Holidays are here!
I honestly can’t believe how quickly this year has flown by, especially in these last few months. I have a couple more (brand new) recipes to share with you all before the year is over, but since this is *the season* to make and gift alllll the candied orange peel, I wanted to re-share this recipe first.
In case you’ve never heard of Candied Orange Peels before, they’re exactly what they sound like: strips of orange peel that have been cooked in a sugar syrup til they’re soft and chewable, and then (optionally) rolled in sugar for an extra sweet finish. They have a strong orange flavor that really shines in baked goods like bread and scones, but taste equally as good on their own (especially dipped in chocolate!).
These take a bit of time to make, but the process is simple, and a lot of the time is hands-off. They also make a great homemade, edible gift for the holidays, as so many of you have told me you’ve used them for over the years!
So, are you ready to do this? Let’s dive in!
How to make Candied Orange Peel, step-by-step (with photos):
To begin, rinse 3 navel or valencia oranges. (You can use more, like I did for these photos, but you’ll want to increase the other ingredients accordingly.)
Cut the top and bottom off each orange and score the skin into quarters.
Remove the skin (both the peel and pith – the white part), and cut into strips about 1/4″ wide. Wrap the oranges in plastic wrap to store for other use.
Place the strips of peel in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water.
Blanch the peels: Set the saucepan on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, drain the water from the peels. Cover with fresh water and repeat this process at least twice more.
This removes the bitterness that orange peel naturally has; you may want to blanch the peels 4-5 times to ensure no bitterness remains. Once done, drain the water for the last time and transfer the peels to a bowl while prepping the sugar syrup.
In the same (now empty) saucepan, whisk together 2 1/4 cups sugar and 1 1/8 cups water.
Return the saucepan to the stove and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let the mixture cook for 8-9 minutes at a constant simmer, adjusting the heat as needed to make sure it doesn’t boil.
Add the orange peel and cook just until the whites (pith) are fairly translucent, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain a simmer and prevent boiling. For me this takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour on medium-low heat, but every stove and pan is different so it’s a good idea to check on them every 10-15 minutes. If necessary, swirl the pan occasionally to make sure that all of the peels get covered with syrup. Avoid stirring, as this will cause crystallation.
(Note: In the below photo, the syrup was just on the edge of getting too hot and starting to boil. You’ll want to keep the simmer slightly lower.)
Drain remaining syrup from the peels, setting aside for another use if desired. Toss the peels in a bowl of sugar to coat (optional), and then transfer to a drying rack to dry. Once dry, store in an airtight container.
If desired, you can also dip them in chocolate for an extra treat!
Ready to make more candied treats? Here are a few other favorites:
Brown Sugar Candied Walnuts – just 5 minutes and 3 ingredients to make this sweet, crunchy treat.
Candied Pecans – Another easy, candied nut recipe that’s also perfect for holiday gift-giving!
Candied Kumquats – The sweet-tart combo of sugar and kumquats is so good, and these only take about 20 minutes to make!
PrintCandied Orange Peel {gluten-free}
An easy recipe for candying orange peel, with step-by-step photos. Use them in your favorite recipe, dip them in chocolate for a sweet treat, or give them as homemade gifts!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hr 9 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hr 39 minutes
- Yield: 1–2 cups peel 1x
- Category: candy
- Method: stovetop
Ingredients
- 3 navel or valencia oranges
- 2 1/4 cups (15 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 1/8 cups (9 ounces) water
Instructions
- Rinse the oranges. Cut the top and bottom off each and score the skin into quarters.
- Remove the skin (both the peel and pith – the white part), and cut the skin into strips about 1/4″ wide. Wrap the oranges in plastic wrap to store for other use.
- Blanch the peels: Place the strips of peel in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set the saucepan on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, drain the water from the peels. Cover with fresh water and repeat this process at least twice more. (This removes the bitterness that orange peel naturally has; you may want to blanch the peels 4-5 times to ensure no bitterness remains.) Once done, drain the water for the last time and transfer the peels to a bowl while prepping the sugar syrup.
- In the same (now empty) saucepan, whisk together the sugar and water. Return the saucepan to the stove and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let the mixture cook for 8-9 minutes at a constant simmer, adjusting the heat as needed to make sure it doesn’t boil.
- Add the orange peel to the syrup mixture and cook just until the whites (pith) are fairly translucent, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain a simmer and prevent boiling. For me this takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour on medium-low heat, but every stove and pan is different so it’s a good idea to check on them every 10-15 minutes. If necessary, swirl the pan occasionally to make sure that all of the peels get covered with syrup. Avoid stirring, as this will cause crystallation.
- Drain remaining syrup from the peels, setting aside for another use if desired. Toss the peels in a bowl of sugar to coat (optional), and then transfer to a drying rack to dry. Once dry, store in an airtight container. These keep well for at least a few months in a cool, dry place.
Notes
Method adapted from Food Network
Keywords: candied orange peel, candying orange peel, candy orange peel, food gifts
Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2019-2020
sarah says
My mom brought in a orange the moment i clicked on this page. fate?
brighteyedbaker says
I think so! Make the peel!!
John says
I know it’s been four years, but I’m sure those oranges were taught a lesson
Racheal says
A year a half later, still waiting for an update.
NB says
Checking in 6 years on, HOW WERE THE PEELS SARAH, YOU CANT JUST LOVE US AND LEAVE US LIKE THIS.
Jennifer A Machiele says
also waiting on an update….
Jorja says
Still waiting… 2019
Lily says
2020 please update
Julia Coovadia says
HI I wanted to know if they are dry- I need some for a granola recipe.
Thanks
alexandra says
They should work for granola!
Kathy says
Julia, I would love to know your recipe. I make my own granola and looking for variations.
alexandra says
I have a few granola recipes on the blog that you can check out! You can find them here.
Surabhi says
Hey Sarah, The world really wants to know :) :D
★★★★★
Ems says
7 years later ……
I would love to know! Xx
Also, is this acceptable to bake with children? And is it nice dipped in chocolate?
alexandra says
I’m sure they would be fantastic dipped in chocolate. Probably not the easiest recipe to try with young kids though!
Anne says
Dark chocolate candied orange peels were the treat my dad would bring home for me when I was a child. Divine!!
Making these currently. Thank you!
★★★★★
Amy says
SARAH SWEETIE COME ON WE NEED THIS UPDATE MY DARN LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!
jaykay says
Sarah…..and?
Here ’tis 2019 and we’re still waiting for the update!
Colin says
Waiting for that update.
Cora says
Sarah, did you make the peels? We’ve been waiting for years
like 100 oranges send help says
Sarah The Peels?
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
These look awesome! I saw them on FG…congrats.
I want to make these!
brighteyedbaker says
Do try making them! They’re sooo good :) Thanks for the comment.
Keshav says
I made them but they were bitter
alexandra says
You might need to blanch them more times next time!
Jocko says
Try cutting most of the pith off, that is what is making it bitter. Laying an intact quarter or eighth of the orange peel on a cutting board, the orange fruit section removed and the white pith facing up. With a sharp knife align the blade between the pith and peel and gently saw the length until all the pith is removed. Slice to desired size and follow the recipe above.
Some Cook says
You dont want to cut out the pith, while yest that is what is the bitter part that is also the part you are candying so you just need to boil and change the water more times from what i heard these are the “Just barely enough times”
Orange = 1 boil
lemon or lime – 3 boils
grapefruit = 5 boils
Mel (Sharky Oven Gloves) says
I keep coming across recipes that call for candied orange peel, but never have any on hand – this wonderful-looking homemade candied peel looks like the solution to that!!
brighteyedbaker says
The candied peel really adds to bread, scones, etc. I hope you try making the peel soon, and let me know what you think!
diane says
I’m making chocolate almond marsala wine cookies and it calls for the candied orange
Perihan says
Please would you share that recipe for chocolate, almond, Marsala wine cookies with the orange peels addition?
Nina Angela McKissock says
So I grew my habaneros, and made candied orange/hot pepper jam. Unreal. So wonderful.
alexandra says
Ooh sounds SO GOOD!
Paula Salmon says
Nina…this sounds like something I MUST try…would you please share the recipe?
Agne says
Wow! Definitely going to make it.
brighteyedbaker says
Good! They’re delicious!
Cathy @ Savory Notes says
i wonder if candied lime peels would be good too… gonna try these soon :)
Sarah says
I just made candied citrus peels today with lemons and mandarins and they were also tasty!
Your orange peels look great!
brighteyedbaker says
MMM! Sounds amazing! And Thank You :)
Mari Kinsey says
thank you Sarah I was wondering the same thing. I’m going to try the Orange peels and see how they come out. I will post my results.
brighteyedbaker says
I bet they would be! This was my first foray into doing candied peel. It worked out so well that I wouldn’t mind trying lime/lemon/mandarin/grapefruit/etc. myself!
JENN says
I made candied peel from lemons, limes, orange and grapefruit. The grapefruit peel was the prettiest looking. I mixed all the peels and followed the recipe. I boiled it 3 times. and simmered in sugar syrup for 1 hour.
alexandra says
So great that you worked this out with so many fruits! Grapefruit peel sounds like it would be amazing! It’s on my list of things to try at some point for sure. :)
JENN says
now I am going to try the recipe for orange glazed scones.
alexandra says
Awesome! Hope you enjoy them :)
Lady H says
I know this is six years later… but I tried candied lime peels before and they were WEIRD. Maybe we had a bad batch of limes, don’t know. But my orange peels, lemon peels, and grapefruit peels are always a hit!
★★★★★
Katie says
I also have done lime peels – not tasty for us. But the orange, lemon, grapefruit and mandarin are all super good. My family says no more lime peels. I agree. And, none of us can get enough of the rest of them!
alexandra says
Grapefruit sounds SO good!
The Steaming Pot says
What a lovely idea! Beautiful pictures. Will try these., thanks for sharing.
brighteyedbaker says
Thank you thank you! Please let me know what you think when you make the peel! I’d love to hear :)
myfudo says
I am a fan of DIY posts! I love the orange theme…esp the plaid tablecloth. Thanks for the post!
brighteyedbaker says
Good to here! I just got the tablecloth, and I’m loving it :) Thanks for stopping by!
