Holiday how-to: easy candied orange peel

You know what you need to have on hand for the holidays? Candied orange peel. That’s because you can snack on it, give it away as a gift, and use it in all kinds of holiday baking (panettone, pan forte, stollen, cookies, cannoli, etc.).

The method is straightforward: Cut the peel of a couple of oranges away from the fruit. Blanch the orange peel three times in boiling water (this both softens the peel and helps remove the bitterness). Cut the peel in strips and simmer in simple syrup. Dry overnight.

The blanching process takes some time, but other than that, it’s easy.

Here’s the equipment you’ll need:

Medium pot
Paring knife
Paper towels
Large pot
Cooling rack
Waxed paper
Slotted spoon

And here’s a recipe that we go back to again and again from the Times Test Kitchen:

Total time: 2 hours, 40 minutes, plus overnight drying

Servings: Makes 1 1/2 cups candied fruit

Note: From Donna Deane

2 California navel oranges

4 cups sugar

1. Bring three 3-quart pots of water to a boil. Use a small knife to score the oranges into quarters (cut through the peel and pith but not through the fruit). Remove the peel; set aside the fruit for another use.

2. Add the peel to the first pot of water and simmer 2 minutes and then drain. Repeat this process two more times.

3. Drain the blanched peel on paper towels and pat dry. When cool enough to handle, cut the ends off each piece of peel so that you have straight edges, then cut it crosswise into quarter-inch strips.

4. In a large pot, combine 4 cups sugar and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes, until clear. Add the cut-up peel to the simple syrup and simmer gently 2 hours until the fruit looks translucent. As the peel is simmering, skim off any foam from the syrup.

5. Lightly oil a cooling rack and place waxed paper underneath. Use a slotted spoon to remove the peel from the syrup and place the strips in a single layer on the rack. Let the candied fruit peel dry overnight.

Each one-fourth cup: 266 calories; 0 protein; 69 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 0 sodium.

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