Candied Citrus Peel - The Topic

[Darienne]

(To complete the last post from mid-January. By the time we got to Albuquerque it was too late to get a Buddha's hand. I bought both Meyer lemons and kumquats and successfully candied both. I used the Meyer lemon syrup to candy the kumquats with some extra sugar syrup and on ice cream. The Meyer peels were dipped in chocolate. [if it stands still, candy it and dip it in dark chocolate.] The kumquats went into batches of kumquat ice cream and the syrup went everywhere I could put it. Yummm .)

Now about ginger syrup:

I have used lemon and orange syrup from previous candying events to candy additional lemons, oranges, kumquats, etc with good results.

This time I used pre-made ginger syrup to candy lemon peel. The result was not good. After one episode in the ginger syrup, it was evident that the taste of the ginger with the lemon peels was not a go. I drained off the ginger syrup and added new fresh sugar syrup.

One more cooking with pure sugar syrup and the peels taste better...not perfect...but better , and when dipped in chocolate they will certainly be acceptable.

Just another learning experience for me I guess. Has anyone had a good experience using ginger syrup to candy something else?

Thanks.

[OliverB]

I don't have time to read this entire thread, but I use candied orange peel to make Lebkuchen (what's wrongly called gingerbread at times - there's no ginger in there) at x-mas time. This year I could not find any so I made my own - the store stuff is pretty icky anyways. I boiled them up twice and strained then made the syrup and put them in, drained them well and poured more sugar on to make sure they don't all turn into one sticky ball. I cut them very small too since they go in the dough. Turned out so good! I also added a bit of lime and mandarin zest since I had those around. I must say the mandarin zest turned into a taste explosion! Unbelievable aroma, you bite into one and get this "wow" effect. Really neat. Of course I might have just been lucky with very fragrant mandarins but I figured I'd mention it here. I will never buy this stuff in the store again and I will always add a bit of mandarin and lime to my Lebkuchen :-)

I had plenty left over too, which works great sprinkled over ice cream or other such things - or just eaten as is.

[Darienne]

I don't have time to read this entire thread, but I use candied orange peel to make Lebkuchen (what's wrongly called gingerbread at times - there's no ginger in there) at x-mas time. This year I could not find any so I made my own - the store stuff is pretty icky anyways. I boiled them up twice and strained then made the syrup and put them in, drained them well and poured more sugar on to make sure they don't all turn into one sticky ball. I cut them very small too since they go in the dough. Turned out so good! I also added a bit of lime and mandarin zest since I had those around. I must say the mandarin zest turned into a taste explosion! Unbelievable aroma, you bite into one and get this "wow" effect. Really neat. Of course I might have just been lucky with very fragrant mandarins but I figured I'd mention it here. I will never buy this stuff in the store again and I will always add a bit of mandarin and lime to my Lebkuchen :-)

I had plenty left over too, which works great sprinkled over ice cream or other such things - or just eaten as is.

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I've candied Mandarins but never tried to get zest from them. Will try that for sure.

Thanks.

[pastrygirl]

I had a random thought yesterday that I wanted to throw on the table for feedback: do you think a pressure cooker would have any applications for candying? I've never actually used one and am kind of scared of them, but I was thinking it might be an easy way to soften citrus peel or ginger. If you put your blanched peels and syrup in the pressure cooker, would it all caramelize from too high heat? Would the sugar stick the steam valve together and make it explode? I'm wanting to make a lot of candied ginger via a slightly faster method than Andie's (I am impatient, it is true). Is this a really bad idea and opposite to everything we know about candying, or do you think it might be worth a try?

[Darienne]

I had a random thought yesterday that I wanted to throw on the table for feedback:  do you think a pressure cooker would have any applications for candying?  I've never actually used one and am kind of scared of them, but I was thinking it might be an easy way to soften citrus peel or ginger.  If you put your blanched peels and syrup in the pressure cooker, would it all caramelize from too high heat?  Would the sugar stick the steam valve together and make it explode?  I'm wanting to make a lot of candied ginger via a slightly faster method than Andie's (I am impatient, it is true).  Is this a really bad idea and opposite to everything we know about candying, or do you think it might be worth a try?

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I share your feelings about pressure cookers.

About the time element: it seems to me that the greatest amount of time is spent in the preparation of the ginger, and then later the laying out on the grate and the sugaring and/or dipping. To do a lot of ginger means a lot of prep.

To serve you better, why not use a mammoth slow cooker to cook all the pieces at once. Mostly you are just turning on and turning off the cooker until the pieces are done sufficiently. Sorry, I just can't envision the pressure cooker thing...but best of luck...and be careful! All that boiling hot sugar

[andiesenji]

Do not attempt candying in a pressure cooker! The syrup will bubble up like foam and seal the pressure release, followed shortly by an explosion.