Amanda says
We love this simple and informative recipe! Candied orange peels are amazing- and just like you- we never thought to make them ourselves! We can’t wait to try these out! Our Food Lovers would love this recipe! Feel free to share on our community page! http://bit.ly/wlZhX4
brighteyedbaker says
Thanks! I stopped by the site. Glad to know of it :)
Christin says
I’m making these for a gender neutral, orange themed baby shower. They are going to look great AND be so tasty! :)
brighteyedbaker says
What a great idea! I love it :)
Barbara says
How long will these candied peels last? Should they be refrigerated?
brighteyedbaker says
They last for a good amount of time – a few months, at least. I don’t refrigerate mine; I just keep them in the pantry. Hope that helps :)
Gillian says
Can anyone who has made this recipe comment on how firm the peel becomes while it is stored? I have to candy long “strings” of peel to drape over a cake, so I need it to be fairly pliable, not stiff. Thanks very much!
alexandra says
The peels don’t stay “stringy” as I imagine you are aiming for them to be. I’m actually not sure that I’ve seen anything like that before. I’d be interested to know if you come across anything though!
Theresa Diane Huseman says
Add 3 tablespoons clear corn syrup (karo syrup) to your water and sugar mixture before boiling it. This addition will allow citrus to remain pliable.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Thanks for the tip!
Daniel says
Why not try making a citrus peel spaghetti strand using the pasta maker? Just an idea, haven’t trued it myself.
Emma says
I know this answer is too late for you but might help others. I think what you wanted is orange peel spirals – not really candied orange peel. (Like long strips of orange zest – not as tasty as candied orange but more decorative).
To make the spirals there’s a tool or you can carefully use a paring knife or any knife with a sharp point – peel a narrow section, avoiding the pith as much as possible. You want the peel to be almost transparent because the pith is the bitter part; also the peel is more flexible w/o the pith. Easiest way is to pierce the skin and then rotate the orange around the knife (more chance of cutting yourself though!). You could also cut wider spirals around the orange; then afterwards you could split them into narrow spirals. After peeling, lightly moisten and roll/dust in either finely granulated sugar or powdered sugar. The old method is to paint with egg white before dusting, but I’d avoid raw egg in case someone actually eats the peel. It’s like using orange zest but a zester would probably not make long enough strips before breaking. FYI – haven’t tried yet but was thinking of experimenting with corn syrup instead of egg white to see if sugar sticks better to the peel.
alexandra says
Thanks for sharing all your tips Emma!
Louise says
I’ve no idea why, but mine burned 30 minutes into the cooking time. They were on the lowest simmer on my stove’s smallest burner. Not sure what to do next time to avoid this. Any ideas? Thanks. :)
alexandra says
That’s strange; I’ve never had that happen to me, nor have I heard from anyone else who has tried the recipe that this has happened. My only thought would be to make sure you are swirling the pan around occasionally while the peels cook. If the peels get translucent earlier than the 45 minutes stated in the recipe, you could take them off the stove then, which might help. I hope you give it another go!
Julian says
Hello, I just had the same problem as Louise, 20 min and burned. Lowest stove’s burner, I followed the recipe from A to Z.
★★★★
alexandra says
Hmm, that’s strange, but my recommendation would be to keep it at the lowest heat and cook just until the peels turn translucent, rather than the whole 45 min-1 hour. Sorry you had trouble!
Katie says
I know this is kind of old, but using a instant read thermometer stop when it gets to 250 degrees, no need to check until it starts to crystalize on the bottom, you can swipe a silicone spatula along the bottom occasionally and you’ll feel that happen, also, if your burners are a bit hotter you can use an additional 1/2 cup of water to start.
★★★★★
Momo says
For the burning issue, could it be the sugar not get whisked well in the water before cooking?
alexandra says
Hmm, could be! Interesting thought
Emma says
It might be that your burners are hotter than other stoves (commercial stoves are – and the ‘look-like-commercial’ home stoves sometimes have high btu’s). Also I have electric stove and hate it compared to gas. I don’t have this problem but you might try using a double boiler so the gentle water heat below might alleviate the burning. Also make sure the pan is thick – some of the thin walled inexpensive pans can heat excessively and have hot spots. (I know this is an older question but posting my response in case it helps others.)
Donna says
I have the same problem with my stove… I use a cast iron skillet under my pan…
Fay says
To help prevent burning, make sure you have enough liquid and space. You want them to be sort of poaching, not clumped against the bottom. It works quite well to use the left over sugar syrup for marmalade – use the fruit and a bit of peel. But you need to make sure the peel has been well blanched, so the sugar syrup isn’t bitter.
Evelyn says
After searching where to buy candied orange peel, I came across recipes to make them instead. I need for a recipe. So having oranges on hand I gave it a go. Mine too began to brown at the bottom, even at my lowest setting. But I did let mine cook for the 45min. Glad I took them off when I did or they would have burnt. They taste delicious, glad I made them. I will be making again.
★★★★★
alexandra says
I’m not sure why the orange peels would have started to brown. Maybe your pan isn’t very thick? I’m glad it all worked out though!
Andy says
Yes that would be the reason I’d imagine.
cathy says
I tried making these. I’m not sure if i did this correctly. They still taste a little bitter. And I saw some other websites that tossed the orange peels in sugar after they were drained. Was I supposed to do that? Thanks!
alexandra says
When I made the candied orange peels for this post, I didn’t toss them in sugar at the end, but I later tried the same recipe with Meyer lemons and I did toss those in sugar. Really, it’s a matter of preference, as long as your peels are still just wet enough for the sugar to stick. If they taste bitter, you probably need to try blanching them more than the three times called for in the recipe. Hope that helps!
Cheri says
Mine also turned out a little bitter. They haven’t dried completely just yet & I sprinkled them with some sugar. I have an induction cooktop and I did reboil them 3 times. Next time I will blanch 4-5 times. Thanks for the recipe & all the feedback on questions!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Extra blanching should do the trick, and sprinkling them with some granulated sugar is a good idea regardless. ;) Hope your first batch is still sweet enough to be tasty!
Lori says
On a recent business trip, my breakfast berries included tiny candied orange peel strips that were delicious. I wanted to try to make orange peels my self and thanks to your recipe, the orange peels turned our perfectly! Thank you for the clear and beautifully photographed recipe. Your step by step instructions gave me confidence that I could make these.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! It make my day knowing that this post helped you out so much. :) And now you can enjoy the candied orange peel whenever you want!
Sue says
Hi. I am Gging to make some and as I have been eating oranges I have cut and frozen the peel. I have quite a few now so I wanted to make a lot in one go so do you have a weight ratio for the sugar and water solution? Thanks.
alexandra says
The weight ratio would be 1 3/4 ounces sugar to every 1 ounce of water. (Based on the amount of orange peel used in the recipe as listed, this comes out to 10 1/2 ounces sugar to 6 ounces of water). Hope that helps!
Samia says
Please help, I tried to make candied peel but somehow its turned out quite bitter. I did discard the water after the first boil. Could I still pick up the receipe from the second boil?
★★★★★
alexandra says
I’m a little confused by what you mean. Did you try this recipe and end up with bitter orange peels, or another recipe? If you followed through with the entire recipe then you would be far past the first boil. If you could maybe explain your problem a little more I’d be happy to try to help:)
sena says
I tried this today for my florentines. It came out a bit hard XD probably I cooked too long.. but still amazingly yummy and useful. I’ll try again with asian citruses later! Thank you for your great and easy recipe!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Well, I’m glad you still liked the peels even if they weren’t perfect! You’re welcome, and I’d love to hear if you try the recipe out again and fix the problem of the peels being a bit hard.
Zara from Ireland says
I love the way that you give so many really good
photographs with the recipes.
It is very reassuring to check every now and then
that your picture of the pan looks vaguely like mine!
I am new to this site but I am really enjoying it.
Great comments too from all the other “followers”
alexandra says
Thanks, I’m so glad to hear that! It’s great to know that the step-by-step photos were helpful. :)
kstobias says
Just made these and they’re wonderful! I’m glad I read the other comments because I tend to walk away from food that needs a while to simmer. I used a cast iron skillet so took them off after only 20 minutes because they were already turning translucent and I wanted them to stay a little gummy. They were perfect after I rolled them in sugar and I even added the syrup to my tea! Best cup this year!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Well I’m so glad you figured out what would work best for you BEFORE you started the recipe, so you ended up happy instead of frustrated! Every stove is different, and as you mentioned, so are pots/skillets/etc. Good thinking with using your judgement! Thanks for letting me know about your experience with the recipe; I’m happy you tried it. :)
Stone works says
What about using an apple peeler machine for long strips??
Can’t wait to try it!!
alexandra says
I don’t have an apple peeler, but I would try it if I did! (Just make sure you still get the pith – the white part- in there.) That would be fun to have long strips!
Mary says
I used the orange juice in the sugar syrup and a dribble of elderflower cordial we had left over in the fridge as well as the water and sugar suggested by the recipe. The candied orange flavour is beautifully intense!
★★★★★
alexandra says
That sounds fantastic! Did you still use the full amount of water in the sugar syrup as stated in the recipe? And did you just use all the juice from the three oranges? I love the idea and want to give it a try next time I make these.
William says
I have been making candied Orange (and Lemon and Grapefruit) peel for some years now. My first recipes for the candied orange peel came 2 old cookbooks. “The Household Searchlight Recipe Book” copyright 1931 and “The Gourmet Cookbook Vol. 1” copyright 1950. After cooking the peels until they are just tender, drain them and cook in a 2 parts sugar to 1 part water mixture to a temp of 230° F on a candy thermometer. Then allow them to cool in the sugar solution overnight. Place them on a cookie sheet and place in a 250° F oven until the surface is firm (The Household Searchlight) Or Cook until tender, scrape off the white pith with a spoon and then cook in the Sugar water mix to 230°F Drain in a coarse sieve, cool on a plate and roll in granulated sugar “The Gourmet Cookbook Vol. 1″
Other Freshly cooked, canned or dried fruits may also be candied this way with the temp taken to 234° F to 238° F. Allow to cool in the syrup overnight, drain, roll in sugar and place on a cookie sheet in a 250° F oven until the surface is firm. Peaches, apples, figs, prunes, quinces, citron, pineapple, plums, cherries and apricots may all be used. (The Household Searchlight”) I have no doubt many other fruits could also be used. The key is that the fruit must be cooked to tenderness before immersion in the syrup.
It is also possible to use food coloring in the syrup to tint the fruits to desired colors.
★★★★★
Becky Clark says
This is my second time making the orange peel. It is a keeper and just the right taste when I want something sweet.my 89 year old mom just loves them. Thank you for posting this.
Elaine says
As a suggestion for the left over syrup (i used to do candied lemon peel this way, or sometimes orange and lemon), i use the left over syrup to make “lemonade) by pouring a bit of soda water over it. My daughter’s friends love it. another use would be drizzling over vanilla icecream (or using in the icecream if making from scratch).
alexandra says
Both of those sound like awesome ideas! I especially love the soda water one since I love club soda with lemon or lime. Thanks for sharing!
