Candied Lemon Peel

5 from 3 votes

Thick juicy slices of candied Sorrento lemons 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.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Drying Time1

Total Time1 1 30

Course: After Dinner, Gift, Snack

Cuisine: British

Keyword: candy, lemons, mixed peel

Servings: people

Calories: 156kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

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)

Metric - US Customary

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.

Notes

I like a little bitterness in my peel, but if you don't, boil the peel four times rather than three.

Top Tip

Pour the leftover lemon juice into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, remove the cubes and place in a freezer proof container and freeze again. You can then take one out as needed.

You’ll find additional tips and info about this recipe in the main body of the post.

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used. Please refer to my nutrition disclaimer for further information.

Nutrition