Best Candied Citrus Zest Recipes

CANDIED CITRUS ZEST

Steps:

• Cut the citrus into wedges and remove the flesh. Use a sharp paring knife to remove as much white pith as possible from the peels. Reserve and use the insides of the fruits for juice or another use.
• Place all the peels in a 2-quart saucepan. Cover the peels with water and bring them to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and drain. Set the peels aside.
• Add the sugar, honey, and 1 1/2 cups (354ml) water to the empty pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook to dissolve all the sugar, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Add the reserved peels to the sugar syrup and reduce the heat to low; gently simmer until the syrup registers 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer or until the peels are bright and translucent looking. Stir the peels frequently. This should take about 1 hour. You do not want to caramelize the sugar at all, so keep the flame low and cook slowly. If the syrup begins to thicken before the peels have cooked through, you may need to add a touch more water to the pan during the cook time to slow down the candying process a bit.
• Cool the peels in the syrup until they reach room temperature. From here you can go in two different directions: you can store the candied peels in an airtight container in the syrup to keep it soft and hydrated. Alternately, you can dredge the peels in granulated sugar and set them on a wire rack overnight to create a dried candied zest confection. The sugared zest can then be stored at room temperature for months and months.

CANDIED ORANGE ZEST

Steps:

• Heat the 1 cup of sugar and water to a boil. Add peels and simmer until they are transparent, about 12 minutes. Syrup should be thick. Remove from syrup and toss in sugar, let dry, away from humidity. Store in an airtight tin.
• TIP:
• RED ORANGES
• Use blood oranges in your favorite recipes as you would regular oranges. Taste for sweetness, you may have to add a bit more sugar in some recipes

CANDIED ORANGE ZEST FOR CRANBERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add zest of 1 orange (peeled into long strips with a vegetable peeler); simmer, swirling occasionally, until zest is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a plate. Dredge zest in sugar, and thinly slice.

CANDIED LEMON ZEST

Steps:

• Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemons, keeping the strips as long as possible. Use a paring knife to remove the bitter white pith from the zest, and discard. Using a sharp chef's knife, finely julienne the strips of zest, and then place them in a small bowl. Cover the zest with boiling water; let stand for 30 minutes, then drain.
• Heat the sugar and cool water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, then add the julienned zest. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand at room temperature overnight. Remove the zest, and drain on wire rack. Roll the zest in the sugar. Dry on a wire rack. The zest can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

CANDIED CITRUS

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, combine sugar and water; bring to a boil. Add citrus slices; reduce heat to medium. Cook until slices are translucent, about 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer until slices are tender but still intact, about 10 minutes, turning occasionally., Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove slices to a wire rack or a parchment-lined baking pan. Let stand at room temperature overnight to dry. (Save syrup for another use.) If desired, cut slices in half; use to decorate a cake, pie or other dessert, or to garnish drinks.

CANDIED LEMON ZEST FOR DESSERTS

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, peel zest from lemons. Use a knife to remove any white pith; cut zest as thinly as possible.
• Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add zest; blanch for 1 minute, drain, and rinse under cold water.
• In another medium saucepan, combine sugar and 2 cups water; bring to a simmer. Cook until sugar dissolves completely, about 2 minutes. Add lemon zest. Simmer until translucent, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat; let zest cool in syrup. When cool, transfer zest and syrup to an airtight plastic container.

CANDIED ORANGE ZEST

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove orange zest in strips (leaving white pith behind); slice lengthwise into matchsticks. In a saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil. Add zest; reduce heat to medium. Cook until zest is soft, about 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer zest to a baking sheet lined with waxed paper; let cool. Toss with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Zest can be stored up to 1 day in an airtight container at room temperature.