June says
I am about to harvest my first crop of blood oranges (all seven!) and searched for a candied peel recipe to garnish chocolate mousse. This looks perfect thank you – I may dip one end in dark chocolate too – just in case there isn’t enough in the chocolate mousse!
alexandra says
Sounds so good. I love chocolate mousse! I say go for the extra dipping of chocolate; that’s certainly something I would do!
Anne Powers says
I needed candied orange peel for an Italian recipe “sfogliatelle”. After spending a Saturday driving around town I came across your site and decided to try making them myself. They turned out PERFECT!! Now…on to the hard part. Thank you for the great instructions.
★★★★
alexandra says
That’s awesome! I’m so glad the recipe was helpful for you. :) Good luck with your sfogliatelle! It sounds like quite a pastry feat to accomplish!
katrina says
I am making these now. Taste good. I added lime extract and coconut flakes to mine. :)
★★★★★
alexandra says
Yay! Love that idea!
katrina says
I ended up making the orange scones too! They were amaaaaaaaazing!!! I had to replace cream with cream cheese and orange juice concentrate with just orange juice and then added some orange extract and lavender essential oil. Soooooo good! Thanks so much for these recipes. I used the leftover orange peel syrup and added that to jasmine tea. My friend and I loved this today!
★★★★★
Mina says
Hey! Thanks for this great recipe. I really liked the clear instructions and photos.
Unfortunately (due to my lack of knowledge of simple syrup-making rules and general newbieness) I still managed to burn the peels to a crisp!! They were black and could be snapped in half! The syrup stuck to the colander and my sink like concrete and I had to scrub with boiling water and detergent for ages haha
I think the syrup must have burnt as the orange peels smelt bad and it was dark brown. I thought it might have been ‘caramelizing’ haha
Only posting this so others can learn from my failure. I’ll try again soon and I’m sure they’ll work out :)
★★★★
alexandra says
Oh no! That’s a bummer!
I don’t think you really want any caramelization going on here. :/ Definitely try it again and let me know how it goes! Make sure your simple syrup stays at a simmer the whole time the peels are cooking (no boiling!) and if the peels turn translucent before the time is up, take them off the heat early. Hope that helps!
Mina says
Hi again Alexandra,
I tried this recipe again, watching the syrup like a hawk (I also bought a candy thermometer to make sure it didn’t go above 112 degrees celcius). After 1.5 hours the peel was translucent. Probably because I used the smallest burner this time.
Anyway, they turned out great! Dipped them in dark choc…yum!
Thanks again :)
★★★★★
alexandra says
I’m so glad to hear it! I need to make some more myself and dip in dark chocolate… that sounds yummy! Thanks for letting me know. :)
lacey says
I also had trouble with the syrup becoming crystallized and the peels burning at 20 min. stove was on low the whole time but with big slow bubbles forming … ???? too hot or not hot enough idk.
alexandra says
It sounds like it must have been too hot, but that’s strange to me. Perhaps you should try using a more heavy-duty pan? Something with a light colored bottom might be helpful to for keeping a closer eye on the peels.
My other thought is that maybe you cooked your sugar down too much before adding the peel. Try cooking it less, that way it can simmer more, like you see in the photos, rather than bubbling really slowly, which suggests it is thick.
Jenny says
Made these this afternoon to go on a cake. They are dry but are so nice already! Really worth the effort. Will be making again!!
alexandra says
I’m glad you liked them! That’s a great idea to add them to cake; I’m already imagining a chocolate-orange cake in my future. :)
Kelly says
Trying this now! I think these would make a great garnish to top chocolate orange cupcakes with!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Agreed! I’d love to hear if you make a batch!
Kelly says
I made a first batch and it burned. Second patch seemed fine, but turned out very hard. Maybe I let it cook too long.
alexandra says
Oh no! If you try it again, I’d suggest stopping the cooking process as soon as the peels turn translucent, even if it doesn’t take as long as stated in the recipe. Also, make sure you keep the syrup at no more than a simmer.
Charlotte Crowder says
1st batch is drying now. 2nd batch is simmering. Trouble is we keep snacking on them. We may never know how they turn out after they dry. Trying whole orange slices now. They were kindof lame oranges so I figured they may be better off candied. Does this count as healthy since its all natural haha! Can I add vanilla and call them dreamcicle? Now I want to try lemons and limes and ginger! I guess you can naturally flavor hard candy and taffy??? I’m having one of those “what?! you can make CAKE out of flour and eggs and butter?? You don’t need a cake mix?!” moments.
alexandra says
That’s awesome! I think we can call it semi-healthy, right? At least it’s not cake! You tried whole orange slices with the orange itself?
Charlotte Crowder says
yes they were a little bit wet. they have sat for a day now and are crisping up. they taste just like candy orange slices. I will post them on my blog at merchant kitty and like back to you. they are gorgeous thanks for the post.
alexandra says
That sounds amazing! I’ll have to try it myself sometime. Glad you liked the post!
caz says
Just tried this with grapefruit. i ate the fruit for breakfast and then made the candied peel. it is superb, tastes like a grapefruit liquer but sticky, rich and sophisticated. it would grace the best restaurant so thanks for this recipe. i will add mine to xmas cake which i am baking this week. i will make this peel again soon – can’t live without it now….
alexandra says
Candied grapefruit peel sounds like an awesome idea! I need to try that. :)
Did you use pink grapefruit?
Kareen says
If you are using orange peel for baking, boiling it three times cooks all of the flavor out of the peel. Best to do it just once to keep that zesty flavor in the peel so it will be noticable in your baked goods. Also, peel it in thin strips.
alexandra says
I baked with my peel and it definitely still had good orange flavor, but perhaps it varies by the orange you start with. Thanks for the tip!
Paul says
I’m trying this recipe a bit modified right now with Seville oranges. By squeezing and boiling them first it becomes very easy to scoop whatever is left out of the peel. I’ve also used the juice instead of water to make the syrup.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Juice sounds like a great idea! And thanks for the advice on the peel!
Andrea says
Agree three boils saps some of the orange flavor, but it gets rid of the bitterness. To add some zing back to the peels, I add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Delicious!
Andrea says
To be more specific, I add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the sugar syrup.
alexandra says
Great idea; thank you so much for sharing Andrea!
Janet says
I just brought home a commercial electric peeler to test for my business and it peels the oranges in two layers. the orange peel first then the pith so I am going to try this recipe without the pith and see how it goes. Any suggestions?
alexandra says
Hmm… I haven’t tried doing it without the pith so I’m not sure how much of a difference it will make. The pith is the bitter part though, so you might not need to blanch the peels three times; maybe just once? Let me know how it goes!
Janet says
Actually they came up pretty well. It got a bit messy timing wise because I kept peeling more oranges with the industrial peeler and the brew smelled so good that I got a bit carried away and kept throwing more in the pot. Consequently the strips had a variable cooktime with some being harder and some being softer. Plus i kept throwing more sugar and water in too so the ratios were dodgy. Nevertheless when I pulled out these glossy, dripping strings of peel and cut them in to 2.5″ lengths they dried and crystallized beautifully. I intend to use some for my Christmas fruit cakes and dip some in chocolate for gifts – that’s if my family don’t eat the lot first – I keep finding the lid of the box I have them store in a bit open on the corners and it seems to be getting lighter and lighter. Might have to make some more. I had so much syrup lieft over that i added fresh orange juice, butter and boiled it till it turned into orange butterscotch toffee sauce. I bottled three jars for my three blokes (My dad, My father in law and my husband) for their Xmas hampers.
★★★★
alexandra says
Hah, well I’m glad it turned out good in the end! Your orange butterscotch toffee sauce idea is KILLING me. I’d love to know how you made it!
Daniela says
Janet could you post the recipe for the butterscotch? Am just wondering what to do with all the syrup left over – seems such a waste to throw it away!x
Jill Nassif says
This recipe I am sure is very tasty but it is supposed to be coated in a last step of being shaken or rolled in sugar granules to prevent sticking and makes them sparkly looking. Similar to a sour patch kid candy. :)
alexandra says
You’re right; they should be dipped in sugar! I actually have done this before with other types of candied peel (like here). I should add that step to this recipe. Thanks for the suggestion!
Hajnalka says
I worry about chemicals/pesticides. Does anyone know: If I use organic fruit, can I be pretty sure they have not been sprayed? (Sorry if this seems obvious.)
THANKS for this excellent method! I plan to do both orange and lemon and use them in my Christmas Stollen.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Unfortunately, I don’t know that you can be positive about whether fruit has been sprayed even if it is organic. Perhaps you have a family member of friends with their own orange tree who will lend you a few?
glenna says
There are chemicals that are allowed even with certified Organic. They would have been sprayed some time before harvest, leaving time for the chemicals to degrade or wash off. That is, IF they were sprayed.
Lili says
Thank you for this recipe, Alexandra! I made the candied orange peel and used it in mincemeat for this ice cream – http://www.weallscream.net/post/69065461558/mincemeat
alexandra says
I’m glad you liked it!
Sydney says
Found your recipe-love the step by step and pics!!! Going to make them now!!!
alexandra says
Oh good; enjoy!
marla says
Made my peels to mince and top my dark chocolate-pistachio Christmas Bark. Couldn’t resist adding a light dusting of cinnamon to the simmering simple syrup- yum! Thanks for your great directions and beautiful pictures. Homemade is best!
alexandra says
Oooh, sounds fantastic! I’ve made a similar chocolate bark with dark chocolate, pistachios, and dried cranberries, but adding orange is a fabulous idea!
Kerry says
I took off some of the pith before boiling – I thought my oranges had particularly thick ones. I know the pith is bitter. Also, make sure the boil is rolling – I let each go a minute or so. This is the second year I have made them. I roll them in sugar and then dip some in bittersweet chocolate. They taste like a fresh version of those gummy orange slices. I also use some in gingerbread – frost the top with cream cheese frosting and then sprinkle some small diced on top as well. My 11 year old is a peel junkie – I have to hide them from her so I have some for Christmas. I am trying the lemon this year – I am just going to throw them in with the oranges. The syrup ought to be awesome.
alexandra says
Sounds amazing with the chocolate! Thank you so much for sharing and I’m so glad you’re enjoying the peels. The gingerbread also sounds incredible. :)
ashleya says
YUMMY LOOKING! Mine turned out so hard and tough. What way to avoid this? I may have over-cooked.. What do you think??
alexandra says
It sounds like you probably overcooked them, or perhaps let them dry out too long. For cooking, don’t feel like you have to go with the full amount of time; instead, go by the visual cues and stop when the peels have turned translucent.
Lucy says
To make them les bítter, add half spoon of baking soda to the first boiling water
alexandra says
That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the tip!
