A simple recipe for how to make candied fruits from orange peels and sugar, which are used even in expensive pastry shops.
Recently, my wife and I have gotten hooked on freshly squeezed orange juice. Since there is no need to go to work, there is more time to prepare breakfast.
But after making the juice, I threw away 8 halves of orange peels every time and it upset me. I cannot call myself the most frugal person, but I try not to throw out too much.
Now I make candied orange peels from the peels, which I then use in baking. By the way, I will soon post a detailed recipe for an incredibly fragrant orange cake, which is obtained precisely because of candied fruits.
How to cook candied orange fruits
Ideally, the oranges are best cut lengthwise into quarters and then cut into the orange pulp. This is how candied fruits are made from whole oranges, but my situation is a little different.
Therefore, I cut half the crust in half. Then with a knife I cut off the white soft part (albedo).
We do not need Albedo, as it contains bitterness, which in candied fruits will only interfere.
Since I plan to use candied fruits in baking in the future, I cut them into small cubes. But you can cook it whole or cut into strips.
Pour the crusts with water, bring to a boil and drain the boiling water. I repeat the procedure 3 times, it helps to get rid of the excess bitterness that remained in the zest. In cooking, this technique is called blanching.
After blanching, I add sugar and water according to the recipe to the crusts and after boiling, cook for 2 hours over low heat. During this time, the syrup will boil down and become thick, and the candied fruits will become almost transparent.
I put the candied fruit on a sieve to separate it from the syrup, and put it in a previously sterilized container. I bring the syrup to a temperature of 104-105 ° C and pour in candied fruits. Close the lid and put it in the refrigerator.
Such candied fruits are stored for a long time, but I do not stay for more than a month.
Ingredients:
- Orange peels 450 g (without white part)
- Sugar 900 g
- Water 800 g