Prep Time : 20 Minutes | Cook Time : 90 Minutes | Total Time : 4 hours | Difficulty : A bit fiddly
Hello my lovelies! I have been experimenting with my yuzu stash. I ordered a few kilos from NZ Yuzu Co. They are delicious. Like a cross between lemons and limes and grapefruits. They don’t have a lot of juice and they have tonnes of huge pips so the best ways to use them involve the peel. They make a fabulous marmalade but I didn’t capture it for y’all. It also makes excellent candied peel. I thought I would share my recipe for candied peel because if you can’t get yuzu you can easily use this recipe for any citrus peel you like. With citrus coming on over the next few months it’s a good DIY to have in your back pocket. Use fruit with smooth, plump, unblemished skins. We don’t want those dried out flavourless skins.
It is a bit fiddly and the time does seem long but a big chunk of that is a soaking period that really helps soften the peel before cooking. If you remember then it’s even better if you soak the peels overnight. Candied peel will keep for months in an airtight container and if you make a big batch and don’t want to share then keep it in an airtight container in the freezer. Use your candied peel anywhere a recipe calls for it, or dip the pieces in chocolate for a sweet snack.
Halve your fruits and scoop out all the flesh so you just have peels.
Use a sharp knife to cut the peels into quarters and then into 3 to 5 mm wide strips. Put all the peels in a large non-reactive bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for at least 2 hours.
Drain off the water and transfer the peels to a large pot. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes then drain off the water and cover with fresh water.
Simmer the peels for about 30 to 40 minutes until tender. crush one with the edge of your spoon to make sure it’s soft.
Strain and keep the water. Put the peels back in the pan and put the pan on your scale and set it to zero.
Add the flavoured water back until the peels are just covered. Check the weight of the added water and add an equal weight of sugar.
Return the pan to the heat and simmer to dissolve the sugar then cook the peels for a further 30 minutes until the pieces are translucent.
Strain the peels and lay them onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. It’s important to really drain off all the syrup here or they won’t dry out enough in the oven. I found that if you use a sieve with very fine mesh the syrup doesn’t drain away well so use one with a open weave. Keep some of the syrup to use in cocktails or sodas – just pour into a glass bottle and store in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.
In a very cool 60C (140F) oven fan-bake the pieces for about 30 minutes until dry on the surface. They will be firm-ish and no longer squishy and moist.
Toss the pieces of peel in sugar and store in an airtight container. If you find on storing that the pieces are releasing liquid into the container you cans spread them back out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and give them another round of drying in the oven.
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Candied Peel
Prep Time : 20 mins | Cook Time : 90 mins | Total Time : 4 hours | Difficulty : A bit fiddly
Makes : approx. 1 cup candied peel strips
Aromatic candied peel – perfect for adding flavour to baking recipes.
Ingredients:
- 6 to 8 citrus fruits depending on size
- Between 1 and 2 pounds (500 grams to 1 kilo) sugar
- lots of water
– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients –
Equipment:
- Bowl and saucepan
- Baking sheet lined with baking paper
- Sieve
- Electronic scale
Directions:
Halve your fruits and scoop out all the flesh so you just have peels.
Use a sharp knife to cut the peels into quarters and then into 3 to 5 mm wide strips. Put all the peels in a large non-reactive bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for at least 2 hours.
Drain off the water and transfer the peels to a large pot. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes then drain off the water and cover with fresh water.
Simmer the peels for about 30 to 40 minutes until tender. crush one with the edge of your spoon to make sure it’s soft.
Strain and keep the water. Put the peels back in the pan and put the pan on your scale and set it to zero.
Add the flavoured water back until the peels are just covered. Check the weight of the added water and add an equal weight of sugar.
Return the pan to the heat and simmer to dissolve the sugar then cook the peels for a further 30 minutes until the pieces are translucent.
Strain the peels and lay them onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. It’s important to really drain off all the syrup here or they won’t dry out enough in the oven. I found that if you use a sieve with very fine mesh the syrup doesn’t drain away well so use one with a open weave.
In a very cool 60C (140F) oven fan-bake the pieces for about 30 minutes until dry on the surface. They will be firm-ish and no longer squishy and moist.
Toss the pieces of peel in sugar and store in an airtight container. If you find on storing that the pieces are releasing liquid into the container you cans spread them back out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and give them another round of drying in the oven.
Cook’s Notes:
- Use any citrus or a mix of different types to make this candied peel. It is a fabulously delicious alternative to store bought peel for baking.
- Take care to scrape out all the flesh from the fruits – keep it and press it through a sieve to get the juice to use for another recipe. Save the cooking syrup in a bottle in the fridge to use in cocktails.
– Store candied peel in an airtight container in the pantry for 3 to 4 months or keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months –
Adapted from The Modern Preserver by Kylee Newton.
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Kia Ora! I’m looking for a recipe for candied feijoa peel, but not having much joy! What modifications if any would you make to your candied yuzu or other citrus peel recipes?
Thank you! 😊
Simon
Dunedin
Hi Simon – I think the method would still apply – just make sure you’re using firm skins, and trim off any overly smushy stuff from around the inside if that makes sense? You may also need to simmer for a much shorter time initially so watch them closely so they don’t disintegrate 😊