Steffanie says
I made these a year ago to add to a molasses cookie recipe. The candied orange peel was fantastic! I followed the recipe exactly. The cookies were great, and the extra peel got swirled in tea, and nibbled on as a snack. I did manage to have a bit left for another batch of molasses cookies recently. I think they were reaching the end of their shelf life, but I have no complaints! I’m about to make more, and very glad to have found the recipe again! Thanks!
★★★★★
alexandra says
I’m glad to hear you’ve enjoyed them so much! They do have a pretty long shelf life, and even when they get a bit tough, they seem fine once baked into something. Your molasses cookies sound yummy!
aruna sambhares says
I want to make these because ready made are not good.
★★★★★
Daphne says
I just made some orange peels, and they are very nice, although the whole process took more than 2 hours (I’m very, very slow at cooking).
Anyway, after boiling the peels 4 times, I tasted them to see if it was bitter, and they still were a bit. Even after the shimmering part (which lasted a bit over an hour for me), there is still a hint of bitterness in them.
So I guess it depends on the oranges, but next time I’ll make sure the peels are not at all bitter before moving to the next step!
★★★★★
alexandra says
I think, like you said, it just depends on your oranges. You may want to try adding a bit of baking soda during the first blanching next time, as one reader suggested above. You can also dip them in sugar before you let them dry, which might help offset any bitterness. I’m glad you liked them nonetheless!
Arl girl says
Made this today after a recipe called Alsatian Gingerbread needed sugared lemon or orange. Wow, my husband says he’ll add it to old fashions and other drinks. Followed directions and it turned out beautifully. Drying right now on the rack. Thanks!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Oh I’m so glad! The candied peel has tons of good uses if you get creative. :)
elizabeth says
I just came back from Florida with a ton of oranges. I have this recipe on the stove right now. I can’t wait to try them!
alexandra says
Lucky you with fresh oranges! I hope they turned out well!
sharon says
My mother used to make this treat during the holidays. I am glad I found this recipe. It was very easy to make and so delicious. Brought back lots of memories to me.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Aww, that’s nice! I’m glad you found the recipe too!
Sando says
Making them right now – hope they turn out alright! Plan is to either use the candied peel in muffins/cakes or to make “orangettes”, a Southern French sweet (candied orange peels coated in dark chocolate that people like to eat at Christmas- yumm!)
alexandra says
I need to make some chocolate-covered orange peels myself! Sounds so good!
andrea says
I have a dwarf orange tree which tends to grow rather dry oranges, but the rind is often a nice bright orange color. I just tried them with your recipe and it came out well. Maybe I was simmering too low but it took more like 2 hours for the peel to go translucent. They have a slight bitter bite (my bad; when blanching I didn’t bring them to a full rolling boil), but I like the contrast.
alexandra says
Even if your oranges are a little dry, at least you can make some sweet candied peel out of them! The full boil on blanching should help for next time, and you might also try adding a bit of baking soda to the first boil as one reader suggested. You could try kicking the heat up a bit to make the peel cook faster, but just don’t go too high so you don’t burn them. :)
Freddie says
How long can they be stored?
alexandra says
I would say at least 6 months, and possibly longer. Just be sure to keep them in an airtight container. Storing them in sugar might also help them last longer.
Freddie says
Thank you! Can’t wait to try them!
Christina says
This is awesome! I used organic oranges to make sure the peels are without any chemicals and will use the candied peels in a fruitbread. They didn’t turn translucent though even after simmering for more than one hour. Still, very yummi, thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
alexandra says
For some people, it takes a much shorter time to cook the peels, and for others it takes longer, depending on your stove. You can always simmer longer than an hour if you feel it’s needed. I’m glad they turned out well nonetheless!
Marie says
Just finished making these and have learned one important thing. You can cook these too long. I went to 55 minutes and the sugar started to caramelize and some of the peels in the middle of the pan got too hot and those peels are more like hard candy. The rest are GREAT! When making them again I will watch them more closely at the end of the cooking time.
★★★★★
alexandra says
You really have to judge by the look of the peels rather than the time you cook them; stoves always vary so cooking time will always vary. It’s all about visual cues!
arthur merahn says
reading this recipe takes me back 60 years sitting in my grandmothers kitchen in brooklyn, watching her do exactly the same steps while asking her how long before we could eat them, thanks! i really think i may give it a try art merahn
★★★★★
alexandra says
That’s so sweet! I hope you do; you may find it helpful to read through some of the comments as well before doing so. The biggest thing is to just make sure you don’t cook your peels too long. If they turn translucent faster than the recipe indicates, just stop cooking them. :)
Daniela says
Hi
Eagerly tried it today and followed the recipe meticulously…. result…. the sugar crystallised at the last moment (not having stirred it around at all – just swished the pan) and the oranges though having followed the step of boiling 3 times and starting afresh with fresh water each time the oranges still resulted bitter. Help! What happened?
★★★
Daniela says
Covered this lot in dark plain chocolate and actually the contrast between bitter and sweet has made them a HUGE success! Have just finished my second batch – this time blanched them 5 times, bought a heat diffuser and added an extra cup of water – perfect! Will so be writing this recipe down in my recipe organiser! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
alexandra says
I’m glad you were able to tweak the recipe to make it work perfectly for you! I somehow missed your first comment, so I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help you out sooner. :/
I still need to try dipping my peels in chocolate; it sounds amazing!
Jan says
Interesting recipe. I never really thought I can eat the orange peel, but this looks enticing. Thanks for sharing!
★★★
Donna says
Here is where I am confused. Some recipes call for removing the pith, others do not. In this recipe, you call for removing the pith but inthe pictures, it looks like the pith is still there. Isn’t the pith the wilt part of the orange?
alexandra says
The pith is the thick white skin underneath the peel. If you look at the second photo in the post, you can see how thick it is at the top of the orange. When you remove the pith, there’s still a layer of whitish-yellow connected to the peel which you can see in the third photo. This stays on. Otherwise, you’d just be left with zest. I hope that helps!
Analida says
I have some old family recipes that call for candied orange peel and have not been able to find it in the stores. I will definitely be linking back to your blog from my recipes. Thanks, I am thrilled!!!! Analida
alexandra says
That’s awesome! Thank you so much and I hope you like the candied peels. :)
Angela says
I’m so glad I found this! I’m making Barmbrack for St. Patrick’s Day and couldn’t find candied orange peel anywhere. I’m off to make some now :)
alexandra says
Awesome! Sounds delish :)
hier gibt esgruppe says
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Bronwyn says
Would this work for orange slices also and not just peel?
alexandra says
I haven’t tried it myself, but I did have one reader tell me she candied the whole slice with the peel, and that she just had to let it dry for a longer time in order to firm up. Maybe that will help?! :)
Trudy says
I just made these and they turned out brilliant. I am from the UK originally now in Oklahoma and I can’t get anything here thats why I tried this. I want to make an English farmhouse cake thats what these are for but can’t get currants ,do you have any thing for currants, I can buy raisins of both kinds but currants no hope…..love this site.
★★★★★
alexandra says
I’m so glad the peel worked out for you! Not sure about currants but perhaps you could try looking for them online! Good luck and thanks so much for your compliments!
Kristal says
Currants can often be found around Christmas time, that’s when I usually buy mine (and hoard for the rest of the year!)
Diana says
Try www. Nuts. com for the “”Currants” that your looking for. Hope you find them! I have shopped on that site before and was successful. I have also used http://www.King Arthur’s Flour.com, I had noticed you can get things that you can’t always find in the regular supermarket or specialty stores. I hope that helps? I came on here to find out how to make the orange rind. I will try your recipe, I was reading what everyone had to say and was very impressed. I do use it for Semi Sweet Chocolate and Milk Chocolate Candy making. It’s just impossible to find. I am only to happy to make it myself for the holidays.
Thank you for the recipe Alexandria! I will let you know how it turns out also.
Leah says
My grandma used to make these when I was little, and so they bring me extra joy. Your recipe was great. I candied orange peel and meyer lemon peel, and they turned out beautifully as per your exact instructions. Thank you so much!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Love that!! You’re welcome :)
Hazel says
You can get currants in the USA. My cousin lives in Miami and she buys on-line from a shop in New York. We both use the same Christmas cake recipe which our grandmother gave us. Good luck.
Candace says
Can you make these in bulk and freeze them for future use? We have small children and they are all corn intolerant, this would be a great treat for them.
alexandra says
I unfortunately can’t comment on freezing the peels, since I haven’t tried that before. They do last at cool room temp for a good 6 months at least, though, if that helps!
Katie says
Just got done with a batch of candied orange peels, and I couldn’t resist tasting one…they’re fantastic! I made my boiling syrup with 1.5 oz Grand Marnier–which I’m also using in the cake recipe that the peel is going to garnish–and they turned out beautifully. My house smells like oranges, now, too! Thanks for the easy-to-follow recipe and the great photos!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Such a good idea with the Grand Marnier! So glad they turned out well for you. :)
Kristal says
Thanks for the recipe! My orange trees have started producing, so after my husband made orange juice I found this recipe. Awesome! My peel crystallized beautifully in the drying stages, and I had made extra syrup (as I’d used extra peel). The syrup was cooled almost to room temperature and I added vodka (Seagram’s extra smooth) at a one to one ratio. Made a really nice orange “schnapps” style drink. We’ll see if it lasts long enough to age! I will be making many versions of the peel to give as gifts. Again thanks so much!
Tips:
*set your timer to check every 20-30 minutes to make sure you don’t over cook.
*use a spatula to gently poke down the peel (when you are checking it), I didn’t get crystals doing that.
*if you are not sure you have enough syrup, or you have crystals forming on the side of your pan put the lid on the pot for 10 minutes (check it then and see if you need another 10). The steam is captured and washes the crystals back in to the pan. You may need to lower the heat slightly as the added water makes the syrup hotter (it starts boiling instead of simmering), so check it a couple of minutes after putting the lid on and adjust as necessary.
*taste at every step! If your batch works out you’ll know what the correct texture should be for next time! If it didn’t work out you learned something (and you can fix it next time). Experience comes with doing.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Thank you so much for sharing your tips Kristal! Sounds like you definitely got the hang of it. :) The schnapps idea is awesome as well!
Alison says
Sadly I burned mine :( I was watching the pot but glanced away for a moment and so quickly the liquid became brown. I took them off the heat and I think they may still be okay but they aren’t as good looking as yours. It was fun to try though. Thanks for the good instructions! :)
alexandra says
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that! It might help to lower the heat a bit if you try it again, so that nothing happens too quickly. :)
Wade says
I am a 73 year old male who is not a really good cook, but I enjoy trying. I remember a bread that my mother made that had candied orange peel in the recipe. After seeing your recipe I decided to dig out mom’s old cookbook and see if I could make it. It turned out very good. The orange peel were easy to make. Thanks.
