Candied peel is a kitchen treasure but for the best taste you have to either make it yourself or buy it from - I don't know where? I once saw some glistening, amber peel in La Fromagerie, off Marylebone High Street in London, otherwise I have not seen good quality candied peel sold anywhere.
In my home town of Ilkley my options are Whitworth's chopped mixed peel or whole peel which is preserved by steeping it in glucose syrup rather than sugar. Neither taste very strongly of orange or taste particularly nice.
The advantage of making your own peel is that it retains limonene, the essential oil with the deep orange aroma which goes so well with so many different spices. The finished candied fruit tastes like a cross between home made marmalade and a meringue. An outer crust of sugar crystals form during the drying process and give the peel a slight crunch as you bite through to a tender layer of sugary pith.
I use most of my cache of candied peel for making panforte. This spicy Tuscan honey and nut cake stores well, is great with coffee, robust enough to take on trips away and can be packed up in my handbag for a train journey. Candied peel comes into its own at Christmas and Easter where it is used in cakes, mince pies and hot cross buns. Strips of it are also good dipped in melted dark chocolate.
I have tried to candy lemon peel but have not met with the same success as I have with orange peel.
Candied peel is a byproduct of breakfast when I squeeze the juice of oranges to make a smoothie. The peels store in the fridge for a week and can also be frozen for later use. The only other ingredients are sugar and time.
To make candied orange peel
Makes 300g
Peel from 4 oranges, cut into halves
300g granulated sugar
300ml water
Place the orange peel in a saucepan of water and bring to the boil. Boil for five minutes, drain and allow to cool. Using a dessertspoon, scrape the softened remains of the orange flesh but retain the white pith. Cut each half of orange into four segments.
Place the granulated sugar in a large saucepan with the sugar. Bring to a simmer and stir until it dissolves. Place the orange segments into the sugar syrup and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
Leave the orange peel segments in the sugar solution overnight. The next day gently reheat the orange peel. Repeat this daily reheating and cooling of the orange peel for 4 days or until the sugar begins to crystallise on the orange peel.
Finally place the candied peel on a cooling rack and allow the peel to dry for another day. It should then be ready to use. It is important not to let it dry our too much. I find the peel stores best in an airtight container in the fridge.