First, A Word on Preparation
Before you can turn your peels into something delicious, a little prep work is necessary to ensure they are clean and palatable. If you plan on consuming the peels, it's best to start with organic, unwaxed oranges to avoid pesticides and fungicides. Regardless,
give your oranges a thorough scrub under warm running water with a vegetable brush. The white layer beneath the colorful skin is called the pith. While it is edible and contains pectin, it can also be quite bitter. For recipes like candied peels, blanching—boiling the peels in water, then draining—can help mellow out this bitterness. Repeating this process two or three times is often recommended.
Classic Candied Orange Peels
This is the most timeless way to preserve orange peels, turning them into a sweet, chewy treat. After blanching your peels, you'll simmer them in a simple syrup—a mixture of sugar and water—until they become soft and translucent, which can take anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes. Once cooked, transfer the strips to a wire rack to dry for several hours. For a classic finish, toss the semi-dry peels in granulated sugar until they're fully coated. These candied peels are delightful on their own, chopped and mixed into baked goods, or used as a beautiful garnish for cakes and cocktails.
Versatile Orange Peel Powder
For a long-lasting, potent burst of citrus flavor, drying your peels to make a powder is an excellent zero-waste strategy. The key is to remove as much of the white pith as possible, as it doesn't dry as well and can add bitterness. Spread the peels in a single layer on a baking sheet and dry them until they are completely crisp and brittle. You can do this in a sunny spot over a few days, in a dehydrator, or in an oven set to its lowest temperature. Once they are fully dried, simply grind them into a fine powder using a blender or a coffee grinder. This powder can be stored in an airtight container and used to add a citrus kick to stir-fries, baked goods, salad dressings, and more.
Aromatic Orange-Infused Sugar
Infusing sugar with orange peel is an incredibly simple way to capture citrus essence for everyday use. There are a few ways to do it. For a quick infusion, you can mix freshly grated orange zest directly into granulated or raw sugar. Another method involves layering wider strips of orange peel with sugar in an airtight jar. Over a week or two, the oils from the peel will naturally perfume the sugar. The longer it sits, the more fragrant and flavorful the sugar becomes. This aromatic sugar is perfect for sweetening tea and coffee, sprinkling over toast, or substituting for regular sugar in your favorite cookie and cake recipes for a subtle orange note.
Oleo-Saccharum: The Bartender's Secret
Oleo-saccharum, Latin for "oil-sugar," is a classic technique used to extract the essential oils from citrus peels, creating a rich, intensely fragrant syrup without any cooking. To make it, use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from your oranges, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Place the peels in a bowl and cover them generously with sugar. Muddle or press the peels into the sugar to help release the oils. Within a few hours, the sugar will have drawn the oil out of the peels, creating a fragrant, syrupy liquid. This elixir is a fantastic base for cocktails, homemade sodas, and salad dressings.
