3.
Candied
citrus
Curate
a
pot
of
juiced
citrus
husks – lemon,
orange,
pink
grapefruit
(my
favourite
along
with
blood
orange
for
its
pink
hue)
and
you
can
have
a
Martha
Stewart-esque jar of jewelled
lobes
of
fruit
in
your
kitchen
all
year
round.
What
a
festive
flex:
‘Why
yes,
I
do
make
my
own
candied
peel.’
Use
it
in
fruit
cakes,
Christmas
fruit
mince
pies
(page 119),
Pistachio
and
lemon
iced
buns
(page 213)
or
hot
cross
buns.
It
also
makes
a
lovely
gift
for
those
who
like
citrus
peel.
Risk
gifting
it
to
a
peel
hater,
however,
and
you
may
find
yourself
on
the
receiving
end
of
a
tight
smile
and
frosty
communication
for
some
time
after.
The
contempt
for
candied
peel
is
real.
The
process
is
simply
simmering
in
ascending
intensity
of
sugar
syrups.
If
you
want
to
take
it
further,
slice
the
cooled
lobes
into
5
mm
(¼
in)
strips
and
dip
in
dark
chocolate
for
the
most
classically
fancy
end
to
a
dinner
soiree.
Cut
the
halved
husks
into
halves
again.
I
keep
the
pulp
attached
to
the
pith
so
the
vesicles
can
colour
the
syrup
(this
is
especially
lovely
with
pink
grapefruits
and
blood
oranges).
Place
in
an
approximately
25
cm
(10
in)
wide,
non-reactive
pot
and
cover
with
a
copious
amount
of
water.
Add
the
pinch
of
salt
and
simmer
effervescently,
covered,
for
1
hour
or
until
the
white
pith
of
the
citrus
is
a
translucent
shade
of
the
fruit’s
rind
(e.
g.
the
pink
grapefruit
pith
is
a
subdued
lucent
pink,
the
lemon
pith
is
faintly
yellow).
Keep
topping
up
with
water
if
it
looks
like
it’s
getting
low.
Rinds
vary
in
thickness
and
stubbornness,
so
if
you
are
boiling
a
thin
and
thick-skinned
rind
in
the
same
batch,
follow
the
cookedness
of
the
thicker
skin.
You
can’t
really
overboil
a
rind.
Drain
and
discard
the
water
and
set
the
peel
aside.
In
the
same
pot
(no
need
to
wash),
stir
together
the
500
g
(1
lb
2
oz)
sugar
and
the
water
and
bring
to
the
boil.
Add
the
drained
peel
and
keep
on
a
constant
yet
gentle
simmer,
for
1
hour.
Keep
the
pot
uncovered.
Keeping
the
lid
on
will
in
troduce
steam
and
dilute
the
sugar
syrup.
Makes
Around
500
g
(1
lb
2
oz)
Keeps
Indefinitely
when
chilled.
candied
peel.
Takes
3
days.
6
skin-on
half
husks
of
lemon,
tangelo,
orange
or
lime,
or
4
half
husks
of
pink
grapefruit.
Avoid
mandarins
(too thin-
skinned;
they’ll
disintegrate).
Frozen
citrus
husks,
defrosted,
are
good
to
use
too – the
freezing
starts
to
break
the
cell
structure
down.
pinch
of
salt
500
g
(1
lb
2
oz)
caster
(superfine)
sugar,
plus
300
g
(10½
oz)
for
the
second
simmer
1
kg/
l
(2
lb
2
oz)
water
The
only
rule
here
is
that
whatever
and
however
much
citrus
peel
you
choose,
just
ensure
they
are
generously
swimming
in
the
sugar
syrup.
The
amount
below
is
a
guide
for
a
one
part
sugar
to
two
parts
water
ratio.