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

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

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

Candied Orange Peels

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

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

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

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

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What Ingredients You Need

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

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

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

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How to Make the Easiest Candied Orange Peels

Instructions…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Toss the cooled peels in the sugar to coat.

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

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

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

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How Can I Enjoy Candied Orange Peel?

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

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

Use pieces of orange peels to finish festive co*cktails, like anAperol Spritzor in aSpiced Manhattan co*cktail.

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

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Looking for More Easy Candy Recipes?

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

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

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Print Recipe

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The Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

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

Servings: 20 servings

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

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

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

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

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

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

Notes

You can candy lemon and lime peels as well!

Nutrition

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

Course: Candy, Dessert, Drinks, Snack

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

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

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

FAQs

How do you take the bitterness out of candied oranges? ›

Instead of boiling, soak the orange peels overnight in the refrigerator, fully covered in cold water. This is just as effective at removing some of the excess bitterness as a boil does, without softening the peels quite as much.

Why is my candied orange peel bitter? ›

Why Are My Candied Orange Peels Bitter? The white pith under the orange skin is what makes it taste bitter. The bitterness is removed in the water-only boiling process. If yours is still bitter, you likely need to boil longer or more in the water.

Should candied orange peel be refrigerated? ›

Trim the peels with a paring knife or scissors as needed to refine the shape for your presentation. In addition to oranges, you can candy peels from other citrus including grapefruit, lemons, limes, etc. Store peels in an airtight container. They will keep a week at room temperature, a month if refrigerated.

What to use in place of candied orange peel? ›

What can I substitute candied orange peel with? Those who prefer not to use the sugar orange rind can replace it with other dried fruit, such as dried apricots, dates, candied pineapple, or dried cherries. Another alternative is candied ginger, but be careful as the flavor can be overwhelming.

How do you get the bitter taste out of orange peels? ›

Make sure to remove any excess white with your knife. Then sliver the peel. Place orange peel in a sauce pan cover with a generous amount of water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 10 minutes.

How do you increase the sweetness of an orange? ›

The longer the fruit is on the tree, the sweeter the orange will be. The pH of the soil should be above 6 and the heat of the summer also adds to the sweetness of the orange (that is no problem in our area). Citrus does not do well if planted in a lawn area.

What is the difference between bitter and sweet orange peel? ›

sinensis orange variety, sweet orange peel is said to contribute a notably more “orangey” flavor that's widely recognizable, as these types of oranges are commonly consumed. Bitter orange peel comes from the C. aurantium orange variety and is known to lend a more general citrus character with some bitterness.

Are candied orange peels healthy? ›

Candied Orange Peels are beautiful, festive, and are full of nutrients. The orange peel has more vitamin C than the actual fruit of the orange. Likewise, the fruit peel also has about three times as much the amount of Vitamin A, B-Complex, and minerals such as manganese, calcium, and zinc.

Do candied oranges go bad? ›

Candied and Glace Fruit

During warm weather, the fruit should be placed in controlled cold storage at a temperature of 50-60 degrees F and relative humidity of about 60%. “Use by date” is located on the outside edge of the lid – under the tamper evident tape. SHELF LIFE 18-24 months.

Can you freeze orange peel to candy later? ›

Do Ahead: Orange peels can be candied 1 month ahead. Store airtight at room temperature, or freeze up to 2 months.

What to eat with candied oranges? ›

Candied orange slices are a sweet and chewy confection that requires just 2-ingredients to make. Eaten plain or dipped in chocolate, they make a delicious snack and are an easy way to add bright orange flavor to cakes, tarts, co*cktails, and even salads or roasted meats.

How do you rehydrate candied orange peel? ›

To rehydrate: Use 3 parts water to 1 part peel, let stand 15 minutes. Substitute 1/3 as much dry as recipe calls for.

What is the Italian name for candied orange peel? ›

Candied Orange Peels (Scorze Candite di Arancia)

Why are my candied orange slices bitter? ›

Blanching peels

Orange peels get their bitterness from several compounds. And those compounds dissolve in hot water, which is why blanching works so well. In fact, blanching reduces bitterness by 50%. Repeat the blanching step until the orange peels taste just slightly bitter.

How do you fix bitter oranges? ›

One way to get rid of the bitterness in whole oranges (and other citrus fruit) if you have to cook them in a recipe, boil them submerged (which is why I have the bowl and cast iron dish on top) in water and 1 tsp salt for 1 hour. Drain and then use the fruit.

Why does my orange taste bitter? ›

Troublesome compounds called limonin and nomilin can make even the freshest citrus fruit taste bitter. Some kinds of citrus trees thwart these natural chemicals by neatly attaching a sugar (glucose) molecule onto them. This simple maneuver converts limonin and nomilin to nonbitter compounds called limonoid glucosides.

How do you neutralize orange flavor? ›

I've normally found that acid (vinegar) and bitterness (sharp herbs perhaps) can lower the intensity of the sweetness of orange. I also think that a slightly bitter herb like rosemary or sage would meld nicely with the orange, burying the flavor a bit. It might already be a little bitter from the pith of the orange.

How do you reduce bitterness in sweets? ›

Sweet ingredients like sugar, honey, fruit juices and maple syrup will balance bitterness. Any dish can also be balanced with a touch of a sour ingredient like lemon or vinegar. Finally, a fatty ingredient like oil, cream. coconut cream or butter will also tame bitterness.

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