Candied Lemon Peel: Easy And Delicious
Thick juicy slices of candied Sorrento lemon peel are surprisingly simple and satisfying to make. Other lemons work beautifully too. Enjoy as a sweet snack, use to decorate cakes and desserts or add them to recipes for a burst of citrusy sweetness.
Normally, I try to buy organic lemons but I spotted a couple of Sorrento lemons reduced in my local supermarket a couple of weeks ago. I couldn’t resist because I knew these lemons would make the most fantastic candied peel. And I was right.
Dive Right In
- Why Make Your Own Candied Peel?
- Candied Lemon Peel
- Ingredients, Additions And Substitutions
- Best Lemons For Candying
- How To Make Candied Lemon Peel
- Lemon Ice Cubes
- Recipes In Which To Use Candied Peel
- Keep In Touch
- Pin It
- The Recipe
Why Make Your Own Candied Peel?
Making your own candied peel is not only satisfying, but it helps to reduce waste too. It tastes so much better than shop-bought you won’t want to go back.
- Easy to Make – With just a few simple ingredients, you can transform leftover lemon peels into a delicious treat.
- Great for Gifting – Beautifully packaged, candied lemon peel makes a thoughtful homemade gift. Dip one end in chocolate and it makes an even better one.
- Naturally Flavoured Sweet Treat – With its bright citrusy zing and chewy succulent texture, it’s a tasty snack all on its own.
- Reduces Waste – Instead of throwing away lemon peels when juicing, use them to make this gorgeous and useful recipe.
- Versatile Ingredient – Use candied lemon peel in baking, to decorate cakes and desserts or chop it up for homemade granola and trail mix.
Candied Lemon Peel
Candied peel is a stalwart of many recipes, but it’s not always the most appealing of ingredients. Or at least it isn’t if you use shop bought. Make your own however and it’s a completely different story. Even CT, who hates shop bought candied peel with a passion loves my homemade versions.
Although the recipe is similar to my candied orange peel, there are a couple of significant differences. With the orange peel I’ve also included a stage for dipping the sticks in chocolate. If you’d like to go down this route, candied lemon peel pairs better with white chocolate than dark chocolate.
This recipe also includes some of the fruit’s juice in the syrup which helps to temper the sweetness of all that sugar. I’ve not added so much that it tastes sour, but it does help to add flavour.
Lemon peel is quite bitter, but simmer it in a few changes of water and most of the bitter taste disappears.
This recipe is good for using up lemon rinds once you’ve squeezed the juice out. You can store them in the freezer until you have enough to make a batch of candied peel. However, if you buy lemons specifically for making peel, you can freeze any leftover juice for future use.
There’s an additional bonus too, as you get a most delicious syrup at the end that you can use in other recipes.
Ingredients, Additions And Substitutions
In essence you only need lemons, sugar and water for this recipe. However, I’ve added an additional ingredient to up the flavour notes. It’s entirely optional though.
Aromatics (optional)
For this recipe I’ve used cloves to enhance the flavour of the syrup. You can leave them out or swap them for crushed cardamom pods, half a stick of lemongrass or a sprig of thyme.
Lemons
Winter is the best time to buy citrus. They’re in season and are at peak ripeness and flavour. There’s usually a lot more choice when it comes to variety too.
Organic fruits with thicker skins make the best candied peel. So ideally you want thick skinned lemons for this recipe.
Although we call it candied peel, it’s the pith (albedo) that really counts. It’s this that makes the peels succulent. Thin skinned citrus tends to turn tough.
Usually I buy organic lemons. This is not only because I’m a firm believer in growing organic fruit and veg, but also because conventionally grown citrus fruits are sprayed and waxed within an inch of their lives. And because it’s the skin you’re eating organic really is best. Failing that, get unwaxed ones if you can.