★★★★★
alexandra says
So happy to hear that! Very awesome. :)
Nina says
I made these with oranges, lemons and grapefruit last year and put them in my Xmas hampers for friends and family. Very successful but I didn’t know what to do with all the oranges – too many to eat all at once! Tried bottling them in the syrup with a little limoncello added but they became rather tough if kept for any length of time. Any suggestions please. I am just making another large batch for this year’s Xmas hampers.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Maybe you could just squeeze/blend them to have orange juice? I haven’t made a huge batch so I haven’t really come across this problem myself; otherwise I might have had more ideas for you. :/
That’s awesome that you’re doing this as a Christmas gift with the blend of citrus!
Nancy says
Thanks for this recipe! I couldn’t find candied orange peel for sale anywhere around here for a cookie recipe I wanted to try. I made these this morning, and the cookies just came out – delicious!
★★★★★
alexandra says
That’s awesome! Thanks for stopping by to let me know! :)
Rebecca Ross says
Am I the only one who likes these dipped in bittersweet chocolate? Making them for my dad right now-his favorite!
alexandra says
I’ve actually been meaning to do these dipped in dark chocolate myself! If there was a way to make these even better, it would be that!
Charlotte says
Made 3 times somewhat successfully. The fourth time they burned at 216 degrees. I pulled out the scorched ones and renewed the syrup but it too browned. I was trying to get them to harden so they woukdnt be a sticky mess. I added a few cooled peels and the whole thing crystalized. They tasted fine but the presentation was unacceptable. Maybe it was the high heat? Heating it too fast? Does carmelization seed like chocolate? I am sure there were several mistakes. I had a lot of orange peel to begin with. Is it possible to heat orange peel to hard crack stage so it will be crunchy? I just don’t want it to be gooey.
alexandra says
I’m really not sure how far you can take orange peel as far as heating. I can tell you that the way the recipe is written, you really shouldn’t end up with sticky or gooey peels. Once they dry they’ll be more on the firm and chewy side.
Mumtaz says
Would this work with Clementine peel or does it have to be oranges?
alexandra says
You can definitely experiment with other citrus! For clementines, you should be able to use more than 3 since they’re smaller. Hope that helps!
Medha Salke says
To
brighteyedbaker
Thanks a lot for such an informative site.
I could understand how to make candied peel immediately. I want it to make Fruit Cake for Christmas.
Wish you A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I am from Pune, Maharashtra, India. My name is Medha Salke.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Aww well thank you for the compliment! I’m happy the post was helpful! :)
Medha Salke says
Hello Madam,
I made the candied peel yesterday. But it has come out a little bit bitter.
Is there any remedy now after putting it in sugar syrup?
Do I have to boil it more than 3 times, initially?
Madam, please let me know how to rectify the bitter taste.
Thanking you,
Medha Salke.
Kristina says
I find myself returning to your page time and time again. Thank you for this recipe, my family quite enjoys it. After posting pictures of my twisted peels on social media(wish I could share here) it amazes me how many people would like to try them. I thought it was just my pregnancy cravings! Having a large family, and not a ton of money for individual gifts, I made these as Christmas handouts with a mini square of dark chocolate.
★★★★★
alexandra says
That’s so awesome to hear! Thanks for sharing! You can always tag me on social media if you post a photo of a recipe you tried out; I’d love to see!
Lisa J says
My grandmother used to make these. She’s now in an assisted living home and I want to send some candied orange peels. Do you think they can be shipped? Also she does not have a refrigerator, will they keep in a tightly closed container? Thank you, Lisa J
alexandra says
You could definitely ship them without a problem. I don’t keep mine in the refrigerator either, just in a container in the pantry. :)
Zoe Ruth says
These are awesome. I make them several times per year in large batches (they stay fresh for a very long time since they are essentially preserved in sugar). Everyone loves them and is excited to try something new and different.
I use raw cane sugar and although it turns the orange peels slightly brownish, it adds a molasses-like flavor that I like and makes me feel a little better about serving my loved ones so much sugar.
I also dip them in dark chocolate!
★★★★
alexandra says
I’m so happy to hear you love them! The raw sugar sounds like an awesome twist, and dark chocolate is always a good addition!
Jenn says
Hi! I just made this today using your recipe. It is awesome. I’ll be blogging about this next week and will link back to your site!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Awesome! Thanks so much!
Karen says
I always have these on hand. They are wonderful with coffee or tea as a little nibble and give the skinny girls something sweet even if they won’t eat the beautiful dessert I spent all day on! I like the orange the best, dipped in dark chocolate and then dip the tip in white chocolate, very striking!
I’ve seen these included with trays of petit fours in France and Spain.
Enjoy, kali orexi!
alexandra says
Love the idea of dipping in two types of chocolate! They do make a nice light little treat. ;)
Roberta says
Just a note , you can use this with any fruit.
Lena says
We recently got a lot of oranges and I’ve been looking for something to do with them. This sounds great! Do you think I could juice them first and then use the peel? Should I remove all the white skin before starting the boiling process?
alexandra says
I think it could be difficult to remove the peel after juicing the oranges, but what you could do is peel them first and them blend them… You can keep the white skin (the pith) on for making the peels. :)
Coral says
I am concerned about leaving the peels with sugar on out in the kitchen for hours. Even though there have been no ants for about a year, there have been problems in the neighborhood in the past. I never leave any food out anymore. What do you suggest for drying the peels in this case? Would a very low temp in the oven work, or is there another way around this?
I would like to make Eccles cakes and need candied peel. Live in California.
alexandra says
Hmm… The oven might work, but I haven’t tested it so I can’t say from experience. I would think a few hours on the counter wouldn’t be an issue (I’m in California too, if that helps at all), but if you really don’t feel comfortable with it then go ahead and try the oven. Just be sure to check on them often. :)
missy says
I tried it and it’s amazing. I refrigerated mine can’t wait to tri other fruits
alexandra says
Yay! So happy to hear that! :)
Alexandr says
i did it. Result see in my blog about food
http://marynkin.com/карамельный-выходной-2/
★★★★★
Sondra says
Thank you for this recipe! My neighbor gave me a bag of some amazing oranges and the peels smelled so good, I wanted to give a shot at making candied peels.
Your recipe is so easy to follow! I still messed up though lol! My peels started getting translucent around the 30 minute mark and I was getting ready to take them out when mommy duty called. They stayed on for 40 minutes at which point the sugar started caramelizing because the water boiled off. They still taste amazing! (Just a little crunchy
alexandra says
Hey, at least it’s an easy fix for next time! ;) So glad you gave it a go!
Greg Eleser says
I made these, came out great!
Cut into narrow strips and placed into a jar of apple jelly that was warmed until liquid.
Then put in refrigerator…..
Instant orange marmalade.
Delicious
Greg
alexandra says
Very nice! Love that idea!
Tara says
Hello! My mother in law brings back candied bitter orange peels from Syria. They are amazing. But since we do not have any bitter oranges for sale in America, this would be the next best thing. Or grapefruit. Anyhow, the Arabs do it a little differently in that they roll up each piece and dip them in shredded coconut. Makes the perfect healthy snack/dessert substitute.
alexandra says
Ooh that does sound yummy! Thanks for the suggestion! :)
Elfi says
I have peel from 8 oranges; no pith though. I make orange liquor and strained out the peel. Can I now make candied peel from this following your instructions?
Thank you.
alexandra says
I think it should work out! But since you removed the pith, keep in mind that you might not need to cook the peel as long; just cook until they turn translucent. You might also want to toss the peel in sugar once you’re done to minimize any stickiness. :)
gerri shakra says
I CHOP THE VERY CRISP CANDIED PEEL AND SPRINKLE IT ON TOP OF CREAM CHEESE ICED CARROT CUP CAKES
alexandra says
Such a good idea – sounds so tasty!
jana sadlik says
I’ve just finished making my first orange candied peel. Couldn’t get any in Coles. Boiled it for 60 minutes but it’s still hard. Never mind will try again. The smell is fantastic and today is a nice warm day, aĺl the windows and doors are open so my neighbours are all sniffing.
★★★
alexandra says
My thought is that your sugar syrup may have gotten too hot, which could cause the peel to get hard. When you’re working with sugar, the higher the temperature, the harder your candy will be. Make sure you’re only simmering the syrup, and not keeping it at a full boil. :)
Martina says
I was asked at the last moment to make a Colomba di Pasqua (Italian Easter bread). I couldn’t find any that were a) just orange or b) even of quality. Do I researched several recipes, liked how you left the pith on (all the Italian breads that had these definitely had been made with pith-I used to hoard them until I finished the panettone as a child), and they came out WONDERFUL!! I actually ate 1/4 of the batch before I used them. I barely had enough left!! Thank you!
★★★★
alexandra says
That’s so good to hear! Glad you were able to pull that recipe together with the homemade peels! :)
Elizabeth says
These are a real treat. For a next-level taste, dip half of each finished strip in chocolate and cool.
Mark says
Can these be kept at room temp, in a sealed container, or is best to refrigerate them for long term storage?
alexandra says
You can keep them at room temp, and they should last 6 months to a year.
LJ says
Hi! I made these yesterday, allowed them to dry for about 6 hours, and then dusted with sugar – allowing them to dry again. Then I chopped them up, and dusted one more time, drying on wax paper for another hour. Then I put them in an airtight container – and this morning, they are a gooey mess!!
I’ve tossed them with sugar again, and they separated, looking loevely again – but any ideas on what I did wrong, or how to better store them so they don’t turn into a gooey glob?
★★★★
alexandra says
If you simmered the sugar syrup long enough before adding the peels (and used the stated ratio of sugar to water), my only other thought is that made you cooked them too long. You only need to cook the peels until they turn translucent, and cooking time can vary from one stove to another, so it may not take the full 45-60 minutes for you.
Also, you could try drying them out overnight before putting them in a container.
Does that help at all?
Tamra says
I made these last night. Dehydrated them on no heat over night, but they are still sticky and soft. Is this the way they are suppose to turn out? I was under the assumption that they would be hard and crunchy.
alexandra says
They shouldn’t be crunchy, but not sticky either. Like I mentioned in a previous comment, I would check that you simmered the sugar syrup long enough before adding the peels, used the stated ratio of sugar to water, and only cooked the peels until they turned translucent.
