Candied Fruit And Peels Recipes

HOMEMADE CANDIED PEEL

Steps:

• Add the fruit rinds to a large saucepan and cover with water. Make sure they are totally submerged - a plate can help to weigh them down.
• Bring everything to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the rinds are just starting to soften.
• Drain and set the fruit aside to cool. Once cooled, use a spoon to remove any remaining flesh or white pith from the peel and discard.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the caster sugar with 250ml of water and bring to a simmer over a medium heat, until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is gently bubbling.
• Add the rinds, stir to combine, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the rinds are soft and translucent. Then take the pan off the heat and leave to cool in the syrup.
• Preheat the oven to the lowest setting. Using tongs, transfer the rinds to a wire rack set over a baking tray, then place in the oven for 1 to 2 hours, so they dry out but are still malleable.
• Remove from the oven and toss in a little caster sugar. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and chop as needed. It'll last for up to six weeks in the fridge.

EASY CANDIED GRAPEFRUIT PEEL

Steps:

• Quarter grapefruit and remove rinds; use interiors for another purpose. Slice each rind lengthwise into strips, approximately 1/4 inch at the widest point.
• Cover rind with 2 inches of water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil for 3 minutes. Drain. Repeat 3 more times with fresh water. Drain.
• Place boiled grapefruit rind, 1 3/4 cups sugar, and 1 cup of fresh water into the saucepan. Let simmer slowly, increasing heat as needed, until water is absorbed or evaporated, about 1 hour.
• Place remaining 1 cup sugar in a large bowl and toss peels in it. Cool and allow to dry on wax paper or a wire rack. Dust with more sugar as preferred.

CANDIED CITRUS PEELS

Steps:

• Using a paring knife, make 6 slits along curve from top to bottom of each citrus fruit, cutting through peel but not into fruit. Using your fingers, gently remove peel. Reserve fruit for another use. Slice each piece of peel lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Using a paring knife, remove excess pith from each strip and discard.
• Place strips in a large saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then drain. Repeat twice.
• Bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Stop stirring. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Add strips to boiling syrup, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until strips are translucent, about 1 hour. Remove from heat, and let strips cool in syrup. (Strips in syrup will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 weeks.)
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer strips to a wire rack placed on a rimmed baking sheet. Wipe off excess syrup with paper towels, then roll strips in sugar. Arrange in a single layer on a wire rack, and let dry for at least 30 minutes.

CANDIED GRAPEFRUIT PEELS

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, cut each grapefruit into quarters. Remove the fruit from the peel, leaving the white membrane or pith attached to the peel. Save the fruit for another use. Slice each quarter peel on a diagonal into strips about 1/2-inch wide. If you cut them evenly, they will look nicer when displayed.
• Place the sliced grapefruit peels in a nonreactive 4-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and add enough water to cover the peels by about 1-inch. Place over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and strain. Return only the peels to the saucepan, cover again with fresh water, and repeat the boiling and draining process three more times. It is really important to change the water because it retains the bitterness of the peel.
• After the fourth boil, drain the water as before and return the peels to the saucepan. Add the sugar and enough water to cover the peels by 1-inch. Place over low heat and let simmer for 2 hours. During this time, the sugar will sweeten and preserve the natural flavor of the peels. After 2 hours, they will be soft and translucent and the syrup will be thick. Let the peels cool in the syrup and keep them stored in the syrup, refrigerated, in an airtight container until you are ready to serve. They will keep this way for up to three weeks.
• When ready to use, allow the peels to drain on a wire rack for a few hours to remove the excess syrup. Put the rack over a baking sheet so the syrup does not drip all over the work surface.
• Once fully drained, you have three options for serving: First, you can serve them as they are. Second, you can place the peels in a medium-sized bowl filled with granulated sugar. Roll the peels around in the sugar until they are well coated. Third, you can dip the sugared peels into the bittersweet chocolate. Dip two thirds of each sugared peel into the bittersweet chocolate. Gently wipe the excess chocolate from the end of each peel before placing on parchment paper. The chocolate should set in a few minutes if it is tempered and the kitchen is not too hot.
• Whatever variation you choose, present the peels on a plate or in a small bowl or in petits fours cups.
• Once the peels have been sugared and dipped in chocolate, they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days.
• How to Temper Chocolate(From Dessert Circus, Extraordinary Desserts You Can Make At Home by Jacques Torres):
• Chocolate is tempered so that after it has been melted, it retains its gloss and hardens again without becoming chalky and white (that happens when the molecules of fat separate and form on top of the chocolate). There are a variety of ways to temper.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to chop it into small pieces and then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until most of the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. (The temperature of dark chocolate should be between 88 and 90 degrees F, slightly warmer than your bottom lip. It will retain its shape even when mostly melted. White and milk chocolates melt at a temperature approximately 2 degrees F less because of the amount of lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. Use an immersion blender or whisk to break up the lumps. Usually, chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat well and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, add small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. It is easiest to use an immersion blender for this, or a whisk.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured onto a marble or another cold work surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until its temperature is approximately 81 degrees F. At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining non-tempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is worked further on the cold surface until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method of checking tempering, is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been correctly tempered, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within a few minutes.

