Recipe: Candied Citrus Peels

1. Fill 2 medium sauce pots ¾ full with water and place on low heat.

2. Cut the citrus into quarters or eighths (depending on size), keeping the lemons and oranges separate.

3. Remove the skins, cutting as close to the flesh as possible. Cutting away too much white peel or rind will allow the candied peels to break down during cooking. Reserve the flesh for supremes or juice for other recipes.

4. Dice the peel/rind sections into ¼”-thick x ½”-long strips. 

5. Boil the orange peels and lemon peels in separate pots for 10 minutes. Strain, keeping separate. Discard the liquid.

6. Fill the pots again and repeat the previous step to remove the bitter notes in the rind.

7. Place 1 lb. of sugar and 8 oz. of water to each pot and heat on medium, whisking until the sugar has dissolved.

8. Add the blanched lemon peels and orange peels to separate pots.

9. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to submerge the peels in the syrup.

10. Strain the syrup and reserve it for other recipes.

11. Add the remaining 14 oz. of sugar to a large stainless steel bowl and set out 2 half sheet trays fitted with roasting racks.

12. Work in batches using tweezers or a perforated spoon to add the strained citrus to the bowl of sugar. 

13. Toss until the citrus is coated. Remove and add to the sheet trays, keeping the oranges and lemons separate. 

14. Cool and package in deli containers. The citrus pieces should be firm and not sticky.