As it happens, I spotted a couple of reduced Sorrento lemons in my local supermarket recently and I couldn’t resist the bargain. They’re neither organic nor unwaxed, so I scrubbed the skins well with warm soapy water before using, which is the next best thing.
You can, of course, use other citrus instead of lemons. Oranges are particularly good. If you go with grapefruit you’ll need to change the water another couple of times as the skin is so bitter.
Best Lemons For Candying
- Citron (Etrog or Buddha’s Hand) – If you want something extra special, citrons have an exceptionally thick peel with very little pulp. This makes them ideal for candying. They’re not so easy to source in the UK but you might find them in specialist fruit suppliers, high-end food markets (like Borough Market in London) or online.
- Cyprus Lemons – Often larger with a thicker, bumpier rind than standard lemons, making them another great choice. They can sometimes be found in Mediterranean grocers and specialist food shops.
- Eureka Lemons – A common supermarket variety with a relatively thick, slightly bumpy peel that candies well.
- Lisbon Lemons – Similar to Eureka, with a thick, slightly smoother skin and a strong lemony aroma. They tend to be available in UK supermarkets throughout the year.
- Meyer Lemons – While their skin is thinner than some, it’s softer and less bitter, making them a good option for a sweeter result. In season they’re available from specialty grocers, farmers’ markets and online.
- Sicilian Lemons – These tend to have a thick, fragrant peel with a good balance of sweetness and acidity. Varieties like Femminello and Interdonato are particularly good for candying. They’re widely available in the UK, especially in high-end supermarkets, Italian delis and online.
- Sorrento Lemons – Famous for making Limoncello, these Italian lemons are fragrant and juicy. They have thick, intensely aromatic peels and are perfect for candying. In season, they’re available from the likes of Waitrose and M&S, Italian delis or online.
How To Make Candied Lemon Peel
The method for making candied peel is a simple one, but it takes time to dry. So make it at least the day before you need it.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions, timings and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Prepare Lemons
Scrub the lemons with cold water, but if they’re not organic or unwaxed, scrub with warm soapy water instead. Dry the skins, then cut in half and squeeze out the juice. Set the juice aside.
Scrape out the fibrous parts from each half with a sturdy metal spoon, leaving the pith that adheres to the rind intact. Then cut the peel into strips.
Step 2. Remove Bitters
Whilst you can’t remove all of the bitterness from the peel, you can reduce it substantially. In truth you need some of those bitters for flavour.
Place the peel in a large lidded pan and cover it with water. Bring it to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer with the lid on for about five minutes.
Drain the peel through a sieve or colander then place back in the pan. Cover with fresh water and boil again for a further five minutes. Repeat the process once more.
If you’re really sensitive to bitter tastes, you might want to repeat the process one more time.
Step 3. Candy Lemons
In the same pan, heat the sugar and water gently. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil.
Add the cloves or other aromatics along with some of the reserved lemon juice. Then add the drained lemon strips.
Turn the heat down and simmer, with the lid on, until the peels are soft and translucent around the edges.
Drain the peels, but keep the syrup. You can use this in other recipes, for cocktails or for pouring over ice cream. I used it along with some of the juice to make an almond version of my vegan citrus drizzle cake.
Step 4. Dry Peel
You can roll the peel strips in a bowl of caster sugar at this point if you like. This is an especially good idea if you’re not going to coat them in chocolate. But you might want to do it even if you are.
Carefully place the peels on a rack lined with greaseproof paper. I find a pair of tweezers quite useful for this. Make sure they’re not touching so that air can circulate around each one.
Leave them to dry for twenty four hours. It doesn’t matter if they’re slightly tacky, but you don’t want them wet and sticky. Once dry, use straight away or place in an airtight container. They will keep for at least six months.
If packing up as gifts, you might like to roll them in a little more sugar for a sparkling finish. They look particularly good in glass jars.
Top Tip: Lemon Ice Cubes
If you’re worried about having a load of lemon juice on your hands, don’t be. Just pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze.