Judith says
I just came your recipe & can’t wait to try it! I was going to Google where to buy Candied Orange Peel, since a recipe that I want to make for traditional Swedish Christmas cookies — Pepparkakor — calls for this ingredient. (My family is Swedish, so we all love making the traditional Smorgasbord at Christmas!) I am eager to make it myself; I’ll let you know how it all turns out — the cookies too! :-D Thank you! BTW, the cookie recipe is from Marcus Samuelsson, so I’m betting they’ll be pretty good! ;-) In case anybody else would like to bake them, here is the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aquavits-gingersnap-cookies-recipe.html
D Erb says
Thank you!! I just made a beautiful batch of candied orange peel! Your instructions were perfect! I had about 2 cups extra syrup I made orange flavored taffy. I drained syrup off the orange peels into a clean pan. And placed the peels in a 9 x13 pan with sugar and quickly shook theem. Then to extra syrup added about 2 T corn starch and 1/2 cup light corn syrup heated until 275 took off heat added additional orange flavoring and a tiny bit vanilla, added orange food coloring. Poured into buttered 9×13 pan to cool until I could handle with buttered hands then pulled to form taffy.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Thanks for the idea! That sounds fantastic!
a woman called Sam says
You can make grapefruit, lemon, and other citrus the same way.apefruit is yum. Try to get unwaxed fruit
★★★★
Kat says
Thank you for this recipe! I had made candied orange peels in the past for dipping in bittersweet chocolate. That recipe was long and convoluted. It worked, but took forever. This time I looked at several recipes before attempting again. Your recipe was simple and worked very well.
I didn’t try adding the baking soda to the first boiling to remove bitterness, thinking I would start with a “control” version first. It was sweet and tart and lovely, so don’t think I will in the future. I also took your suggestions to keep the temperature low, and make sure to get the pith out. I wound up simmering the peels in sugar for about an hour at a very low temperature. I made them in the evening, and let them sit overnight.
I also took one of the comment suggestions about using a zip lock bag and sugar to coat the peels. It made a big difference in visual appeal and sweetness, so will use that going forward.
I wish I could send you a photo! I’m so pleased with the result.
I made them for someone who gave me 10-15 oranges from their tree as a “thank you.” I think going forward this will become a regular part of my candy gifts during the holidays. I won’t dip them in chocolate when I include them with other home made chocolates.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with the recipe! I’m glad all went well. :) You can always share a photo on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter; I’d love to see!
Rob says
Suggest clarity as it applies to the pith. Maybe remove pith b from skin.
alexandra says
Removing the pith completely would lend a slightly different finished product. I personally like to leave the pith on in this case because it creates a thicker candied peel.
Sam says
This is truly delicious and adds a wonderful zesty citrus taste to the pastiera I make (an Italian cheesecake). I have my own Myer lemon tree, the peel of which I also add to the cheesecake. The cake is unbelievably good with homemade candied peel.
Thank you for sharing your recipe. Cheers
alexandra says
Oooh, that sounds awesome!
Novella Kinner says
Love these have made them for years for my family and friends also do it with lemon peels
Rafau says
Can I store peel along with syrup in a jar and avoid drying it?
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alexandra says
I haven’t tried it but I would think it would work! Your end product will be a bit different, but still tasty I’m sure!
Jessica says
I have 40 lbs or oranges. Can I quintuple the recipe and cook them all in the same pan, or should I do this in batches?
alexandra says
I’m not sure how many pounds the recipe uses to begin with so I don’t know how many times you’d need to multiply it to use 40 oranges. That being said, I’m sure you could scale up the recipe as long as your pan is big enough.
Linda says
Jessica,
What did you end up doing? I am curious about cooking oranges in a large batch, too! I have about 20 oranges that I want to experiment with…please let us know how things turned out. Thanks so much!
Elijah says
My dad walked in my room and I said “GIVE ME THOSE I WANT CANDY ORANGE PEEL THINGYS!”.
He gave me the oranges in his hands and 6 hours later I feasted on them as I watched Hunger Games Mockingjay: Part 2
★★★★★
Nathali says
Made it. It turned out great. But its a little bit bitter. But it doesn’t bother me much. Thanks again.
alexandra says
You could try blanching the peels once more (in the future) to get rid of the bitterness. :)
Isabella says
Thank you for this delicious and simple to follow recipe. It has been my go to for the last year. At the end when it’s almost done, I add some grated fresh ginger. To make candied ginger orange peels. So good and perfect for any type of nausea. Thanks again
★★★★
alexandra says
Yum!
Leann says
These are awesome, I’ve made them twice and my 11 yr old son LOVES them. I don’t use them in recipes, just eat as a snack. A nice twist on this is to add some ground ginger to the sugar mixture.
alexandra says
Awesome idea! :)
Kasia says
Candied peel……dipped in dark melted chocolate and dried on cooking paper is most delicious as a finger food delicious.
Jen says
How long will these last in an air tight container and does it need to be refrigerated? My husband and I are going to be on a 2-3 year trek across Africa and we love to have an Old Fashioned, but fresh oranges will not always be an option and I was thinking that this might be a great substitution.
alexandra says
Wow – sounds like an awesome adventure! I would think they’d last a good six months if kept at room temp. If they’re kept in hot/outdoor temps, the shelf life would be shorter. I don’t refrigerate them myself!
Jen says
Very helpful! Thank you!
Rose says
Appears majority of sold oranges are treated with IMAZALIL, thiarfndazole and pyrimethanil and WAX. So how can this be removed in order to safely use the skin for candied orange peel?
alexandra says
Hi Rose,
I really don’t know much about this so I couldn’t say. I have always been lucky enough to have home-grown oranges on hand when I’ve made these, but I would think organic oranges would be safe to use?
Bakesty says
Yes, organic oranges would work. Or, to clean the oranges, you could rinse them in hydrogen peroxide. I believe they also sell vegetable/fruit wash. Of course, if the fruit is porous, there is no telling how much of the pesticides may have absorbed. When in doubt, go organic.
Lauren says
Thanks for this recipe. It worked for me and simmering in the syrup was about 45 min – 1 hour before they went translucent so your timings worked on my oven. I used some in some lebkuchen biscuits and now I need to make some more as the biscuits were a hit. I saved the sugar syrup and will try re-using it for another batch of peel. Will report back if that’s a success or a disaster.
alexandra says
So glad the recipe worked well for you! :)
Ashley says
Have you tried using the reserved liquid? I saved some from oranges that I candied and was going to use it for lemons that I’m doing for a loaf of Dresdner Stollen, but wasn’t sure how’d that would work out.
Lauren says
Yes it worked out fine because I did it fairly soon afterwards. But then after using the syrup twice I still didn’t throw it away and within a few days it had crystallised into a big lump. So if you are going to reuse it do it quickly. Now I have more peel than I know what to do with.
Judy says
These were fantastic.made mine at christmas time so I used 5 clementines..oh also it’s just adults so I added 2 tablespoons. of scotch!!!
★★★★
alexandra says
Yum!
Bakesty says
This is a very clear-cut recipe. Unfortunately, I had the same issue as many other people with burning the orange peels. I worked so hard on preparing them, too. The 45 mins – 1 hour is way too long to cook these. I wish I had read the reviews first. I was going to take them out sooner but I was trying to follow the instructions perfectly. For the sugar, I used raw sugar (not sure if that makes a difference). I think after 30 minutes these would’ve been done, maybe even sooner. Whatever you do, don’t walk away from the pan! Maybe even set a timer for 25 minutes to remind yourself. Now, does anyone know where I can buy prepared candied orange peel??? I tried all of the supermarkets but no one has it. Anyone?
Bakesty says
I just want to add that rather than score and peel into quarters, you can use a vegetable peeler to skin the orange and there is no pith to deal with. Also, equal parts of water and sugar do just fine.
alexandra says
I’m sorry the directions mislead you! I went ahead and adjusted them to read that you should only cook the peels until translucent, even if this takes less than 45 minutes.
Nicola Shirlaw says
Made these with oranges and lemons for our first Christmas pudding in Norway as we couldn’t buy the ready made stuff. Boyfriend said they tasted “pretty good” in a very surprised tone of voice haha. I picked them out with a spoon but they started to crystallise pretty quick. How would you recommend draining the syrup? With a sieve?
★★★★
alexandra says
Yep, a large sieve or colander. :) Glad you liked them!
Michael says
Tried candying lemon peels the same way i candied my orange peels, well they turned out terrible, they had such a bad after taste almost like medicine. Don’t know what happened. I think i will stick to the oranges.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Strange… I’ve done meyer lemons with this same method without a problem. (Check out this post).
mary hull says
okay. I know I am late to the party…
I came across this to duplicate a panforte recipe I fell in love with while living in Florence, Italy. Your recipe is so simple, yet very time-consuming. Luckily, I have taken up baking in the last couple of years, and have learned to just. let. it. do. its. thing. Do not stir. Do nothing. Let the syrup (or letting bread rise) do its thing.
That said, fresh is always best, and as always, I try to make my recipes using fresh, rather than store-bought.
I am a career bartender, and am no stranger to simple syrups.
I added more of both sugar and water(1 cup sugar, 2 cups water) to ensure that I had ample leftover simple syrup to add to whatever. I actually added more sugar later, as it was still a bit bitter after an hour (my fault. I DID change the properties). It took a bit longer. Came out perfect.
But I want to say this: where I live (the Caribbean), sugar ants zone in on anything sugary. They were raiding the counter… …I put my rack on a silpat, so the rinds can cool, and any drips are easy clean-up. I also dusted my silpat with salt. And then, I took the last pinch of salt and dusted the rinds. Wow.
Alison Porter says
This is the second time using this recipe. First time so amazing! I dipped them in chocolate and gave them as gifts! second time, one year later and I ruined the recipe by overcooking too hot I think! Dang! Just a warning to others to keep a close watch on them. i am so sad after all the effort it took to peel the. Ugh.
★★★★★
alexandra says
So sorry! Definitely watch the heat – mistakes happen to everyone! ;) Better luck next time!
Liz says
After going all over town searching for candied orange peel for my favorite Christmas cookie from my Austrian/Hungarian Grandmother, I found your recipe. I actually never liked using the commercial stuff because its made with corn syrup and this uses real sugar. The cookies are called Grillage and are a cooked dough of slivered almonds, butter, a bit of flour, milk and candied peel. The cookies come out looking like lace cookies and are a family favorite.
★★★★
Calypso says
I followed this recipe last night and I must say…they are delicious! I prepared them to decorate a siciliana cassata I am just about to put together. I can’t stop eating them. .. nor can my daughter…or my husband…or our guests… lol. Thank you for the recipe.
Sammy says
Thank you so much for this recipe, I was browsing for where to buy orange candied peel when I actually saw the recipe, after I had shopped for it for a while to no avail, I will definitely try the peel, for the fruit cake. Then I’ll post my results after.