I candy big batches of ginger in an ancient electric roaster. You can find them on ebay at reasonable prices or you can buy a new one for not a huge amount of money. They have a much better temperature control than a crock pot and you can actually use fry baskets in them (because they are rectangular) which makes it much easier to lift out the candied material.

click here and scroll down to the 18 qt roasters.

$39.00, 49.00 and further down one for 99.00.

I have a 23 qt Westinghouse that is 40 years old and still works just fine.

Edited March 20, 2009 by andiesenji (log)

[pastrygirl]

Do not attempt candying in a pressure cooker!  The syrup will bubble up like foam and seal the pressure release, followed shortly by an explosion. 

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Yeah, that would be bad, I suspected there might be a good reason not to try it. I tried your steaming trick for some old tough ginger, it probably could have used more than the hour I gave it. Wouldn't mind speeding that step up. I know, I know, good food takes time, take the time to do it right.

I wonder if there is a way to fix a rice cooker so it stays on. Rice cookers are the one easy to find electrical appliance here. Rice three times a day, yes, pot roast, no. I could do it stove top at one or two lodges but burners are at a premium at the other three. Or maybe overnight in a well-wrapped hotel pan in a low oven - works for duck confit, how about pastry confitures?

Thanks for saving me an airlift to the closest burn ward!

[Darienne]

Do not attempt candying in a pressure cooker!  The syrup will bubble up like foam and seal the pressure release, followed shortly by an explosion. 

I candy big batches of ginger in an ancient electric roaster.  You can find them on ebay at reasonable prices or you can buy a new one for not a huge amount of money.  They have a much better temperature control than a crock pot and you can actually use fry baskets in them (because they are rectangular) which makes it much easier to lift out the candied material.

click here and scroll down to the 18 qt  roasters.

$39.00, 49.00 and further down one for 99.00.

I have a 23 qt Westinghouse that is 40 years old and still works just fine.

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Thanks for that information, Andie. I had actually never heard of an electric roaster before. (Shows my former level of food involvement. ) I might look for one when we are back home in May.

[LindaK]

This thread was bumped up at the perfect moment for me, just as I was eying a couple of cookie recipes that call for chopped candied orange peel.

Since I don't have a microwave, I went ahead and followed the directions in Pierre Herme and Dorie Greenspan's Desserts by Pierre Herme, really the same multi-blanch, sugar syrup steep technique that folks here recommend. Though I didn't do it, that recipe calls for adding several whole spices to the sugar syrup, which would probably be lovely if you plan on serving them simply sugared or dipped in chocolate. After letting them drip dry for a while, I gave them some time in a very low oven with the convection fan turned on. They look and taste great, sweet with just a hint of bitterness in the zest.

So I still have some questions.

- the Herme/Greenspan book notes that the peels can be stored in the syrup and used without drying them. When would you use the candied peel in syrup? I would think that adding them to most recipes would add too much moisture. I plan on using the dried peels in my cookies.

- When you use candied peel in baked goods, do you skip the final sugaring? I'm assuming yes, that the sugaring is for eating the peels or using them as a garnish.

- How long do the dried peels last? And how are they best stored?

thanks for the discussion thread, everyone, I probably would have bought some vastly overpriced and less flavorful candied peel for these cookie recipes.

[Kerry Beal]

This thread was bumped up at the perfect moment for me, just as I was eying a couple of cookie recipes that call for chopped candied orange peel.

Since I don't have a microwave, I went ahead and followed the directions in Pierre Herme and Dorie Greenspan's Desserts by Pierre Herme, really the same multi-blanch, sugar syrup steep technique that folks here recommend.  Though I didn't do it, that recipe calls for adding several whole spices to the sugar syrup, which would probably be lovely if you plan on serving them simply sugared or dipped in chocolate.  After letting them drip dry for a while, I gave them some time in a very low oven with the convection fan turned on.  They look and taste great, sweet with just a hint of bitterness in the zest.

So I still have some questions.

- the Herme/Greenspan book notes that the peels can be stored in the syrup and used without drying them.  When would you use the candied peel in syrup?  I would think that adding them to most recipes would add too much moisture.  I plan on using the dried peels in my cookies.

- When you use candied peel in baked goods, do you skip the final sugaring?  I'm assuming yes, that the sugaring is for eating the peels or using them as a garnish.

-  How long do the dried peels last? And how are they best stored?

thanks for the discussion thread, everyone, I probably would have bought some vastly overpriced and less flavorful candied peel for these cookie recipes.

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I store mine in the syrup in the fridge. A couple of days before I need them (usually to dip in chocolate) I take them out, put them on a rack to dry. I don't bother to sugar them unless I plan to use them as a garnish.

