Homemade Candied Citrus Peel
Author: Nancy Baggett
Ingredients
  • 2½ to 3 cups 2- to 4-inch long and ¼-inch wide fresh red or pink grapefruit peel strips
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • About ½ to ⅔ cups super-fine granulated sugar (or regular granulated sugar finely processed in a food processor)
Instructions
  1. Combine the strips in a large, heavy non-reactive saucepan or pot with 1 quart of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Adjust the heat so the strips boil gently; cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Pour out the strips into a colander, then rinse them under warm water. Repeat the same process four more times, boiling them in fresh water each time. Rinse the strips a final time; let stand to drain.
  2. In a heavy, non-reactive 2-quart saucepan combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1¼ cups water. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a boil. Add the peels; bring back to a boil, then adjust the heat until the mixture boils gently. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 to 25 minutes, or until the liquid has boiled down to about 1½ tablespoons and the strips are thickly coated with syrup. (Cooking will go faster in a wide-bottomed pan, due to faster evaporation.) Watch carefully at the end to avoid scorching. Remove from the heat. Let stand until cooled to barely warm.
  3. Lay the strips, separated, on a wire rack set over paper (to catch drips). Let stand at least 12 hours, or until just slightly sticky to the touch. Roll them on all sides in super-fine granulated sugar. If the peels inadvertently dried too much and the sugar doesn’t stick, wet your hands lightly and rub a little moisture on the strips (or use a pastry brush very lightly dipped in water), then continue. Let the sugared strips stand a few minutes, then pack them airtight along with a little leftover super-fine sugar. They will keep, airtight and at room temperature, for up to 2 weeks or frozen, airtight, for up to 6 months.
Recipe by KitchenLane at http://kitchenlane.com/2010/01/homemade-candied-citrus-peel.html