Cheryl says
My grandmother use to make candied orange peel when I was a little girl but only if the fruit had think enough rind. I saw you leave more of the membrane on than she did and I have been looking for the right oranges for years to do this. I guess that is why you boil them twice and she didn’t ever boil them first. I was on.line looking for the best citrus fruits with the thicker peel when I came across this recipe. These are made so differently but look good enough to eat. I am going to do this to all of them including lemons , limes and grapefruit, especially ruby reds my favorite grapefruit. I am a citrus fruit fanatic so I am so glad I was insecure I had to check. Fyi I have noticed regular oranges have a thinker peel than both naval or Valencia oranges. Wish me luck it has been 50 years since I had homemade candied orange peel. It was heavenly ! Thank you for the way to take the bitter out of the white under the peel.
alexandra says
Hope they turned out well for you! :)
Loretta says
I made these today, first time and I am so thrilled at how they turned out.
They are now drying on the counter for the required time but I tasted a couple
while they were warm. Just wonderful. I remember my Grandma made
some when I was young. I am now the Grandma and I will certainly be
trying some of the other citrus as you have done.
Thanks for the recipe.
alexandra says
So glad you enjoyed them! <3
Hubertus says
Hi!
As addition you could take the orange syrup and put it in a small bottle which you fill up with 40-80% alcohol. I placed one of the pie pieces inside together with a cinnamon stick. I guess this will taste great after it was resting for a while. The target alcohol percentage should be between 20 to 40%.
Best Regards
Hubertus
★★★★★
Hilda Sterner says
I used this recipe with great results, thank you! Came in handy when I purchased cannoli today from Little Italy in San Diego, and was very disappointed to see they did not have the usual candied orange peel. I showed them, I added my own!
★★★★★
MG says
Thank you, for your amazing recipe.
I have a question,
Can I use any variety of Oranges? I am not sure the variety you stated is available in India or not.
Love always
★★★★★
alexandra says
Any orange should work. :) The time on the stove may vary, so look for visual cues more than strictly following the time suggested.
Barbara says
Why do you cover peels, boil and then drain three times? What do you do with that water? Isn’t that just wasting vitamins and flavor?
alexandra says
If you don’t do the blanching process multiple times, your peels will likely be bitter. The water should be dumped after each blanching.
Monika Liedl says
I saved it, and intend to use it in my next baking….. thinking pound cake. Or even the liquid for panckake mix. Or to flavor my tea water. it might be a bit bitter… so add a bit sweetner.
Shirley Young says
Just about to make another batch of Orange peels. I wanted to let you know mine turned out great and I have a great deal of peel saved up, but hadn’t the time to work them til today, My husband will thank me for making room in the fridge, my friends will thank me for the treat.
★★★★★
Lani Gram says
I’m 70 yo and remember my amazing Nagymama (grand mother in Magyar) making these candies. I just made a batch, tasting now with tears in my eyes. Such wonderful memories flooding back to the corners of my mind.
Thanks for the wonderful memories.
Blessings’
Jolan
alexandra says
Aw, that is so sweet! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with me. :)
Brandon Riley says
Hi! Does stevia work in this recipe? If so, are there any adjustments that need to be made in the recipe?
alexandra says
Unfortunately I can’t imagine that stevia would work very well since it’s not real sugar and won’t react the same way chemically.
Pat says
Had a need for candied orange peel and found your recipe. Worked out exactly as recipe directed, plus I saved the sugar syrup for another use.
Thank you so much!
★★★★★
alexandra says
So happy to hear you liked them!
Margy says
I am about to make candied citrus peels for the second time. The first was last summer when I made orange marmalade and found the grapefruit and lemon peels too bitter tasting for the jam even though they had been blanched. Rather than waste them I turned them into candied peels. They were just bitter enough to be tasty. Since then I’ve saved my orange and grapefruit peels when we have a fruit bowl for breakfast. I remove the remaining flesh and some of the white pith and do the blanching right away. Then I freeze blanched peels until I have enough to make a batch of candied peels. Since they are already cut in slices all I have to do is thaw and cook in the sugar syrup. Plus I cut down on the waste of good peels along the way. – Margy
★★★★★
alexandra says
Such a great idea!
Shari says
I never comment on these things, but I made these and they are fantastic! Then, I dipped them into melted chocolate, which took them to the next level. Yum! Thank you!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Thanks so much for letting me know! I love hearing it!
Patty says
THE best I have tried to make and far better than any store bought! Thanks!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Aw so happy to hear that!
Monika Liedl says
So,
I strayed away from the directions a bit……
only boiled and drained once, cause I just didn’t want to loose all the flavor.
I diced the fruit strips, and I did oranges, lemons, limes and ginger all together
didn’t boil the sugar water first….. as I somehow read past that, not once but more than twice!
let it simmer till all liquid was gone, spread it out onto a baking sheet, and so far…. seems rally good.
Monika Liedl says
I guess I should say the reason they were diced, is because my intent was to use them for a German “Christmas Stollen”
alexandra says
Hope they turned out well! So many good uses for the syrup! :)
Keith says
I know one of the reasons to boil in water ahead of time is an effort to remove any waxes or resins covering the outside. I am not at all concerned about any bitterness, in fact I love it. So, if I can remove any covering on the fruit, I don’t believe any initial boilings are necessary. In the past I did try the boiling method once peeled and the waxes migrated into the pith. Trying it today without any initial boilings, as I like to think they are flavor wasters.
Keith says
I got rid of most all the wax/resin and there was no bitterness without an initial twice boiling. Stop the insanity of double boiling to “clean” the peel once off the fruit, you’ll always have the off tastes and wrong mouth feel from the added moisture-loss barrier that way.
Rebecca says
i add other holiday spices to ‘spice’ it up.
★★★★★
Sarah says
I’m going to be very healthy this winter using all this vitamin C rich fruit!!! Gotta do something with all the juice from the fruit left over from the candied peel
I’m going to make!!! Looks like a great recipe.
★★★★★
Pumpkin says
Perfect. I did cut down a tad on the sugar. Otherwise a fantastic outcome. Thanks
★★★★★
alexandra says
So glad it turned out well!
Jacklyn Kline says
Once dried, try dipping in chocolate. They are to die for!
alexandra says
Still need to try this – I bet it’s incredible!
Bernadette Heller says
Going to make fig pinwheels that calls for both spiced rum and candied orange peels. I’m making both now, thanks to this recipe. Went to three stores and couldn’t find the orange peels. this is perfect!!
alexandra says
That sounds amazing!
Michelle Burgess says
I made grapefruit peels. I boiled the 3 times with regular water prior to boiling in sugar. I then took them out and coated them in sugar. They are still finishing the drying process. However, they are still incredibly bitter. can I put them back ina syrup bath and cook them longer or will that now not work?
My oranges worked great!
alexandra says
That probably won’t work since the blanching is what removes the bitterness. Grapefruit may need to be blanched more than 3 times. Rolling them in sugar may help though if you haven’t done that already!
Nora McDougall-Collins says
My Mother always loved candied orange peels. Now, I chop them up and put them in shortbread cookies. The syrup is great with cream cheese as a fruit dip.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Sounds so good!
Jennifer Logan says
All that work and they “simmered” almost dry and burned. I followed the recipe step by step and everything looked beautiful. After about 30 minutes however the syrup was almost gone and had started to turn brown. It was a mild steady simmer on a low heat, so if I had lowered the temp any more there would have been no simmer at all. I resisted the urge to stir them during the simmering process. When they went “bad” they went bad fast. One minute just they were just picture perfect, the next a burned mess.
★
alexandra says
So sorry to hear that! Assuming you used the correct amount of peels, sugar, and water, is it possible the peels were already done before 30 minutes?
Monica says
Well, the candied peels came out great, but I tried to save the syrup and now I have a jar of solid hard candy. No idea if I’ll be able to get it out of there or if I should just toss it. Haha. Oh well. The peels were the important part. :) I couldn’t remember how much sugar to water and your blog popped up first on the list! Thanks!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Glad the peels worked out! Could be the syrup cooked to long/got to hot and that’s why it hardened.
Daniel Kim says
I don’t have too many oranges at any given time, and so I froze orange peels until I had enough to do this. They are a bit softer than fresh ones, but not bad.
I am trying to make more of my own sweets, instead of buying them, to help limit how many I eat (I cannot bring myself to binge on them, if they take so much effort to make)
★★★★★
Jan says
Made these last week…everyone ate them all they were so good…working on my second batch now..
alexandra says
Yay, so happy to hear that!
Cathy says
Ok,I made it & it turned out great! I used 4 cups regular sugar, 2 cups tap water, 1 ounce Grand Marnier. I cut the ends off six navel oranges, quartered them, peeled them apart, and then cut each quarter peel into three slices lengthwise, and then cut across them in half. I boiled the peels and drained them three times. Then, I let them cool a bit, and then one by one, used my fingernails to scrape the now softened pith right off the peels. I put them into the barely simmering simple syrup and turned the gas down to extra low for an hour. Then I retrieved all the peels and put them onto cooling racks over parchment. The color is brilliant and translucent and they are pliable, the taste is dangerously good. I need to hide them from myself now! Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Love the addition of the Grand Marnier!
Lis says
Hi!
So i made the peels yesterday (from one orange) and they are amazing! (Alittle bit bitter but i like that) i was just wondering since its just little me living alone and i dont get through alot very fast if they freeze well and then be added to sweet breads or scones or cookies?
Lots of love,
Lis
alexandra says
You can definitely add them to breads/scones/etc! I haven’t tried freezing them so can’t comment on that unfortunately. :/ They should last for a decent bit though without freezing!
glenna says
I’m about to make these. Only boiled them once because I want them to maintain some bitterness. Will come back after and say how it worked!
glenna says
I”m afraid I now have a new problem food. Can’t stop eating these and they aren’t even done yet. I barely followed the directions — only did one boil/rinse, then just dumped the sugar and water in to a small saucepan, so there were probably three layers. I simmered very low for about an hour with the lid on. When I uncovered it, it was no longer hot enough to boil. I covered and left overnight, then simmmered, covered, again in the morning, probably for another hour, then transferred to a rack. Very little extra syrup. Half of them are drying in the oven at about 200 degrees, as I want them very chewy. The other half is gone, as I keep deciding to try them to see if they’re firmer. I’d like them drier and more bitter, so next time I’ll try it without that first boil. Thank you for posting this, and also for keeping comments open (thanks to those who commented too) so we can all share our experience.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Haha, so glad it worked out!
Laura says
Mind turned out really hard. :( Where did I go wrong?
alexandra says
Sounds like you may have cooked the peels too long, or got the sugar syrup to hot. Make sure it stays at just a simmer and only cook the peels until translucent. :)
Flora says
I used brown sugar and it turned out wonderful-the orange peel is brown of course but I love the color and they are so yummy. I eat them as snacks
alexandra says
Oooh interesting! Love it!
