Candied Orange Peel

Recipe from Alton Brown with modifications (in bold) made by Phyllis Gargas.

• 4 ripe oranges (Navel will do just fine)

• 2 cups sugar

• 4 cups water

1. Place a cooling rack over a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. If you don’t have a pan, just put the paper on the counter, but don’t skip the cooling rack.

2. Cut oranges into quarters or sixths. Remove flesh and save for later. Using a spoon, scrape off as much of the pith as possible. Don’t go crazy, but the more you get off the less bitter it’ll be.

3. Place the peel strips in a medium saucier or saucepan (I use a three quart saucier so that the liquid will pool in the bottom as it reduces). Add two cups of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then drop the heat to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and return the peel to the pan.

4. Add the sugar and the last two cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and stir every few minutes until the sugar dissolves. A silicone spatula is absolutely the best tool for the job.

5. When the syrup hits a boils, drop the heat and maintain a simmer for approximately 1 hour. Since the syrup is going to slowly concentrate, you’ll need to drop the heat every now and then to just maintain that simmer. Remember this isn’t just about creating a sugar crust, it’s about actually getting some of that sugar into the peel and that takes time. Stir every few minutes to help insure equal coverage and cooking.

6. After 50 minutes a majority of the water will have evaporated and the remaining syrup will thick and there will be a lot of bubbles. At this point use an instant read thermometer to start checking the temp.*

7. When the syrup is above 210F or so, immediately remove from the heat and pour the orange peels onto the cooling rack, separating and straightening the pieces as quickly as you can with the spatula or a couple of forks.

8. Once cool after a day or two, flip the peels over so the other side can get a good crust. Let that dry for another two days or so. Make sure they are no longer super sticky and start “dusting” with sugar. Make sure to coat both sides. Shake off any excess sugar.

9. At this point, let dry for another day before storing in an airtight container or you can melt 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips to dip the ends of the peel in. Make sure you dip and place to dry on parchment paper. They will dry overnight and will be ready to eat.

10. Seal the candied peel in a glass jar and store at room temperature for up to 3 months. If making in the summer, consider adding a food grade silica desiccant pack to the jar to absorb humidity.

Note from Alton Brown: “I don’t like waste so I return any syrup and surplus sugar from the paper and rack to the pan. I add a cup of water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. The resulting syrup can be used in beverages…like tea and cocktails. Sealed in a jar and refrigerated it’ll keep for months. Oh yeah…don’t forget to eat the oranges.”

Makes approximately 40 three-inch pieces.