Once frozen, remove the cubes and place in a freezer proof container and pop back into the freezer. You can then take one out as needed. Mine measure exactly one tablespoonful.
They’ll keep well for at least three months.
Recipes In Which To Use Candied Lemon Peel
If you manage not to eat the whole lot straight away, candied lemon peel sticks are great for gifting. You can also use them to decorate cakes as I have in this grapefruit and honey almond cake. But best of all, they’re fantastic as an ingredient in many bakes.
Here are a few recipes where I’ve used candied peel. Just cut the peels into bits as and when needed.
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this recipe for candied lemon peel, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or tips for candying fruit?
Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, tag me @choclette8 so I can see them.
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Choclette x
Candied Lemon Peel. PIN IT.
Candied Lemon Peel
Ingredients
- 2 large lemons thick skinned (I used Sorrento lemons)
- 100 g granulated sugar can use caster sugar instead
- 50 ml water
- 2 cloves or 4 crushed cardamom pods (optional)
- 75 g caster sugar for coating (optional)
Instructions
- Scrub the lemons well and if they're not organic or unwaxed, scrub with warm soapy water. Dry the skins, then cut in half and squeeze out the juice. Set the juice aside.2 large lemons
- Scrape out the fibrous parts from each half with a sturdy metal spoon, leaving the pith that adheres to the rind intact.
- Cut the peel into roughly 6 mm (¼ inch) strips.
- Place the peel in a large pan and cover well with water. Boil for about 5 minutes.
- Drain the peel and repeat the process twice more using fresh water each time.
- Heat the sugar and water gently and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cloves and 1 tbsp of the reserved lemon juice.100 g granulated sugar, 50 ml water, 2 cloves
- Add the drained strips and simmer for about 45 mins or until the peel has turned translucent.
- Drain the syrup. You can keep this for using in other recipes or pouring over ice cream.
- Put the peels on a rack lined with greaseproof paper to dry for 24 hours.
- You can roll the peel strips in caster sugar at this point if you like. This is an especially good idea if you're not going to coat them in chocolate. But you might want to do it even if you are.75 g caster sugar
- Store in an air tight container. Will keep for at least six months. Alternatively package into jars or cellophane bags for gifting.
How much is a serving size?
Thank you.
There isn’t really a serving size because it just depends on what you’re using it for. You might need as much as 50g (2 ounces) for a cake for example, or just a couple of pieces to nibble on.
I have made candied peel with limited success (having tried a variety of recipes). Some have you laboriously scraping away the pith, others have you boil and then ‘rest’ the peel in the sugar solution for 3+ days. That one was particularly stressful because on the third day,the syrup had reduced significantly and could suddenly crystallize…in most cases, the peel texture was disappointingly tough or leathery like beef jerky. I’m so glad to have found your method, because the results are 10*-soft, juicy with just the right level of tanginess. Thanks. Merry Christmas!
Yay, so glad you enjoyed the recipe and result Jen. I’ve made many a batch of either orange or lemon peel over the years. And it’s so very useful at this time of year. Merry Christmas to you too.
It’s really great to make use of what so often ends up in the compost bin. So much better to convert the peel into something tasty and delicious.
Absolutely, the less that goes into the compost bin the better. And homemade candied peel really punches above its weight.
how delicious!
sherry
And so satisfying to make too.
I make all of my candied peel because I hate that awful stuff in the supermarket. Homemade peel tastes wonderful and I make lots which I store in boxes in the freezer – always available for baking and a sneaky nibble!!
I hope your recipe inspires others to not waste those lovely peels.
Thanks Choclette:))
Totally agree re the shop bought peel Mary. I tolerate it, but CT won’t touch it. I’ve been making my own for years now and it makes a huge difference. I find it keeps really well without needing to go in the freezer.
I’m not taking any chances, it’s too nice. So into the freezer it goes!
Haha, definitley best not to take any chances.