Homemade Vanilla Bean Candied Orange Peel

Candied orange peel is a delicious and versatile treat that can brighten foods in multiple ways. It can be enjoyed on its own, dipped in chocolate as a special confectionery gift, or used as a garnish for desserts. I love adding finely-diced candied orange peel to our cookie offering at my bakery, Sweet Diplomacy, they add a unique burst of flavor and brightness that contrasts well with ingredients like chocolate or fennel.

I like adding vanilla bean paste to the cooking liquid to add an extra alluring fragrance and pretty vanilla specks to the candied orange peel. Plus, the vanilla and orange peel-infused simple syrup becomes a great ingredient to flavor your coffee or tea~ You can bottle this lovely syrup in swing top glass bottles and gift them to friends and families!

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Homemade Vanilla Bean Candied Orange Peel

Yield: 4

Author: Melody Hu

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 HourInactive time: 4 HourTotal time: 5 H & 10 M

Candied orange peel is a delicious and versatile treat that can brighten foods in multiple ways.

Ingredients

• 8 large oranges, organic preferred
• 4 cups of water
• 4 cups of raw sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on final product
• 1 tbsp of vanilla bean extract

Instructions

1. Thoroughly wash the oranges, slice oranges in half then remove the peel from the oranges by hand. It's ok to leave a bit of the white pith as it can add to the chewiness in the final product.
2. Cut the orange peel into matchstick-like thin strips.
3. Blanch the orange peel strips: fill a pot with water and bring to a boil, once water boils, add the orange peel strips and blanch for 2~3 minutes then drain. This step preserves the bright orange color of the peel and removes bitterness.
4. Make vanilla bean simple syrup: pour in equal amount of water and sugar in a pot then bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat to a low simmer and add the drained orange peel strips and the vanilla bean paste. Let simmer for 30 minutes or until the orange peel look translucent.
5. Use a strainer to take the candied orange peel out from the pot, let the liquid drain back into the pot. Allow orange peels to drain and dry slightly for a few minutes, then toss them in a bowl with sugar until the strips are well-coated, as this helps them from sticking together.
6. Spread out the sugared peels out on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer to dry completely, possibly dry overnight in an empty oven that's off.
7. You can dip the dried candied orange peel sticks in melted chocolate for a lovely treat, or chop the strips into fine-diced cubes to add to cookies, pastries, and other desserts as a garnish.
8. BONUS! Save the vanilla bean and orange peel-infused simple syrup (the cooking liquid) in a clean glass bottle or mason jar to flavor your coffee or tea.