Olwen Davies says
It’s important to use wax free organic oranges, other wise the pesticides couldl make the peel taste bitter!
Dolores J. Boehmer says
I made the orange peel candy and I sprinkled the orange peels with powder sugar before they were complete dried. Soooooooooooooooo Good.
Bethy says
I made this to add to my orange chicken.
The peels turned out good but so super sweet. Double the sugar to water in the syrup seems quite heavy but whatever. I think perhaps because of the dish itself being sweet, it was too sweet overall. I should try to use the leftover peels and a dessert type dish. Any tips on how long to boil in the water before switching it out in the first step ?
alexandra says
I’ve only used these in sweet recipes so I expect they might be a bit too sweet for savory ones! For the initial boil (blanching), you can stop as soon as the water comes to a boil.
Ellie says
This recipe is incredible! I made a batch for my mum’s birthday and now she asks every week if I can make some more..
Thank you!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Ahh that is so sweet! Thank you for sharing <3
jennie says
I made this tonight and it was wonderful… I might have used 6-8 oranges since I have been collecting the rinds for over a week… keeping them in baggies and in the back of the frig for extra freshness… Came out wonderful… sprinkled organic sugar on top… YUM! Waiting till they dry out some before putting them in an airtight container!!! Now to share my gift with my friends!!
★★★★★
Pat says
Thanks for this recipe. Most others are for five to ten oranges Rinds from three oranges is about as much orange peel I could use in a lifetime. Your recipe is also very explicit. Most have 20 unexplained steps. Thanks for your good tips.
Can’t wait for it to dry so I can dip them in chocolate — and then eat them!x
alexandra says
So glad the detail was helpful!
erin aiston says
Thank you for this article! I had candied orange peel years ago. I had forgotten all about them. I am definitely going to do this!
★★★★★
Lady Ruth Smith says
Thanks for sharing this great post.
Ashley says
I live at quite a high altitude. How can I adjust my cooking times of the sugar to counter the altitude. Soft ball stage is around 90 degrees C.
Also are the peels chewy or hard?
alexandra says
My advise would be to go by visual cues and just cook until the peels are translucent. They wind up somewhere in the middle – not super chewy but not hard either I’d say. Hope that helps!
ANUPAMA says
Hi any idea if this can be made in Jaggery syrup ? I love this orange candy but now I m diabetic. looking for the way to make it. Can you help please ?
★★★★★
alexandra says
I’m really not familiar with jaggery, so I couldn’t say. Sorry! :(
Hadassah says
What a great way to use up food that would otherwise just be discarded. I love clementines, but felt guilty just throwing away the peels. I can’t wait to try this next time.
Judy says
I start with 6 oranges, cook them per instructions in the recipe. After completing the peels I make sauce for fish tacos by doing a fine chop of about 10 slices of the peel, add leftover syrup, some lemon zest and lemon and orange juice leaving the mixture thin enough to pour easily. Bring to boil, let cool, store it in the fridge indefinitely. I take the remaining strips and drag them through hot, melted chocolate (use rubber gloves here, this can get messy), lay them out on wax paper lined cookie sheet, refrigerate about 15-20 minutes, remove from fridge and store in airtight container in fridge. I don’t know how long these will store as none have ever survived more than 48 hours.
Shirley says
I made these tonight and they turned out good. I need them for my Christmas pudding, a 200 year old family recipe.
★★★★★
Jeanne Louise Potter says
Newbie here…I like this recipe…I’ll let you know how the rinds turn out! happy Holidays!
★★★★★
JD Myers says
I have been cooking for 55 years and lost my recipe for candied orange peel. Thank you so much for this. One thing I do remember from my recipe (old age, remember) is that in the first boiling with the water it called for some soda, probably 1 tsp, it was supposed to take the bitterness out of the peel. Your recipe may take care of that. Will give it a try. We used it to make a quick orange bread. Was so good. Thank you so much for sharing.
alexandra says
The baking soda is an interesting idea! Makes sense though!
David says
We use candied lemon peels to decorate our wedding cake. Peel the lemon like you would peel an apple and candy as usual. Once candied, roll the peel up like roses. Looked great and the decorations were edible.
★★★★
Grammie Pam says
My 11 year old granddaughter fell in love wth these when I made these for Christmas last year.
I made them a couple more times last winter when oranges were at their peak and she really enjoyed them.
The other day she asked me to make her some for a Christmas present ,so how could not go right out and buy oranges and get a batch done for Tuesday!
They are simmering on my stove top and my whole house smells yummy!
This is the best recipe that I have made and they turn out perfect each time?
randy says
Anyone have a recipe for calamondin skins?
Michele Helton says
I used to buy candied orange and lemon peel until I found this recipe! So easy and my family’s heirloom Christmas recipe tastes even better. Thank you!
★★★★★
Wendy Goicochea says
Wonderful recipe and it came out great. I have bought candied peel in Candy stores dipped in dark or light chocolate.
That is what this batch is destined for.
Merry Christmas all.
Joanne says
Can you double the recipe?
alexandra says
I think you probably could with a large enough pot.
Deb says
I have made these several times to use as a garnish on dreamsicle cupcakes and for gifts. The only change I make is to coat them with granulated sugar before drying.
alexandra says
I have done this as well. :) Def a good touch!
Nathalie says
My daughter made these for me for Christmas. They are simply delicious. We eat them as a snack or dessert. Healthier than candy with vitamins. We’ll be making these again and again. Stores well in a pantry.
★★★★★
alexandra says
Love this!
Damia says
I needed a candied orange recipe for my orange chili chocolate, and this was perfect! It imbued my chocolate with a subtle flavor that did not over power the spices, and brought a brightness to the dark chocolate. Thank you very much!
★★★★★
Kim M Lizee says
I always thought that the more pith left on the peel, the more bitter the finished product would be…
alexandra says
The pith does contribute bitterness which is why the peels are blanched multiple times before being candied.
Rosa says
I use a potato peeler to remove the peel. You wont have to trim the pith.
★★★★
Emma says
I tried this out today with a cara cara orange- I was worried as it was happening that it didn’t smell as strong as I expected but they turned out great!
★★★★★
Elaine says
Sounds like just what I was looking for. Ty
mike says
I was taught how to make candied orange rind 20 plus years ago. I then did the same to pink grapefruit rind and fell in love with the tart and sweet combination.
Mike in Maine
★★★★★
mike says
I forgot to mention, after the last step of letting the peels drain on a drying rack I give them a light coat of granulated sugar by tossing in a bowl with sugar. They no longer stick together and keep forever! In my house forever is a day or two lol!
alexandra says
I can’t recall why I didn’t include that step in the recipe but I agree that tossing them in sugar is the way to go. At some point I’d like to update this post – I’ll have to mention that when I do. :)
Schatzi says
Making these sugar free with monkfruit sweetener and looks like I’ll have candied peel to put in my Italian baked goods! Easy peasy recipe to follow and adapt. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Did it work with monkfruit? Would love to know!
Schatzi says
I used Lakanto 1:1 monkfruit sweetener and it worked well for my baking needs. Bagged and froze the rest and used some (chopped fine) in a cranberry sauce, which my family loved.
I might make it with powdered monkfruit sweetener next time just to see how it works.
I am loving my sugar-free lifestyle, inflammation in my body has been minimized dramatically!
Michael says
I think it’s great. And it’s just like my mom did grapefruit peel. I have an old gas stove with pilot lights so the oven stays very warm. I dried mine on parchment there and it was great! Thank you for sharing this with us, Alexandra!
★★★★★
alexandra says
So glad you liked the recipe!
Denise Eastin says
Tried this recipe two days ago. For the most part, I was happy with the results. I’m glad you mentioned the ‘two tablespoons of syrup’ left in the saucepan at the end of cooking. I had to cook the rinds about 2 hours for the same result. I guess I was cooking at too low of a simmer. I did sugar them in fine sugar once they were dry.
★★★★
alexandra says
Stoves can be finicky depending on what type you have, etc., so it’s always best to look for the visual cues as opposed to just going based on timing. :)
Aideen says
What is the shelf life of the candy orange peel?
alexandra says
I would say at least 6 months
RAQUEL CRISTOBAL says
I’m making this today for the first time,
I hope it will come out right.
Khay says
I use Natsu Mikan,instead of orange,and it come out just perfect,
Anne Keogh says
Made it and it’s delicious. Will be lovely as an extra on my cupcakes ? and also as a decoration on the frosting of carrot cake whose frosting incidentally is orange. Looks lovely too in jar in my kitchen. Thank you!
alexandra says
So glad you liked them!
Tweets says
Its 8 in the morning n I’m leaving for office just say your recipes and pictures….somehow made me feel fresh and cheerful. Definitely will try them
★★★★★
alexandra says
Thank you so much!
Suzanne Pearson says
This is the third time I’ve made your Candied Orange Peels.. but today I made a lemon pie with freshly squeezed lemon juice. I didn’t want to waste the lemon peels, so I made your recipe but substituted the oranges for lemon peels. It turned out wonderful, and just as addictive. My hubby and I hoard these peels every time we make them! One for Him, One for me. The only time I can sneak in an extra is while I’m making them! Thank you for posting and updating your wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
alexandra says
Haha I love this! So happy to hear you’ve enjoyed the recipe. :)
Wen says
I just made these and I could literally feel my Grandma looking over my shoulder. I felt 7 again. Wonderful! Thank you!
★★★★★
alexandra says
I love this so much. Thank you for sharing!
Stephen Levin. says
The recipe is excellent. The only addition I would make is to let the candied orange peels air dry for a day or to harden a bit; otherwise they will be a bit too moist and soft.
alexandra says
Thanks so much! Happy to hear the recipe worked well for you.
Sweetcheeks says
Tried these but blanched them 3 times before actually simmering them for an hour, delightfully sweet and tender. I’ve just done chillis the same way, oh wow, they were fantastic.
★★★★★
alexandra says
So glad you liked the recipe! Candied chili peppers sound VERY intriguing. :)
Sweetcheeks says
Never blanched the chillis, sliced and deseeded then poached the same as the orange peel, delicious, served them with a raspberry cheesecake that had a bar of chilli chocolate smashed up in it with Green & Blacks Raspberry Velvet pieces on top. Outrageously delicious. The orange peel btw was for a dark orange chocolate cheesecake, I chopped some up and put it in the cheesecake mix with a bar of Godiva blood orange chocolate, then half dipped the orange peel in the same chocolate for the topping.
alexandra says
Wow you are so creative! These desserts sound delicious.