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

FAQs

How do you make candied orange peels less bitter? ›

Blanching peels

And those compounds dissolve in hot water, which is why blanching works so well. In fact, blanching reduces bitterness by 50%. Repeat the blanching step until the orange peels taste just slightly bitter. The bitterness won't disappear completely, but it should be tolerable.

A: You may not have boiled your orange slices long enough in plain water to pull out the bitterness from the peel.

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.

Spread the candied orange peels in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan or on a nonstick wire rack. Let them sit uncovered at room temperature until dried, overnight or at least 12 hours. They're ready when they no longer feel tacky and don't stick to each other.

The sugar will be chewy if it hasn't been heated to a high enough temperature. The temperature we want to reach is hard crack. However, if you don't quite reach that you will get a candy shell at soft crack. At this stage, it will set, but with a stick in your teeth, chewy consistency.

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.

sinensis orange variety, sweet orange peel is said to contribute a notably more “orangey” flavor that's widely recognizable, as these types of oranges are commonly consumed. Bitter orange peel comes from the C. aurantium orange variety and is known to lend a more general citrus character with some bitterness.

Balance out bitterness with some fat.

Try using a cream sauce, milk, fatty cheese, olive oil, or similar fatty ingredients to help cover bitter tastes. This is a great trick to get kids to eat more bitter vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, or cabbage.

The secret to getting rid of the bitterness. is to boil your citrus for 2 minutes. and then toss it in an ice bath to stop the cooking.

Orange peel tea is rich in vitamin C and flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties that can strengthen the immune system and help to prevent diseases like cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and the flu. Orange peel tea is also a great weight loss option, as it has excellent amounts of potassium.

Why do Chinese dry orange peels? ›

Dried mandarin peels are used to impart a bittersweet orange fragrance and flavor to braises and to a few famous dishes such as chenpi beef, orange chicken, tangerine peel fried pork ribs and Cantonese stir-fried clams (recipes from our affiliates).

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.

You can store the candied citrus peel for up to a month in a cool, dry place on your countertop.

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.

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.

Bring a small pan of water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat. Drop the lemon slices into the hot water and let it cook in the residual heat for about a minute. Then pick them out and plunge them into an ice bath.

Sweeten the cake: Add a sweet glaze or syrup to the cake after it has cooled. This can help balance out the bitterness. You can make a simple syrup by dissolving sugar in hot water and brushing it over the cake.