Time for Candied Orange Peels

My house is always well-stocked with fruits and veggies.  This morning I watched as my parents ate oranges and tossed the peels away.  I thought to myself "I could have used those!!"  I looked up recipes for candied orange peels and made my own.

Ingredients:
6 thick-skinned Valencia or navel oranges
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar, plus more for dredging
1 1/2 cups water

This first part is the most time consuming, but it's worth it to take the time and do it right.  Cut the tops and bottoms off of the six oranges just to the part where the skin meets the flesh.

Next make four cuts through the skin around the orange just to the point where the white pit meets the flesh.  Remove the peel from the oranges and place the oranges in bags with a wet paper towel to avoid them drying out.  These can be put away and used in another recipe or to snack on while your peels are cooking later.

Using a peel or VERY CAREFULLY with a knife, trim all of the white pith (or as much as your can) away from the peel.

To save time and make a less precise looking candy, you can just peel the orange part of the peel away from the fruit with a veggie peeler.  I personally think the extra steps add to a better looking product.

Once you have done this to all of the peels, cut them into 1/4 inch strips.  Put these strips into a saucepan with just enough cold water to cover them.  Cover the saucepan with a lid and bring to boil.  Drain the peels in a colander, place back into the saucepan and repeat the boiling in cold water 3-4 more times.  The more you do it, the weaker the final orange flavor will be.  It's a matter of preference.

In a separate saucepan wisk the 4 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 1/2 cups water until sugar is somewhat dissolved.  Turn on the heat and bring to a boil (with a candy thermometer 230-234 F)  Add the drained peels and swirl the pan to cover with the syrupy mixture.  DO NOT STIR!  Crystals will form= sad face.   Lower the heat so that the mixture is at a simmer.  Leave it this way for 45 minutes.  Swirl if necessary.  I recommend you read a book in the same room to resist the urge to stir, but still keep an eye on it.  Or make a twitter update about all the delicious things you'll make with your candied orange peels.

After the 45 minutes are up, remove from heat and allow to cool.   Drain the cooled peels and reserve the liquid because now you have orange simple syrup!  Preheat your oven to 200 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Add about a cup of sugar to a bowl then dredge (fancy way to say roll around until coated) the cooled peels in the sugar.   Put these sugary peels in a single layer on the lined baking sheet.  Place in the warm oven for about an hour, checking every 20 minutes or so.  If you don't want to use an over you can leave them out to dry overnight.

Once dried remove any large clumps of sugar.  Store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 weeks.  You can dip them in chocolate (which I personally dislike), eat plain, or use in various baking recipes.