Don't throw away your orange peels! I can show you how to make candied orange peels dipped in dark chocolate. Hopefully that has got your attention. They are easy to make and have numerous uses, apart from being a delicious sweet treat. They can keep for a long time too.
Originally, I made these for my Christmas cake recipe. However, I soon discovered that the jar containing them become empty very quickly. My family was eating them like sweets. If you can't beat them, join them so I made them even more tempting by dipping the ends in dark chocolate. OMG! Think Jaffa cakes, without the calories.
Use these candied orange peels in lots of recipes. For instance, pannettone, as garnishes for deserts and even in cookies. With this knowledge, we can #starvethebin! I'm an advocate of limiting food waste and I like to find creative ways to use up all parts of the fruits and vegetables.
Wait a minute, I hear you say. The peel of the orange is bitter, I can't eat that! Not to worry though, because we remove the cause to the bitterness - the white pith. After cooking in sugar syrup, the rind is sweet but still with a little bit of bitterness. However, the sweetness overpowers the bitterness, creating a sweet but ever so slightly bitter winning combination.
How To Video
Here is a video guide to making chocolaty candied orange peels.
📖 Recipe
Candied Orange Peels Dipped In Dark Chocolate
Equipment
- Digital scales
Ingredients
- 1 kg Oranges 4 in number
- 300 gms Castor sugar
- 300 gms Water
- 40 gms Dark chocolate 84%
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the oranges.
- Cut off the top and the bottom of each orange.
- Score the skin of the orange into quarters, insuring you don't cut into the flesh of the orange. Further score each quarter into half.
- Peel the skin carefully, both the peel and the white pith.
- Place each peel on a chopping board and carefully remove the top layer of the white pith. Not too much, just a bit to reduce the bitterness (refer to the video)
- Cut each peel in half lengthwise, creating strips.
- Transfer the peels into a pot with cold water and bring to a boil.
- The moment it comes to a boil, remove from heat and drain the water.
- Once again add cold water and the peels back to the pot and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, drain the water. Repeat this process 4 times in total. This will remove excessive bitterness from the peels.
- In a pot, whisk together the sugar and water and return to the stove over a medium heat.
- Simmer the sugar syrup, until all the sugar has melted and combined. Do not let it boil.
- Add the orange peels to the sugar syrup and simmer over a medium low heat for about 30 minutes or until the orange peels are translucent. Do not be tempted to stir as it may crystallise the sugar and therefore the peels. You can swirl the pot if necessary.
- Once ready, drain the sugar syrup and transfer to a sterilised jar to keep for future use.
- Transfer the peels onto a drying rack or tray.
- Melt the dark chocolate over hot water and set aside to cool a bit.
- Once the orange peels are dry, coat one end of each peel in dark chocolate and put aside to set.
- Once cooled and dry, store in an airtight jar.
Candied Orange Peel With Dark Chocolate Recipe Notes
I mainly use the peels for cakes and desserts. The leftover peels I coat in chocolate and eat as a little sweet treat. The peels without the chocolate can keep in an airtight jar for up to a month.
If you are making this as a snack treat you can use any chocolate with the exception of milk chocolate. Milk chocolate doesn't hold well in room temperature and will melt in the jar.
Oranges with firm skins work better then the ones like satsumas.
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