In syrup in the fridge they tend to last indefinitely.

[Darienne]

I store mine in the syrup in the fridge.  A couple of days before I need them (usually to dip in chocolate) I take them out, put them on a rack to dry.  I don't bother to sugar them unless I plan to use them as a garnish.

In syrup in the fridge they tend to last indefinitely.

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I haven't kept any of mine yet long enough for this to be a consideration, but I will no doubt follow Kerry's plan.

However, I have dredged mine in baker's sugar lightly, very lightly, even though I am dipping them all in chocolate. It's been fine so far.

None has lasted more than a week...all eaten, every one ...or given away at this point.

[andiesenji]

I sugar mine so the pieces won't stick together when stored. I like to use the coarser-grained sugar and in fact purchase the "Azucar" label at my local Mexican supermarket because it is much more granular than regular C&H granulated sugar.

I do the same with my candied ginger that I do in very large batches - 10 to 15 pounds at a time.

[Darienne]

I sugar mine so the pieces won't stick together when stored.  I like to use the coarser-grained sugar and in fact purchase the "Azucar" label at my local Mexican supermarket because it is much more granular than regular C&H granulated sugar. 

I do the same with my candied ginger that I do in very large batches - 10 to 15 pounds at a time.

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Aha! I have not tried coarse sugar yet but will.

Today I dipped the results of a few batches of candying: ginger, lemon and oranges. Ginger because I was trying to make ginger spread and failed and had all this ginger. Lemons because they were so cheap one week and then I had all this juice and all those peels. And oranges because we go through oranges like crazy. I found this recipe for the old time Montreal orange Julep that I had as a kid. Modified it, of course, and now have all these lovely orange peels just begging to be candied.

So now I have enough dipped peels to open a very little store. Very little. For a couple of hours only.

[Darienne]

A thing of beauty is a joy forever. A small portion of today's output.

[Darienne]

Hooray, hooray. Today I bought a big bunch of kumquats in the local Asian store. First time I have seen kumquats in Peterborough in 30 years. Kumquat ice cream here we come. Well, vanilla with candied kumquat pulp in it. So good.

[mostlylana]

I just finished reading through this thread and also the thread on Glace fruits. I have never attempted either of these methods so I am looking for clarification as to which method is best for what Andie describes as 'peel with that stained glass appearance' (not coated in sugar - but rather chocolate). It seems that some people use the Glace technique for peel with excellent results. Does this mean no blanching (but rather steaming) and several days in syrup solutions? I am looking for the best results - time isn't an issue. I'm just confused as the terms 'candied peel' and 'glace peel' seem to be used interchangeably...

I plan on doing a lot (several dozen oranges). The electric roaster seems to be the best bet in my view. Any tips? I know there is a lot of discussion about Andie's microwave method but I imagine the process is similar in a roaster?

I'm hoping to replicate the traditional french orangette.

[blue_dolphin]

On March 20, 2009 at 6:48 PM, pastrygirl said:

I had a random thought yesterday that I wanted to throw on the table for feedback: do you think a pressure cooker would have any applications for candying? I've never actually used one and am kind of scared of them, but I was thinking it might be an easy way to soften citrus peel or ginger. If you put your blanched peels and syrup in the pressure cooker, would it all caramelize from too high heat? Would the sugar stick the steam valve together and make it explode? I'm wanting to make a lot of candied ginger via a slightly faster method than Andie's (I am impatient, it is true). Is this a really bad idea and opposite to everything we know about candying, or do you think it might be worth a try?

 

I've recently candied lime, lemon and mandarin peels with this pressure cooker method, described by Laura Pazzaglia, who posts here on pressure-cooker topics.  It's not a high-volume method as the recipe cautions that it is important that the volume be kept below the 1/2 full line of the cooker and that pressure be allowed to release slowly.  I'm sure this is to prevent the sort of disaster that @andiesenji describes above, which would no doubt ensue if that caution were disregarded.  

 

While this doesn't address @pastrygirl's need to make a lot of candied product quickly (and wouldn't be much help since it's more than 6 years late!) but if one needed a modest amount of candied peel (say 5-10 fruits worth) to garnish a dessert or other confection, this method can get you there in a couple of hours, with less hands-on time than the microwave method.  I used the Instant-Pot electric pressure cooker so it's particularly easy but the recipe includes instructions for both electric and stove-top pressure cookers.

 

Just thought I'd add this small bit to a great thread that contains so much wonderful information.  

Edited December 22, 2015 by blue_dolphin (log)

[SweetSymphonybyM]

To get the 6-8 week safe storage at room temp when covered in chocolate, at what Brix should the syrup be by day 7-10 for orangettes? (Increasing by 2 degrees each day with additional sugar?)

[SweetSymphonybyM]

And with what Brix do I start on day 1?