Candied Orange Sticks Food

CANDIED ORANGE STICKS

Steps:

• Scrub the oranges, then remove the peel in quarters. To do this, cut through the peel with a sharp knife, going right around the orange, starting and finishing at the stem end, then repeat at a right angle to the first cut. Remove the peel, with the attached pith, from the fruit. Weigh out 9 ounces of peel and cut it into slices measuring about 1/4 by 2 inches.
• Put the orange peel slices into a large pan and cover with 8 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and return to the pan with 4 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved (it won't take long). Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 24 hours.
• Bring the pan to a boil again. Add the corn syrup, if using, and boil gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated and the orange sticks are coated with bubbling orange syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Using a pair of tongs (or your fingers), carefully remove the orange sticks and place on a wire rack with a tray underneath to catch the drips. Leave in a warm place for 24 hours, or place in a very low oven at approximately 140°F for 2 to 3 hours to dry.
• Break the chocolate into pieces, put into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, and leave until melted. Remove from the heat. Dip one half of each orange stick in the melted chocolate and place on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper to dry.
• Before dipping, the sticks will keep well for 3 to 4 months. Once they have their chocolate coating, they are best eaten within 3 weeks.

CANDIED ORANGE

Steps:

• Cut tops and bottoms off of the orange and score the orange into quarters, cutting down only into the peel and not into the fruit. Peel the skin and pith of the orange in large pieces, use the orange for another recipe. Cut the peel into strips about 1/4-inch wide. Put the orange peel in a large saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat. Then pour off the water. Repeat 1 or 2 more times depending up how assertive you want the orange peels to be. (Test kitchen liked the texture of a 3 time blanch best, it also mellowed the bitterness. But it is a matter of preference.) Remove the orange peels from the pan.
• Whisk the sugar with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 9 minutes (If you took the sugar's temperature with a candy thermometer it would be at the soft thread stage, 230 to 234 degrees F.) Add the peels and simmer gently, reducing heat to retain a simmer. Cook until the peels get translucent, about 45 minutes. Resist the urge to stir the peels or you may introduce sugar crystals into the syrup. If necessary, swirl the pan to move the peels around. Drain the peels, (save the syrup for ice tea.) Roll the peels in sugar and dry on a rack, for 4 to 5 hours. Return to the sugar to store.
• Cook's Note: One way to use orange peels is to stuff a dried date with a piece of orange peel and almond, then dip the entire thing into dark chocolate.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED CANDIED ORANGE SLICES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water.
• Heat mixture until sugar dissolves completely and mixture starts to boil.
• Remove from heat, pour into wide, shallow Tupperware, and cool completely.
• When syrup has cooled completely layer your sliced oranges in the syrup, pushing them down until all are mostly covered.
• Cover container to seal and place in refrigerator overnight (I've left them for as long as two days before candying.)
• Preheat oven to 170 degrees F. (You can have some variation here - please see notes.)
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Nest a wire cooling rack on top of the parchment.
• Place your oranges on the wire rack. (The wire rack allows the drying to come from top and bottom so that they oranges can dry evenly).
• Place oranges in oven. If you have a convection feature on your oven, turn it on. Leave the oven cracked open about 2 inches.
• Dry oranges for 2 to 2 and 1/2 hours, rotating pan every 30 minutes, and flipping oranges every hour to maintain uniform drying.
• You will know that the oranges are done when they are pliable and dry to the touch.
• Let oranges cool completely.
• Temper your chocolate over a double boiler (here are some handy tempering instructions) or heat chocolate morsels in microwave in 15-30 second increments at 50% power until melted.
• Dip 1/2 of orange into chocolate and place on waxed paper.
• If desired, sprinkle fleur de sel (or other coarse salt) over top of chocolate.
• Let cool until set.

CANDIED ORANGE SLICES

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and add orange slices.
• Boil 1 minute then place in the bowl of ice water until cooled. Drain.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, bring 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons orange juice just to a boil, and heat until sugar dissolves (stir occasionally).
• Turn heat to medium-low and place orange slices in the sugar-water in a single layer.
• Simmer (do not boil) the orange slices 45-60 minutes or until rinds are slightly translucent, turning every 15 minutes.
• Place orange slices on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely, (1 hour or overnight).
• If desired, sprinkle extra sugar over candied orange slices if you prefer the slices less sticky.
• Use immediately or keep orange slices refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
• The orange slices can be kept up to 1 month and used as a garnish for many desserts.
• Reserve orange syrup, in the fridge, for another use being sure to discard after 2 weeks.
• Enjoy!

CANDIED ORANGE SLICES

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the orange slices and cook over moderate heat, turning them occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to a thin syrup and the orange slices are translucent, about 20 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until the syrup is thick and the slices are tender but still intact, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the orange slices to a rack to cool. Reserve the syrup for another use.

CANDIED ORANGE ZEST

Steps:

• Heat the 1 cup of sugar and water to a boil. Add peels and simmer until they are transparent, about 12 minutes. Syrup should be thick. Remove from syrup and toss in sugar, let dry, away from humidity. Store in an airtight tin.
• TIP:
• RED ORANGES
• Use blood oranges in your favorite recipes as you would regular oranges. Taste for sweetness, you may have to add a bit more sugar in some recipes

CANDIED ORANGE SLICES DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Cut the oranges in half lengthwise, with the cut side down slice the oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, (you will have 1/2 of a slice of orange:DO-NOT peel),discard the ends.
• In a 10-inch saute pan combine the water and the 3 1/2 cups of sugar, stir to blend, then bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Add the orange slices, separating them, and simmer them gently for 1 hour uncovered; peroidically dunk any floating slices.
• Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
• Remove the orange slices, with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet to let drain and dry for 24 hours; NOTE; I dryed them in my oven set for for baked goods, or if oven has a pilot light, this worked great if it is a damp day.
• After drying the slices, toss them in the granulated sugar and reserve them, do not stack them as they will stick together.
• While you are coating the orange slices with the sugar, have the chocolate melting slowly in the top of a double boiler over 120 degree water: Chocolate can be melted in the microwave.
• When all the chocolate is melted and creamy and registers 100 degrees on an instant themometer, remove the top section from the double boiler.
• Add the 2-ounce of chocolate and gently stir until the thermometer reads 88 degrees to 91 degree, then remove what remains of the chunk of chocolate.
• Now dip the orange slices 2/3 of the way into the chocalate; gently scrape off excess chocolate against the side of the pan.
• Place the orange slices on a sheet of wax paper to set.
• Work quickly with the slices if the chocolate becomes to thick for dipping, place it over the 120 degree water again until it reaches 88 to 91 degrees.