How to Make Candied Orange Peel

Co-authored by Maria Short and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: November 11, 2022 Approved

If you're looking for a way to reduce kitchen waste or just want to make an easy candy, make candied orange peels. Decide if you'd like to make wide pieces of candied orange peel or thin, french cut strips. Boil the orange peel in water to remove the bitterness and then cook the peel in a simple syrup. Dry the orange peel so it becomes slightly chewy and coated in sugar. Candied orange peel makes a great gift since it keeps up to 3 months.

Ingredients

Candied Orange Peels

4 ripe oranges (such as navels)
2 cups (400 g) sugar
4 cups (1 liter) water

Makes about 40 pieces

Julienne Candied Orange Peel

4 oranges
3 cups (600 g) sugar
1 cup (240 ml) water, plus more for boiling

Makes about 2 cups (150 g)

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making Candied Orange Peels

1
Wash the oranges and prepare a baking sheet. Get out 4 ripe oranges (such as navels) and wash them thoroughly. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and set a wire cooling rack on the pan. Set this next to your stove top since you'll need it for cooling the candied orange peels.^{[1]
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- If you're concerned about eating pesticides, use organic oranges in this recipe. You can also candy other citrus fruit peels (such as lemons, limes, tangerines, or clementines).
2
Peel the oranges and scrape the pith. Take a vegetable peeler and strip away the orange peel from each orange. Try to get large pieces of orange peel. Lay the pieces on a cutting board and turn them so the cut side is facing up and you can see the pith. Take a paring knife and scrape away as much of the white pith as you can since this is the bitter part.^{[2]
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- If you're getting bitter orange peels, you're probably not removing enough of the pith.
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3
Put the peels in a pan of water over medium-high heat. Place the peels in a medium saucepan and pour in 2 cups (0.5 liters) of the water. Turn the heat on to medium-high and cook the peels until the water begins to boil.^{[3]
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4
Reduce the heat and cook the peels for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium or medium-low so the water bubbles gently. Let the peels simmer for 15 minutes. Set a colander in the sink and drain the peels.^{[4]
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5
Stir in the sugar and rest of the water. Put the peels back into the saucepan and add 2 cups (400 g) of sugar. Stir the peels with the sugar and add the remaining 2 cups (0.5 liters) of water.^{[5]
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6
Cook the peels in the syrup for 1 hour. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir the peels occasionally until the syrup boils. The sugar should dissolve. Turn the heat down to a gentle bubble and simmer the peels for 1 hour. Stir the peels every few minutes so they cook evenly.^{[6]
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- You might need to turn the temperature down again after the peels have cooked for a while since water will evaporate as the syrup cooks.
- The sugar will soak into the orange peel as it slowly cooks.
7
Check the temperature of the syrup and pour the peels on the wire rack. Carefully insert an instant-read thermometer into the syrup to check the temperature. Once the temperature is 250 degrees F (120 degrees C), turn off the heat. Pour the orange peels onto the cooling rack next to your saucepan.^{[7]
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- There shouldn't be very much syrup left as this point and it should drain onto the parchment paper underneath the rack.
8
Straighten the peels and cool them. Use a fork to quickly straighten the peels so they aren't clumped together. Try to arrange them into separate pieces and let them cool completely. The peels should cool within 10 minutes.^{[8]
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9
Shake the peels and dry them overnight. Shake the peels a little to remove extra sugar that's crystallized on the peels. Keep the peels on the cooling rack and lay paper towels or a kitchen towel over them. Let the peels dry overnight.^{[9]
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10
Use or store the candied orange peels. You can eat the candied orange peel once it's dried and become a little chewy. Store the leftover peels in a glass jar with a lid or an airtight container for up to 3 months. You don't need to refrigerate the peels.^{[10]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making Julienne Candied Orange Peel

1
Wash and cut the oranges. Wash 4 oranges and use a sharp knife to cut each orange into four pieces or wedges. If you're concerned about consuming pesticides, use organic oranges in this recipe.^{[11]
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2
Peel and cut the peels into strips. Pull the fruit away from the peels. Take a spoon and scrape away as much of the white pith as you can. Use a knife to cut the peels into long, narrow strips. They should be about ¹⁄₄ inch (0.6 cm) (6 mm) wide.^{[12]
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- You can eat the fruit or save it to use in another recipe.
3
Boil and drain the strips. Place the strips of orange peel into a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover them. Turn the heat on to high and bring the water to a boil. When the water boils, you can turn off the heat and place a colander in the sink. Drain the water through the colander and return the strips to the saucepan.^{[13]
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4
Boil and drain the strips two more times. Fill the pot with new water so the orange peel strips are covered. Bring the water to boil and drain it again. Repeat this another time for a total of three times. Drain the strips into the colander.^{[14]
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- Boiling the strips and draining them three times removes the bitterness from the pith.
5
Create a simple syrup. Place 3 cups (600 g) of sugar into the empty saucepan and pour in 1 cup (240 ml) of water. Stir the mixture and turn the heat to high so it begins to boil. The sugar should dissolve and turn into a syrup.^{[15]
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6
Add the strips and simmer them for 30 minutes. Insert an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the syrup. Once the temperature is at 230 degrees F (110 degrees C), stir in the orange peel strips. Turn the heat down to a gentle bubble and let the strips simmer for about 30 minutes.^{[16]
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- The strips should become almost clear once they've finished cooking.
- If you live at a high elevation, you may need a much longer cooking time.
7
Dry the strips for 4 to 5 hours. Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to scoop the orange peel strips out of the saucepan. Place them in a single layer on a wire rack and let them cool for 4 to 5 hours. They should completely dry out.^{[17]
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- For an extra crunch, you can roll the strips in some granulated sugar before you dry them.
8
Use or store the candied orange strips. Eat the strips or garnish desserts with them as soon as they're dried. You can store the leftover candied orange strips in an airtight container for up to 3 months.^{[18]
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- You can also dip the candied orange strips in melted chocolate. Let the chocolate harden and eat the strips or store them in the refrigerator.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you remove pith from orange segments?

Maria Short
Baker
Maria Short is a Baker and the Owner of Short N Sweet Bakery & Cafe in Hilo, Hawaii. With over 24 years of experience, she specializes in specialty desserts and wedding cakes. She graduated from L’Academie de Cuisine’s Pastry Arts Program with honors and studied at Baltimore International Culinary College. In 2019, Maria competed in the 6th season of the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship. In 2010, she had a cake named one of “America’s Most Beautiful Cakes” by Brides magazine.

Maria Short

Baker

Expert Answer

Use a paring knife to peel and trim away the pith. If your knife skills aren't great, you can also change the candy syrup as you boil the candy peel—just take the pith out, get rid of the first round of sugar syrup (or reuse it for something else), and make a fresh syrup as you continue cooking the peels.
Question

Can orange juice be used instead of water?

Community Answer

No. Since the syrup needs to come to a boil and simmer, the sugars in the orange juice will burn.
Question

Can pineapple be frozen?

Community Answer

Yes! I prefer to cut the pineapple first and seal it in a closed container though.