candied citrus peel

Last night I made an attempt at making citrus peels. I say attempt because it was my first go and I think that I boiled them in the simple syrup a wee bit too long. I was expecting the texture of these babies to be pliable, but what I created was more of a crunchy sugared candy peel. Not really wrong, just not what I was expecting.

There are several steps to this process. None of which is particularly complicated.

• Peel an organic (you don't want candied pesticides, now do you?) orange or lemon removing as little pith as possible.
• Blanch the large strips of peel in water two or three times to remove any bitterness still in the skin.
  
• Slice into whatever size candy you desire. Thin strips would be good for decorating another baked good.
  
• Boil in a simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) for 20 minutes.
• Remove with a strainer.
  
• Toss in granulated sugar. (optional)
  

They might take a little bit of effort, but they certainly they seem like they took longer to prepare than they really do.