Spiced Candiedcrystallized Orange Rind Food

SIMPLE CANDIED ORANGE PEEL

Steps:

• Cut peel on each orange into 4 vertical segments. Remove each segment (including white pith) in 1 piece. Cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Cook in large pot of boiling water 15 minutes; drain, rinse, and drain again.
• Bring 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add peel. Return to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until peel is very soft, about 45 minutes. Drain.
• Toss peel and 1 cup sugar on rimmed baking sheet, separating strips. Lift peel from sugar; transfer to sheet of foil. Let stand until coating is dry, 1 to 2 days. DO AHEAD: Wrap and freeze up to 2 months.

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.

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.

SPICED CANDIED/CRYSTALLIZED ORANGE RIND

Steps:

• Quarter the oranges and remove from the rind. Scrape to remove the flesh and all white pith. Cut lengthwise into thin 2-inch long strips.
• In a large saucepan filled with cold water, place orange rind strips. Bring just to a boil, remove from heat, and strain. Repeat this step two times. Rind should be tender and translucent.
• In a saucepan over a medium heat, completely dissolve the 1 cup of sugar in 1 cup of water. Optional ingredients of cinnamon, orange or almond extract may be added to sugar syrup if desired for flavor. Reduce heat to low; add the orange rinds and let simmer approximately 20 to 30 minutes or until the orange rinds are translucent. Using a slotted spoon, remove candied orange rind, shaking off excess syrup.
• Immediately toss with sugar, using fork to separate pieces so they do not touch. Place on a wire rack to cool and dry. Drying may take a 2 to 3 days otherwise they will weep once sealed.
• Store in an airtight container for one week. When ready to serve candied orange rinds may be dipped in chocolate.

CANDIED WATERMELON RIND

Steps:

• Place watermelon rind in a deep pot and add the sugar.
• Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight (at least 4 hours) to macerate.
• In the morning, bring to a simmer, stirring to thoroughly dissolve the sugar.
• Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Cubes will be translucent when done.
• Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring often, to reduce the syrup to a thick caramel-like liquid.
• While still hot, ladle into sterilized jars and process in a waterbath for 30 minutes (the original calls for turning the jars upside down for a minute to create a seal but to correlate with the US safety guidelines I suggest waterbath canning for shelf-storage. If you're keeping it in the fridge, skip this part!).

CANDIED CITRUS PEEL

Steps:

• Quarter fruit lengthwise and remove peel (including white pith) in 1 piece from each quarter, reserving fruit for another use.
• Cut peel lengthwise into 1/3-inch-wide strips (if using grapefruit, cut peel in half crosswise first). Put peel in a large bowl and cover with cold water, then soak 1 hour. Drain in a colander.
• Blanch peel:
• Transfer peel to a wide 4- to 6-quart heavy pot. Add cold water to cover by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, then drain in colander. Repeat blanching process 2 more times. Cover peel once more with cold water and simmer until skin side is tender, about 30 minutes, then drain in colander.
• Cook peel in syrup:
• Return pot to stovetop and add 6 cups sugar and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Wash down any sugar crystals clinging to side of pot with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Add food coloring (if using) and boil syrup, uncovered and undisturbed, until it registers 220°F on thermometer, about 30 minutes. Add peel and simmer over low heat until translucent, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let peel stand in syrup, uncovered, at room temperature 8 to 12 hours.
• Return syrup with peel to a boil and boil, uncovered and undisturbed, until it registers 226°F on thermometer, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let peel stand in syrup, uncovered, at room temperature 8 to 12 hours.
• Return syrup to a boil once more and boil, uncovered and undisturbed, until it registers 228°F on thermometer, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let peel stand in syrup, uncovered, at room temperature 8 to 12 hours.
• Dry and coat peel:
• Reheat syrup with peel over low heat just until syrup has liquefied (peel will have absorbed most of syrup), then drain peel in colander. Immediately spread peel, separating pieces, on 2 metal racks set in 2 shallow baking pans and dry, uncovered, until just barely sticky, 8 to 24 hours.
• Spread 1/2 cup of remaining sugar on a plate and roll each piece of peel in sugar to coat well, then transfer to a sheet of wax paper. Add more sugar as needed to coat remaining peel. (Pour sugar through a medium-mesh sieve occasionally to remove bits of peel and clumps of sugar.) Dry sugared peel on wax paper 1 hour.

GODDESS BLESSED VEGETARIAN CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS WITH ORANGE RIND

Steps:

• Place the honey-nougat chocolate and white chocolate separately in heat-proof bowls.
• Place each bowl over a pan of simmering water.
• Stir and melt the chocolate until smooth.
• Set aside to let it cool.
• Mix the orange rind into the honey-nougat chocolate.
• Mix in the walnuts into the white melted chocolate.
• Place a spoonful of mixtures{of the dark and white chocolates} separately into the small paper baking cups.
• You need 35-40 small baking paper cups.
• Leave to set in the refrigerator for sometime.
• Store in an airtight container in a cool and dry place.
• Serve with tea or coffee.
• I think, personally, these are the best thing to have after a Japanese bath!
• They make you feel like a QUEEN after an already soul-cleansing dip!