Preserve an orange peel two ways

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It’s citrus season and we may have bought a lot of oranges recently. To peel an ripe orange and bite in is to have a moment of bright magic even on the coldest February day. 

And those peels? They have the potential to bring that magic alive months from now, long after the chill has left the air. Imagine looking for a summer treat and finding candied orange waiting in your pantry. Or dried zest waiting to mixed into whipped cream or even ice cream. 

Your future self is going to think your past self is the cleverest person in the world.  Save those orange peels for future you. Here’s two ways.

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Candied orange peel

(Dip them in chocolate if you’re feeling extra.)

You’ll find plenty of candied orange peel recipes with various amounts of sugar. We prefer the lower sugar version, but this is not an exact science. Experiment with more or less sugar when you create your syrup. Just adjust the water up or down accordingly.

Ingredients

  • 3 rinsed and peeled navel oranges

  • 1.5 cups of sugar

  • 2 cups of water

  • A vanilla bean (optional)

Method

  • Peel the orange to the width you prefer. Aim for 1/4 to 1/3 an inch peels.

  • Use a paring knife to remove as much of the white pith as you can.

  • Place the peels in a sauce pot and cover with water.

  • Bring to a boil and boil gently for 10 minutes. Rinse and repeat so that you’ve boiled them twice.

  • Remove the peels to a plate.

  • Mix 1 cup of sugar with 2 cups of water and bring to a low boil.

  • Place peels in the syrup and simmer for 45 mins.

  • Use a slotted spoon to remove the peels from the syrup and set aside on a cooling rack for about 5 mins.

  • Place the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar on a plate and toss the syrupy peels in the sugar to coat.

  • Allow them to cool and dry completely. Then store in an airtight container.

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Dried zest

Toss dried zest in recipes all year

We love the bright flavor of citrus zest. It turns homemade breads, cakes, cookies and ice cream into something surprising and special.

You can keep a jar of dried zest in your fridge for 6 months or more…if it lasts that long.

Ingredients

  • Rinsed and dried oranges—as many as you have!

  • That’s it!

Method

  • Use a microplane or zester and zest your fruit peel.

  • Drying method one: Spread the zest on a baking sheet or piece of parchment and allow it to air dry (this can take a couple of days, depending on your house temperature and humidity).

  • Drying method two: Set your oven to its lowest temperature. Spread zest on a parchment lined baking sheet and allow to dry at low temperature in the oven. This takes anywhere from 30 minutes for finely zested peels, to several hours for thicker zests.

  • Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight jar in your fridge.

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