Day 50: Candied Tangelo Peel

Candied Tangelo Peel
  

Day Fifty (09.07.2012)
Yield: approx 2 cups

Recipe Source: 365 Days of Creative Canning
   
Tangelo season has begun here in Australia, and I decided to make a marmalade with this juicy fruit today. While the fruit simmered, I also thought I would try making candied peel. Tangelos (also known as honeybells) are a rich orange/red colour, very juicy and are a citrus fruit that is a hybrid of tangerine or pomelo and grapefruit. Bite into these pieces of rich orange peel results in a burst of delicious citrus flavour with a crunchy sweet sugar crust. Also, don't forget to try out the Tangelo Marmalade, too - recipe is HERE. If you're doing both recipes at the same time, cook all of the peel down (half will be for the candied peel, half for the marmalade) then continue the steps below with half of the prepared peels.  
   

Remove Peel from Tangelos
To remove the peels, wash the tangelos and remove the skins while holding the fruit over a bowl or plate to catch any juice. Slice into just the skin when quartering, then pull away peel to expose the flesh. Put the peels into a medium-sized pot.

Soften Peel
Now we want to boil the peels to extract the bitterness and also to soften them. If you remove the pith before boiling, they will lose their shape. Place the quartered pieces of peel into a medium-sized pot, cover with water and bring to a boil, boiling for 10 minutes. Drain and cover with water again and bring to a boil for a second time, boiling for 10 more minutes. Drain well, spread onto a cutting board or plate and cool to touch. Leave them to cool enough to handle to scoop out the white pith with a spoon. Trim ends of peel neatly, then julienne (cut into 1/4 inch / 0.5cm wide strips). 
  
        
Cook Peel Further
The next step is to boil the strips of peel in a sugar syrup until they are see-through. Combine 1 1/2 cups of white sugar with 1 cup of water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil then add strips of peel, cooking for 25 - 30 minutes or until peel is see-through.
    
            
  
Candied Peel Process
This step is important to do immediately after the peel is cooked all of the way through - otherwise the syrup thickens on the peel and you end up with a very thick sugar coating (I had to stop to look after my bub so this happened the last few pieces). Use tongs to individually remove pieces of peel, dipping into superfine (castor) sugar then laying on a rack for a few hours until completely dry. Repeat with the remaining pieces of peel.
  
      
Dry Candied Peel
Leave them overnight to completely dry on the rack - it's important they're completely dry so they wouldn't spoil in storage. 
  
                 
Storage

Store in a labelled air-tight container with an extra 1/4 cup of superfine (castor) sugar. Keep in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 6 - 8 weeks. I made 4 x half-pints using this recipe.   

Ingredients:

Peel from tangelos
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup superfine (castor) sugar - 1/2 cup for using in recipe, 1/4 cup for storage
   
TIP: Save the syrup and use in drinks or over pancakes, it develops a nice tangelo/citrus flavour.
        
Why not try these delicious Candied Tangelo Peel, a small box of these would make a nice gift with a jar of the Tangelo Marmalade, too :(^_^):