Easiest Candied Orange Peel Recipe | A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

How do you make candied orange peels less bitter? ›

The process of blanching the peels might seem like overkill, but it's necessary to diminish the bitterness of the pith—the white, spongy portion under the peel—and to give the final product an appealingly soft and chewy texture.

The outer peel of the orange, commonly referred to as orange zest, holds the highest amount of essential oils. To get the best flavor, and avoid bitter undertones, we only use the thin outer layer of tree-ripened oranges for our Spice Islands® orange peel.

Making homemade candied orange peels doesn't take much work, but it will require some patience. It takes about 45 minutes for the peels to candy (this is when I snack on the oranges), then you need to wait until they dry, about 12 to 24 hours.

One of the main challenges for the citrus industry is bitterness, generally associated to the peel of the fruit because of having a high content on polyphenols, mainly flavonoids and limonoids.

What makes citrus bitter? A substance called naringin, that imparts the bitter flavor, is present in the peel, pith, membranes and sometimes the juice. The white pith just under the peel is especially bitter. If you juice any citrus and drink it immediately, you won't notice the bitterness.

Controls bowel movements: Orange peel aids in digestion because they contain a significant amount of dietary fiber and help regulate bowel motions and avoid constipation. This is an effective treatment for a variety of digestive issues, such as heartburn, indigestion, gas, and irritable bowel syndrome.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, orange zest is not the same as orange peel. Orange peel includes the white inner part of the peel, which is missing in zest. Dried orange peel in most cases is in fact, dehydrated orange zest with the white part included.

Once the peels are cooled and candied, you can store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a month. You can also refrigerate or freeze them for even longer storage.

Candied Orange Peels are beautiful, festive, and are full of nutrients. The orange peel has more vitamin C than the actual fruit of the orange. Likewise, the fruit peel also has about three times as much the amount of Vitamin A, B-Complex, and minerals such as manganese, calcium, and zinc.

If you put them in an airtight container, they will absorb moisture and get stickier. You can also toss the sticky slices with a few coats of granulated sugar to make them less sticky as well. Candied orange slices will keep at room temperature for 2 weeks, refrigerated for up to a month, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Is an Old Fashioned better with simple syrup or sugar cube? ›

Use Rich Simple Syrup

The sugar cube is one Old Fashioned tradition that can definitely be skipped. While many recipes call for it, it offers no advantage over using a rich simple syrup and has several disadvantages. Most obviously, you have to find and buy sugar cubes and a muddler.

A traditional Old Fashioned is made with regular oranges, so you can always do that! And really, any type of orange will taste great in this co*cktail.

Yes, Angostura bitters do go bad, but their shelf-life is much longer than you'd think. They last nearly indefinitely, but most people recommend only keeping them for around 5 years like other bitters.

Candied orange peels that taste overly bitter can ruin the otherwise delightful treat. They should be tart, sweet, with very subtle bitter undertones to round it out.

Add the peels to a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 25 minutes. The water turns very orange almost immediately. This step eliminates bitterness (in the peels that is, although the resulting intense citrus scent might improve one's attitude as well). Drain peels.

Soak the citrus peel: Soaking the citrus peel in water overnight can help to reduce the bitterness. Change the water a few times to remove any bitter compounds. Add sugar: Sugar can help to balance out the bitterness in the marmalade.

A pinch of salt makes everything better, including bitter foods. The saltiness naturally counteracts the bitterness, so don't be shy about using a bit of salt in meals that are too bitter. This is an especially good trick if you're cooking bitter vegetables, like with roasted broccoli or brussels sprouts.