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Active Time
1 hr
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Total Time
3 days
Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 days
Ingredients
Makes about 2 1/2 lb
Special Equipment
Step 1
Quarter fruit lengthwise and remove peel (including white pith) in 1 piece from each quarter, reserving fruit for another use.
Step 2
Cut peel lengthwise into 1/3-inch-wide strips (if using grapefruit, cut peel in half crosswise first). Put peel in a large bowl and cover with cold water, then soak 1 hour. Drain in a colander.
Blanch peel:
Step 3
Transfer peel to a wide 4- to 6-quart heavy pot. Add cold water to cover by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, then drain in colander. Repeat blanching process 2 more times. Cover peel once more with cold water and simmer until skin side is tender, about 30 minutes, then drain in colander.
Cook peel in syrup:
Step 4
Return pot to stovetop and add 6 cups sugar and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Wash down any sugar crystals clinging to side of pot with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Add food coloring (if using) and boil syrup, uncovered and undisturbed, until it registers 220°F on thermometer, about 30 minutes. Add peel and simmer over low heat until translucent, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let peel stand in syrup, uncovered, at room temperature 8 to 12 hours.
Step 5
Return syrup with peel to a boil and boil, uncovered and undisturbed, until it registers 226°F on thermometer, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let peel stand in syrup, uncovered, at room temperature 8 to 12 hours.
Step 6
Return syrup to a boil once more and boil, uncovered and undisturbed, until it registers 228°F on thermometer, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let peel stand in syrup, uncovered, at room temperature 8 to 12 hours.
Dry and coat peel:
Step 7
Reheat syrup with peel over low heat just until syrup has liquefied (peel will have absorbed most of syrup), then drain peel in colander. Immediately spread peel, separating pieces, on 2 metal racks set in 2 shallow baking pans and dry, uncovered, until just barely sticky, 8 to 24 hours.
Step 8
Spread 1/2 cup of remaining sugar on a plate and roll each piece of peel in sugar to coat well, then transfer to a sheet of wax paper. Add more sugar as needed to coat remaining peel. (Pour sugar through a medium-mesh sieve occasionally to remove bits of peel and clumps of sugar.) Dry sugared peel on wax paper 1 hour.
• Candied peel keeps, layered between sheets of wax paper, in airtight containers at room temperature 3 months.
Leave a Review
Reviews (14)
Back to TopIn the past 2-3 weeks I tried 3 different candied citrus zest recipes. This one turned out the best! If you start this recipe the day you have a bit time to spare (same amount of time as most other recipes for this), you can finish the last 2 steps in 10 minutes of so before work/school/whatever else you need to do that day. It really doesn't take that much more time. The results are worth it. One note of advice, I tried it with very thin grapefruit peel and timing was a lot quicker, so watch the temp!
Anonymous
Greenwich, Ct
2/20/2017
I made this over a three day weekend, and when I was done the final cook and about to drain the remains of the syrup down the sink, my husband said "surely you can find some use for that?" Well I did. I substituted the ~ 1 cup, very concentrated syrup for 1 cup of sugar and the grated orange peel in the Spiced Orange Sorbet, also on this site. It worked out beautifully, and now I have a quart of orange sorbet I'm thinking I will garnish with chopped candied citrus peel. The citrus peel itself I made to use in the Chocolate Panforte, and it is also delicious.
vgibbs
Victoria BC
11/29/2012
I love this recipe. This will be the fourth Christmas in a row that I have made candied peel using this recipe and each year, the people that I have given the fruits of my labours to have raved about it. Yes, it's long and a bit laborious but so worth it. For me, it's become a Christmas ritual and one I find oddly relaxing.
Anonymous
London
11/28/2011
I nearly always go to Epicurious for recipes. I sorely miss Gourmet. They used exquisite care in testing and writing their recipes. Nothing else will do but Gourmet. I am late this year, but I will be making Panettone in the next few days. Why would I spend days making that, and use nasty candied fruit/peel? I have completed the recipe and my children are trying to eat it as is. It has been well worth it. No need to order from Paris if one uses this recipe and follows it!
suzabula
Ft. Walton Beach, Fl
12/28/2010
This recipe takes way too long. I now use the "Candied Grapefruit Peel" Gourmet December 2000 instead.
tangogowench
11/3/2009
This recipe takes a LOOOONG time but it's great! I was very happy with home my candies turned out. I simplified the recipe a little bit (seriously, it takes SO LONG) so it could be done in two days instead of, like, 4. I have pics here: http://delicioushouse.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-make-candied-citrus-peel.html
Florimell1919
Huntington Beach, CA
2/22/2009
Very fun recipe - a bit messy though, and takes time! But the results are so very tasty... And I also dipped them in chocolate (some of them) this was a huge hit.
jmfreedly
Toledo, OH
1/9/2009
I have but one suggestion to make this recipe more, um, foolproof--add 2 tablespoons of corn syrup to the sugar syrup. With that addition, the hard texture that another reviewer described will not happen because the sugar won't crystallize nearly as easily.
ldesanto
Chicago
12/4/2007
I make this recipe every Christmas. It is a bit of work, but well worth it. Everyone loves it!
Anonymous
Cambridge, MA
12/19/2005
There is only one way to improve this recipe - instead of the final sugaring dip the peels in dark melted chocolate and let dry - ummmmmmmm
cathyware
11/24/2003
This was so much more work than the recipe I'd used before that I was determined not to use it again...until I took the candied peel to a family party and everyone raved about it. It has no trace of the acrid taste that can be present in other versions. One caution, though--I made the recipe on a very cold day when the house was very dry. After the final heating, the peel was and ready to coat in sugar after just an hour--if I'd left it out to dry overnight, I think the texture would have been ruined
Rita
Elizabeth, IL
2/5/2003
I'm not sure that I can blame this on the recipe, but after a lot of work, this ended up hard and definitely not "gumdrop-like". I didn't have an accurate candy thermometre, but I did watch it fairly closely. I later read an easier recipe in Bon Appetit that only had you cook the peel once and drain it. I'll try that next time.
Anonymous
Toronto, Canada
1/14/2003
Although a commitment to make, this was a fantastic treat, and has been very much enjoyed by all! We dipped about half of the final product in milk chocolate, and rolled the other half in sugar per the recipe. We made orange and lemon peels, and cooked them together. This will definately be a regular on our holiday treat plates! With the time that it must sit between cooking times, it does take some pre-planning...or you might be waiting for it to come to temp at 3 a.m. like we were one night!
Anonymous
Michigan
12/26/2002
I made the lemon, orange and grapefruit candied peels over the past week. They really do make a lovely, homemade gift. Candied peels are quite a commitment but I think they are worth it. Make sure that you use a good, heavy wide pan and invest in a high-quality candy thermometer. I had to make the lemon peels twice because the first candy thermometer I got from the grocery store did not register correctly and the lovely yellow color turned brown as the sugar syrup started to carmelize. Also, keep a close eye on the temp. the second and third times you are boiling down the candied peels as the recipe indicates it will take about 30 minutes for the temp. to register 226 and 228 degrees, but it happened a lot quicker the last two times. Good luck and enjoy! If you love citrus, these are an excellent treat.
Anonymous
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2002
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