Candied Citrus Peels Recipe

 

As a kid, did you ever get gummy bears on top of your ice cream from an ice cream parlor, and the gummy bears froze into tooth-breakingly hard rocks? That doesn’t happen with candied citrus peel.

When I eat citrus fruit, whether it’s an orange, tangerine, mandarin, lemon, lime, pomelo, or grapefruit, I always try to save the peel. I wash it, pile it all up in a big Ziploc bag, and store it in the freezer until I’m ready to make a big batch of candied citrus peel. I love making this recipe by Ask the Food Geek.

I like to make a big batch of all the citrus peels I have, but you can separate them by flavor if you prefer.

For the uninitiated, candied citrus peel is exactly what it sounds like: the peel of a citrus fruit that has had the bitterness boiled out of it, been cooked down in sugar syrup until it’s super sticky, then gotten rolled in sugar (and sometimes dipped in chocolate). They are divine all on their own, but they also make an excellent addition to ice cream.

Candied citrus peel is a perfect mix-in for ice cream because of its perfectly chewy texture even while frozen. As a kid, did you ever get gummy bears on top of your ice cream from an ice cream parlor, and the gummy bears froze into tooth-breakingly hard rocks? That doesn’t happen with candied citrus peel. It stays soft and chewy like a gummy should be even when they’re frozen.

 

These are sitting in the sugar they were shaken in. 
I ended up using the extra sugar in a frozen dessert base.  

I know it seems impossible to make something so delicious out of something that seems like garbage. I don’t recommend eating uncooked citrus rind because it’s really, really bitter. However, when it’s been cooked well and with sugar, it’s delicious. It tastes like a really fresh, delicious gummy candy and adds great textural difference.

Believe it or not, the pith of citrus fruit isn’t as bitter as you might think. We’ve had it drilled into our heads that the white part is the bitter part, but it isn’t true! Grapefruit and pomelo are the only exceptions since they’re naturally bitter. All the other citrus fruits I’ve tried have had a totally palatable pith. In other words, when making candied citrus peel, don’t worry about removing the pith.

I have tested making candied citrus peel with oranges, tangerines, mandarins, lemons, pomelos, and limes. The lime peel turned out delicious but tough, and I think it’s because it turned leathery and dry from being stored in the freezer and dehydrating over time. Fresh ones will work, though!

If making candied citrus peel to use as an ice cream mix-in, chop the peel into small squares either before or after cooking. I prefer to do it before cooking so that all sides of the peel are covered in sugar, but it shouldn’t make too much of a difference. You can also cover them in chocolate afterwards for something truly special!

These were eaten a la carte. 

Candied Citrus Peels

Ingredients

For the peels:

• Lots and lots of citrus peels! Oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, mandarins, and tangerines all work. My guess is that up to 4 cups of peels will work, but you might be able to use even more.

• 2 cups (426 g) sugar

• 1 cup (237 g) water, plus more for boiling the peels

• 1 tablespoon (7.5 g) light corn syrup (optional; helps control crystallization)

• 1 spent vanilla bean (optional)

For the coating:

• 1 teaspoon (5 g) citric acid (optional; recommended only if using as a mix-in for sorbet)

• ¼ cup (53 g) sugar (or more as needed)

• Dark chocolate (optional)

Directions

1. Chop citrus peels into tiny squares about 1cm x 1cm (if not using as a mix-in for frozen desserts, feel free to cut citrus peels into long strips instead).

2. Put citrus peels into a large saucepan with enough water to cover them. Then, heat over medium-high heat until it boils. Drain.

3. Repeat Step 2 at least two more times and taste a small piece of peel. If it tastes very bitter, keep repeating this step until it is palatable. It won’t be delicious yet—it just can’t be too bitter. A very small amount of bitterness is acceptable, but most of it should be gone.

4. Add the drained peels back to the pot with the rest of the ingredients for the peels. Let it simmer but not boil. Heating it on low or medium-low is best. Do not let it get as hot as 235 F/112 C.

5. Simmer for at least 45 minutes, checking every so often to make sure there is enough water in the pan. Add a small amount of water, about ¼ cup, if needed. At the end of simmering, the peels should be soft, somewhat transparent on the edges, and sitting in a small pool of syrup.

6. Cover a tray with parchment paper. Strain out the syrup (save it for making sorbet or using as a topping for ice cream!), then spread the peels in a single layer on the parchment. Let them dry for 30 minutes or until they are more sticky than wet. They don’t need to be perfectly dry.

7. Prepare the coating. Mix the sugar with citric acid (if using) in a container, then transfer some of the peels into that container with the sugar. Cover the container, shake it up, and remove those peels. Work in batches to make sure the peels are all coated with sugar and do not stick to each other. The peels are done!

8. If coating with chocolate, follow this guide for tempering chocolate if you’d like to eat them at room temperature. Dip the candied peels halfway into the chocolate, then let dry on parchment paper. If you wish to use chocolate-covered peels as an ice cream mix-in, you don’t need to temper it—just mix the candied peels into the chocolate, strain off the excess chocolate, and freeze until ready to mix into ice cream.

Above is a mandarin froyo I made in the Creami. I still have to perfect it before I post! 

Notes

I can’t remember exactly how much sugar I used to coat, but I do remember that I only used 1 teaspoon of citric acid, which the original recipe more than doubles. I found that this was enough for me. I also don’t recommend using it at all if you are making these candied citrus peels to go into ice cream. I’m unsure what sort of effect citric acid will have when coming into contact with dairy. It would probably be fine, but just to be safe, I can only recommend it for sorbets and other nondairy recipes.

Q and A

Q: Can I use these candied citrus peels in ice cream?

A: Yes, but please see the Notes section above for more details.

Q: Are homemade candied citrus peels healthy?

A: It depends on your definition of healthy. They don’t have any artificial colors or flavors, but you should still treat them like you would candy.

Q: How should I serve candied citrus peels?

A: Candied citrus peels can be mixed into any flavor of ice cream or sorbet. I’ve also had great success adding it to frozen yogurt. You can also use it as a topping instead of a mix-in if you prefer. You can also serve them completely on their own, either with a chocolate coating or without.

Q: How long do candied citrus peels last?

A: I have no idea, but it takes a very long time for them to go bad.

Q: How do I store candied citrus peels?

A: In an airtight container. They will likely last longer in the refrigerator. I do not recommend freezing them by themselves, as their texture may suffer. However, they will be fine if frozen while mixed into ice cream or sorbet.