Candied citrus peel is easy to make yourself, contains no chemicals or additives, and tastes MUCH better than store-bought!
Prep time: PT20M
Cook time: PT45M
Total time: PT65M
Rating
4.96 stars (286 reviews)
Keywords
candied lemon peel, candied orange peel
Ingredients
3 large oranges
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
Fine granulated sugar for coating
Categories
Candy
condiment
Ingredient
Cuisine
All
Steps
Slice both ends of the citrus fruits. Cut the peel on each each into 4 or more vertical segments, depending on the size of the fruit. Peel off each segment of rind. (You can remove a little of the white pith, though not necessary. The pith is bitter but the blanching process below will help reduce the bitterness. Note that if you remove the white pith, the thinner the peels are the harder and more leathery they will be when they’re candied.) Slice the peels into 1/4 inch wide strips. (Keep the peeled citrus for eating, cooking, juicing, etc)
Boil the peels in a pot of water for 15 minutes. Drain the peels in a colander, rinse and then drain again. Discard the water from the pot.Repeat this process one or two more times to reduce the bitter flavor.
Add the 1 cup of fresh water and the sugar to the pot and bring it to a boil. Boil it for a couple of minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Add the citrus peels, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peels become translucent and the syrup becomes lightly syrupy (on a candy thermometer this will be be approximately soft ball stage or 235-240 F).
Use a slotted spoon to remove a few of the peels at a time and let the excess syrup drip off for a few seconds. Place the hot, wet peels in a bowl of sugar or a ziplock bag with sugar in it and toss/shake to coat.Spread the candied citrus peels out on a wire rack to cool and dry completely, 1-2 days. *Note: Tossing them in sugar and letting them dry is only necessary if you're storing them at room temp for an extended period of time. They can be used immediately in any recipe that calls for them. And any leftovers can be put in a freezer bag/container and frozen as is until the next time you need them.Stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, the candied citrus peel will keep for at least a month. They'll keep even longer in the fridge and can be frozen for several months.Yields roughly 8 ounces of candied citrus peel depending on peel thickness.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 53 kcal
Carbohydrates: 11 g
Protein: 0.4 g
Fat: 0.2 g
Saturated Fat: 0.01 g
Sodium: 2 mg
Sugar: 15 g
Unsaturated Fat: 0.02 g
Reviews
Aileen on 2026-08-14 (5 stars): I found your recipe when I Googled "Candied citrus peel".
Excellent recipe: easy to follow with lots of helpful suggestions.
I have a lemon tree in my backyard (grown from seed!), and I had a lot of leftover lemon peels after making fresh squeezed lemonade.
Katie on 2026-05-21 (5 stars): I love these treats!!!
Suzanne Stewart on 2026-04-11 (5 stars): Great recipe. I have people eating orange peel that would have never thought of it. Made 4 batches so far and been pleased and learned a lot with each batch. One thing, every recipe I read says to simmer the rinds 45-60 minutes. Mine are usually ready in about 10-15 minutes. I greatly overcooked the first batch at 30 minutes and it is like leather. New rind got softer with each attempt. Still delicious. It is not as fragile a recipe as I expected and I really enjoy it. Not difficult, but time consuming.
Everyone says "oh my grandmother used to make that". Well, I'm 82.
Tami on 2026-01-31 (5 stars): I made these to put in stollen and I just put some in scones I made today. I just came in from picking oranges and am getting ready to peel and candy to put in the freezer. It is so much better than anything from the store and I’ve found all kinds of ways to use it.
