Candied citrus tastes like Christmas - I think because citrus fruit is in season in the Winter here, and it's used in fruitcakes, cookies, and chocolate cakes around the holidays. It's a great ingredient for baking and an excellent snack. This recipe for candied citrus is very reliable, but it takes some work to get it right.
You can use any citrus, like lemon, lime, grapefruit, or oranges. I'm using 4 oranges here, which made about 2 cups of candied citrus.
To make candied citrus, slice the top and bottom off your orange. With your knife, follow the shape of orange to cut all the skin off. It’s okay if you’re not precise.
The pith - the white part - is very bitter, so you need to cut some of it away. The safest way is to flatten the peel, place your knife in the middle, and slide it away from you. Turn the peel 180 degrees and do the other side.
Slice the peels into thin strips, like matchsticks.
To remove more bitterness, add the orange peel to a small pot filled with cold water. Bring it boil and boil for 10 minutes.
Drain the water, rinse the orange, and boil, drain, rinse one more time. If you skip this step the peels will be bitter and leathery. If you just peel, without the pith, the peels will be too thin and not hold up well inside of baked goods. It's tedious but worthwhile.
In your pot, add 1 cup of water and 2 cups of sugar. The exact amount doesn't really matter, the water will all boil off, it's just there to dissolve the sugar. The sugar needs to be high enough to cover the citrus peels. Bring it to a boil so the sugar dissolves. Add the orange peel back in and reduce to a simmer.
Cook for about an hour on medium-low heat. The orange peel will become translucent. If you have a thermometer, it’s around 235°F.
Remove the peel to parchment paper, try to leave as much syrup in the pot as you can. If you’re using the candied citrus for baking, leave them to dry for 2 days.
If you’re using the candied citrus for garnish or snacks, toss it in sugar. It will be much less sticky this way, but it gets harder/crunchier over time which isn't as nice inside of a cake.
Save the extra sugar syrup - run it through a sieve and use it in mixed drinks.