Nothing makes me get into the Christmas mood more than the orange smell. When I was a child, we would mostly get oranges and clementines around Christmas time. And there would always come oranges out of Santa’s bag. Back then we wouldn’t do much with the orange skin. The most my mom would use would’ve been a little zest in some bakes. But we would always place the peels after eating an orange or a tangerine on the warm tiled stove… and oh my God, that smell… burning wood mixed with orange peel. That was the smell of my childhood’s Christmas!
As an adult, and especially over the last 5 years or so, I started using the oranges in many more ways. Like to cook sweet and sour dishes, or using the zest in bakes and porridge (I simply love the delicate scent and citrusy touch it gives to bakes and desserts). But this year, I feel like I made the best out of the oranges in my life, especially when I got my hands on organic ones that made it possible for me to use everything, including the untreated skin. I started making my own orange zest preserve (recipe here), just like my mom does. And I found out how easy it is to make candied orange peel in syrup. And I even baked my own decorations for an all-natural Christmas.
’tis the season
Nowadays we get oranges year round, but the best ones are definitely to be found around this time of the year. They’re in season on the Nordic hemisphere from around November and up until March-April, depending on the type. And that makes it easy to find some organic oranges that will allow you to use their skin without being worried about pesticides or other unwanted chemicals.
So… go ahead and find some good bio oranges and let me show you how easy it is to make this yummy candied orange peel. Nevertheless it holds just fine in the fridge, for months. And you can use it to top your porridge or as a delicious addition to some of your bakes. Let’s do this!
Ingredients (makes a small jar)
- 3 large or 4 medium organic oranges
- water
- about 200g sugar
Tools
- potato peeler
- a saucepan
- a small jar (200ml)
Instructions
1. Rinse the oranges thoroughly and pat dry. Using a potato peeler, cut thin layers of orange skin. You can also use a knife, but the peeler helps you avoid the white pith as much as possible, as that is where the bitterness lies. Then cut the peels into narrow pieces, like miniature wedges. Place in a small bowl, cover with cold water and let soak over night.
2. Next day throw away the water the peels have been soaking in. Add the small orange skin strips to a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Pour away the water and repeat this step at least one more time. This will help reducing the bitterness from the white pith. If you worked with a knife and got more of the white part, I suggest you do this procedure three times.
3. After you boiled the orange skins 2-3 times, it’s time to prepare the syrup. Use equal parts sugar and water. For the above mentioned quantity, you’ll need around 200g sugar and 200g water. Add to a saucepan and place on medium heat. Stir from time to time until the sugar dissolves. Then add the orange peel strings to the syrup and keep on medium low heat until the orange peels become translucent and the liquid syrupy. Transfer both the candied orange peel and syrup to a small jar. Make sure the syrup is covering the peels. It will keep fine for several months in the fridge. Enjoy the candied orange peel with your favourite porridge, or add it to bakes such as babka, sweet brioche bread or panettone.
Tip
If you have extra syrup, don’t throw it away. It’s absolutely delicious in cocktails. Or you can just use it to brush your babka, sweet brioche bread or even muffins. And the same for the syrup in the candied orange peel jar – after you’ve used the skin stripes, just keep the syrup for later use. #nofoodwaste
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