CANDIED CITRUS PEEL

Steps:

• Place peel strips in large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes longer. Drain. Repeat this process two more times.
• In a medium saucepan, heat sugar and 1/4 cup water over high heat until boiling. Place peel in sugar mixture, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Remove peel with slotted spoon and dry on wire rack overnight. Store in airtight container.

CANDIED CITRUS PEEL

Steps:

• Cut the fruit into 8 wedges, then cut out the flesh, leaving about 5mm thickness of peel and pith. Cut each wedge into 3-4 strips.
• Put the peel in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 mins. Drain, return to the pan and re-cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 mins.
• Set a sieve over a bowl and drain the peel, reserving the cooking water. Add 100g sugar to each 100ml water you have. Pour into a pan and gently heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the peel and simmer for 30 mins until the peel is translucent and soft. Leave to cool in the syrup, then remove with a slotted spoon and arrange in 1 layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Put in the oven at the lowest setting for 30 mins to dry.
• Sprinkle a layer of sugar over a sheet of baking parchment. Toss the strips of peel in the sugar, a few at a time, then spread out and leave for 1 hr or so to air-dry.
• Pack the peel into an airtight storage jar or rigid container lined with baking parchment. Will keep for 6-8 weeks in a cool, dry place.
• To make into a delicious gift, melt the chocolate in a small bowl. Dip the candied orange peel into the chocolate to half-coat them, shaking off the excess. Put them on baking parchment to set, then pack into small cellophane bags tied with ribbon or pretty kitchen string.

CANDIED FRUIT AND PEELS

Steps:

• 1. Put the washed and stoned cherries into a saucepan (I am using cherries for illustration sake, but you would do the same with each fruit type or peel), cover them with water, bring to the boil and cook them for 4 minutes. Strain the cherries, keeping the liquid in a saucepan. Spread the cherries into a deep dish (just enough space for syrup between each cherry, and syrup covers the fruit when you pour it back on).
• 2. stir together: 1 1/2 c water and 3/4 c sugar. Heat slowly until the sugar dissolves, then add the food coloring, bring the syrup to the boil and pour it over the cherries. Leave them in the syrup for 24 hours at room temperature. If the syrup does not cover, make more; the fruit MUST be covered.
• 3. Days 2-6 The next day strain the cherries again, put the syrup in a saucepan. Stir 1/4 c sugar into the syrup and bring to the boil. Pour the syrup over the cherries again and leave them in the syrup for 24 hours. Repeat this process for another 4 days. {yes, you add sugar to the syrup each day} No task on day 7.
• 4. On the 8th day, drain the cherries, add 1/4 c sugarto the syrup and bring to the boil. Add the cherries to the syrup and cook them over low heat for 3-4 minutes, then pour them into the deep dish and leave them undisturbed for 48 hours. No task on day 9.
• 5. On the 10th day, repeat the process of the 8th day and leave the cherries to soak in the syrup for another 4 days.
• 6. On the 14th day, drain the cherries and place them on a rack to dry. The cherries can be stored for at least six months covered in the refrigerator. Enjoy!!

CANDIED FRUIT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in fruits and nuts. , Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks.