Candied peel

[BagOfGiraffes]

Hi, quick question......I tried making candied peel yesterday but it tastes quite bitter. Have I gone wrong somewhere or is it more likely to be the oranges at fault?
Thought they'd be nice to eat as they are...maybe better half dipped in chocolate or just chop them and add to a cake.........then try again?

[pestilence13610]

I made some last week, Grapefruit and giant lemon. It is quite bitter, that's why we make it.
Did you boil the skins in water first, repeating a couple of times if you want to remove the bitterness?

[BagOfGiraffes]

Thanks for your reply!
I boiled for 5 mins, then drained and brought to boil and simmered for 30 mins, then simmered in sugar 40 mins.
So, it is supposed to be bitter then? I thought that would go with the simmering!!
Also...do you do anything with the left over syrup?

[pestilence13610]

We have just been discussing that.
Last year we made candied quince, the last of the syrup went in the Christmas cake. We keep it in a jar and use it a bit like golden syrup.
Glaze roasted sweet potatoes with orange syrup, rum and some warm spices like nutmeg.
Candided clementines will be ready in another couple of days, from the taste of it the syrup could be mixed with vodka and hey presto Cointreau!

[BagOfGiraffes]

Oooop, that sounds like a fantastic idea!
Meant to say what an amazing lemon that is/was!! Obviously you do not live in the UK!!
Have you made whole candied clementines? They sound interesting...... Making candied peel could be the beginning of a whole new world to me

[pestilence13610]

In UK, I know a man with a greenhouse.

The peel is fantastic, DS1 has already eaten half the grapefruit
Clementines may be a bit of a disaster, but it keeps us amused trying.