Fourth Advent Candle,
Candied Orange Peel
and
Day Eighteen on the Advent Calendar
Candied Orange Peel
18th December
2011
Window eighteen is:
Mince Pie
Mince Pie
Lighting the Fourth Advent Candle
It’s the last Sunday in Advent…….Christmas Eve is only six days away now and the excitement is growing; yes, I STILL love Christmas and all the tinsel, carols, mince pies, Angels, fairies, baubles, lights, cake, crackers, glitter, sweets, holly, mistletoe, zany Christmas jumpers, patterned pairs of socks, stockings, chocolate coins, chocolate, tangerines, stuffing, bacon rolls and everything else that is associated with this time of year. I am just as excited now, as when I was a little girl, anxiously waiting for Christmas Eve to arrive with all the mystery and tradition that surrounds that special time…….
There are jars and jars of preserves, pickles, mincemeat, chutneys, jams, bottled fruits, home-made liqueurs, curds, cheeses and jellies all lined up in my pantry, some to be given away as gifts and some to enjoy at home; the cake is made, the mince pies are an ongoing daily baking duty (we inhale them in my household and there are never enough!) and the store cupboard is full of biscuits, cakes, sweets, chocolates and other treats. The turkey has been ordered and the stuffing will be made with fresh sage from the garden……the sprouts are resting in the cool of the scullery along with a large sack of potatoes and some freshly dug parsnips.
Just ONE more task, to replenish the candied peel I have used for my epic baking quests lately! I also want to make some more to dip in chocolate as an after dinner treat…….and maybe to give as gifts, if there are enough left that is. I usually make a double batch of candied orange peel and a single batch of grapefruit peel. I LOVE using this home-made peel in all my baking, and once you have made your own, you will NEVER go back to the commercially made peel ever again. If you make a batch of this today, you will have a wondrous store for the rest of the festive baking season, as well as the odd chocolate dipped citrus treat if the desire takes you. So, I’ll leave you to it……..I am off to make some more mince pies now and I’ll see you all tomorrow……have a lovely Advent Sunday,
Karen.
Home-made
Candied Orange Peel
Once you have made home-made candied orange OR lemon peel, you will never go back to using commercially produced peel again! This is such an easy recipe & yields enough candied peel to accommodate most of my recipes using peel for quite a few months. You just need to be organised and have an airy & dry room available for the drying process. This peel enhances any recipe calling for peel, and actually TASTES like oranges. I often keep the peel taken from fresh oranges in a container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or until I have enough to make a batch.
Ingredients:
- 6 oranges (about 1 kilo)
- 350g caster sugar
- 600ml water
- caster sugar, extra
Method:- Scrub the fruit well. Using a sharp knife remove peel and pith from fruits in large pieces, I like to cut them into quarters.
- Place the pieces of peel in a medium sized saucepan. Cover with cold water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Drain.
- Repeat this process twice. The peel should now be almost translucent. If not, continue with the process once more.
- Drain and slice into 3 mm thick strips, or leave in attractive quarter pieces.
- Place the sugar and water in a medium sized saucepan. Cook, stirring over low heat until sugar dissolves. Add peel; simmer approximately 45 to 60 minutes, or until the syrup has nearly disappeared.
- Remove from heat. Place the peel on a wire rack that has been placed over a baking paper lined oven tray. Cover and allow to dry overnight.
- Toss the peel in extra caster sugar to coat it lightly.
- Arrange sugar coated peel in single layer on baking paper until touch dry, 2-3 days.
- Store in airtight containers until ready to use.
- The peel will last several months if kept in dry, dark & cool conditions & and in airtight container.
- Snip the peel into small pieces to use.
As this candied peel is made from the peel of the oranges that we eat, it is a perfect entry for Helen’s great new event,Frugal Food Friday
DO join in this event here, and here’s a few more details:
Some themes for money saving ideas that I have thought up are:
- Dishes using cheaper ingredients – cheap cuts of meat or vegetarian
- Meals using leftovers
- Meals using up the ends of packets
- Substitutions of cheaper ingredients
- Packed lunches
- Meals that use less energy to cook
- Pressure cooking
- Slow cooking
- Faster cooking – less oven time for example
- Batch cooking for the freezer
- Using Sustainable foods
- Food you have grown yourself
- Meals from reduced food in the supermarket
Gloria says
what nice and beauty post!!I love candied orange peel:)
Marie says
I love making Candied Orange Peel almost as much as I love eating it! Yours looks wonderful Karen. xxoo
Dom at Belleau Kitchen says
So simple and so pretty! Just like you. ;0) no really I think I shall be making this today. The Viking is a massive orange eater and we always have tonnes of peel. Lovely xx
Inthesky says
Mouthwateringly delicious…I can taste some now, dipped in a bit of dark chocolate…
A Trifle Rushed says
I've never attempted candied orange peel, your recipe sounds super and the photographs are both beautiful and inspiring, so I will be attempting some soon. Jude x
Jacqueline says
What a marvellous idea. That must yaste so good. I will have to try that. Bet it would be good with lemons too. I am just imagining the great flavour it would give to cakes and cookies.
Annie says
Wonderful! This I have to try. No idea why I haven't before as I ADORE candied peel!
Gardenteacakesandme says
I'm not the biggest fan of orange peel but the photos really do make your orange peel look very delicious.
Baking Addict says
Great idea, I've never made my own but I think I should start now 🙂
Janice says
Your peel looks very 'apealing' – sorry couldn't resist! It does though, I've made it once, but should really make the effort to do so again.
Working london mummy says
a lovely idea and one I will try out as I love orange in cakes etc
Kate@whatkatebaked says
I wanna come live in your house Karen!! Where I'd get to help you and your family inhale all the delicious mince pies!
Choclette says
I can't see any pictures to ooh and ahh over. I made some last year for the first time and dipped them in chocolate for gifts. This year I made a bigger batch using lemon as well as orange and have been using it in so many things. The syrup is really good too. Like the sound of the grapefruit.
But WHAT do you do with the oranges. I had loads of oranges hanging about and I didn't really know what to do with them. Once peeled, they couldn't be squeezed – it was a dilemma. CT ate most of them in the end.
smellslikesalad says
Have you ever tried this with grapefruit?
Chele says
Ooooooooooooh – yours have turned out so much better than mine! Will be book marking this recipe for next year.
The Caked Crusader says
The orange is gorgeous – so photogenic!
Laura@howtocookgoodfood says
I am so into my candied peel that I HAVE to give this a go, I am becoming more and more of an orange fan! Xx
Lauren says
Homemade candied peel is the best! If I wanted to buy some, I'd have to order it out of a catalog, so I started making my own out of necessity. I try to never throw away an orange, lemon or grapefruit peel! I love the syrup they're cooked in, as well.
Helen @ Fuss Free Flavours says
I have not made candied peel for ages. Considering the amount that we get through for our breakfast juices I should start to make it again.
Caroline says
Dear Karen, what a great recipe and it works so well. Having lovely oranges here in the Pyrenees it is perfect. Is doing lemons exactly the same recipe and timings etc? Joyeux Noël, Caroline
Karen says
Thanks so much Caroline and yes, you can do the same with lemons and grapefruit, and the timings are very similar, just adjust for how big the fruits are! Joyeux Noël aussi! Karen
Jess says
That’s great!
It’s just a bit of a shame about the cold and winter in the UK so I’ll save the recipe for next summer when I can use my own. Jessica x