Candied Orange Peels Make A Sweet Festive Homemade Gift
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Candied Orange Peels are an absolute delight and a perfect festive homemade gift idea. Simply made using just three ingredients – oranges, water, and sugar this old-fashioned treat represents Christmas of years gone by.
This post is part of Create the Holidays (formerly Create Christmas) – a series of festive recipes, crafts, printables, and more on The Purple Pumpkin Blog!
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Candied Orange Peels
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions and ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.
I really enjoy giving homemade edible gifts for the holidays. In a world where many of us have too much stuff, I hate just buying more stuff just because it is Christmas or other festivities.
This recipe for candied orange peels is quite simple and yields a sweet treat full of orange flavor. To make them extra fancy you could dip them in melted chocolate!
The Create the Holidays (formerly Create Christmas) series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog is filled with free printables, crafts, recipes, and more for Christmas and the Winter Holidays! You can check out Create the Holidays from 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 and 2012 for tons of awesome Holiday ideas and inspiration!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It may not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, etc., as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Fresh Produce – Large Oranges
- White Granulated Sugar
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Oranges
The hero ingredient in this dish is orange, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Delicious Cranberry Orange Scones Brunch or Afternoon Tea!
- Sparkling Cranberry Orange Ginger Christmas Mocktail Recipe
- Orange Pomegranate Salad with Goat Cheese, Avocado & Pecans
More Edible Gift Recipes
Looking for more homemade gifts to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles – A Delicious Homemade Gift!
- Easy Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe (Great for Gifting!)
- Rocky Road Fudge
Recipe Tips
- For best results, leave some of the white pith on each orange peel. If the pith is too thick, carefully remove some of the excess with a sharp knife prior to boiling.
- Store the reserved orange syrup in the refrigerator to add flavor to your favorite beverages and cocktails, such as iced tea, club soda, or mixed drinks.
How Do I Make Candied Orange Peels?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Candied Orange Peels
Ingredients
- 4 large organic oranges
- 6 cups water divided
- 2½ cups white granulated sugar divided
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash and dry the oranges, then cut off the tops and bottoms of each. Score the orange peel from top to bottom with a sharp knife to create 4 or 5 large sections.
- Carefully remove each section with some of the pith and cut it into ¼-inch sections. Set aside.
- Bring five cups of water to a rapid boil in a large saucepan. Add the orange peels and return to a boil for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse the peels thoroughly before shaking out the excess liquid. Set aside.
- Add one cup of water and two cups of sugar to the same saucepan and set the heat to medium. Stir the mixture occasionally until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved.
- Add the boiled orange peels and increase heat to medium-high to boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and drain, reserving both the orange-flavored syrup and the orange peels*. Transfer the peels to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside to dry for 12 hours to overnight.
- Once the peels are mostly dry, but still a bit tacky, add the remaining sugar to a large Ziploc storage bag and add the peels a few at a time. Seal and shake the bag carefully until the peels are uniformly coated in sugar. Repeat this process with the remaining peels until all are uniformly coated in sugar.
- Serve the candied peels immediately as a snack, or use as a delicious garnish for ice cream, cupcakes, or cakes. They also make a wonderful addition to homemade cannoli filling. Unused orange peels can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week. Enjoy!
Notes
- For best results, leave some of the white pith on each orange peel. If the pith is too thick, carefully remove some of the excess with a sharp knife prior to boiling.
- *Store the reserved orange syrup in the refrigerator to add flavor to your favorite beverages and cocktails, such as iced tea, club soda, or mixed drinks.
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Holiday Dinner!
These candied orange peels could be enjoyed with coffee after dinner, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a holiday dinner party!
- Appetizer: Crispy Zucchini Fries with Marinara Sauce
- Soup: Gluten-Free Minestrone Soup with Cannellini Beans
- Salad: Fig and Roasted Fennel Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Main Dish: Sheet Pan Pork Chops with Roasted Grapes and Fennel
- Side Dish: Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes – A Quick & Tasty Side Dish
- Beverage: Lemon Herb Vodka Spritzer
- Dessert: Rich, Creamy & Comforting Instant Pot Rice Pudding Recipe
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.
The Create the Holidays series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog features free printables, crafts, recipes, and more for Christmas and the Winter Holidays. Check out Create the Holidays (formerly Create Christmas) from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.