Waste not....

My husband is eating at least 3 oranges a day in hospital. He is very methodical in the peeling of them and I noticed yesterday (actually maybe Saturday)how neat the little pieces of peel looked. An hour or so later I was reading my favourite blog Down to Earth and Rhonda Jean was talking about decorating a cake with the last of some candied orange peel. Destiny! Tonight I have returned form the hospital with a little bag of peel. I have refrigerated it and will do the same each night this week. By Saturday I think I have enough to candy. I have researched a few recipes but this is one the once I have decided to follow. I also have some lemons which are hanging around longer than usual so on Saturday these will also get peeled and the juice frozen. The peel can then join its little orange mates in candy land. Beloved also eats a mango and a couple of apples or maybe a banana each day plus a small dish of pineapple. (I think he might be secretly a fruit bat.) Any idea to use up stones or peel from other fruits gratefully accepted!

RECIPE: HOMEMADE CANDIED ORANGE OR LEMON PEEL


Total Preparation Time: 2 Hours and 30 Minutes

Ingredients: 5 pounds of Oranges or Lemons, Water, Sugar

Score peel of fruit in sections 2 inches wide, cutting through peel but not through fruit. Using fingers, peel fruit, carefully running your thumb between the peel and fruit to separate. Pith will remain attached to peel. Reserve fruit for another use.

Put peel in saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil, drain and rinse briefly under cold water. Blanch in same manner 2 more times. After third blanching, drain peels, rinse under cold water and, using thin sharp knife, remove as much pith as possible. You should be able to see some color through any remaining pith. Cut in shreds about 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide

While peels are being blanched, combine 4 cups sugar and 4 cups water in large saucepan. Bring to boil and stir to combine. Cook, without stirring, over medium heat until mixture makes thin syrup, about 1 hour. You will have about 4 cups syrup.

Cover triple-blanched peel with cold water and bring to simmer. Cook until peel begins to lose raw look, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and immediately, without rinsing peel, transfer to large mixing bowl. Cover with hot sugar syrup and set aside 1 hour to candy.

After fruit has candied, place about 1 cup sugar in bottom of another large mixing bowl. Add peel and toss to coat well. Shaking to remove excess sugar, transfer peel to cooling rack set over jellyroll pan to catch dripping sugar. Arrange in layer as thin as possible. Place rack and jellyroll pan in warm oven for 30 minutes to dry.

Remove from oven and leave at room temperature to finish drying. Peel will continue to become firmer and chewier over several days. When peel reaches desired texture, store in airtight container until ready to use.