SC - candied peel question

[UnruhBays, Melanie A]

First of all, I've never tried to freeze the peels to keep them. I have
found out that if you boil the peels and then refrigerate them a day or two
before candying them, they become slimy and fragile - very difficult to
scrape the pith out without tearing them. I haven't tried this with
mandarins, so I don't know how they'll work.
I often get peels when doing a feast and needing freshly squeezed orange or
lemon juice. They *must* be boiled - I boil them three times - to cook the
pith, because you can't effectively get it out otherwise. If you freeze the
peels, you'll have to thaw them before candying, if only to boil them to
remove the pith. Don't leave the pith in them - they become tough and
bitter. I use a thin spoon and a wooden cutting board to scrape peels. The
spoon scoops the pith out, and the cutting board kind of "grabs" the outside
of the peel.  
Hope this helps-

Maredudd

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gerekr at aol.com [mailto:Gerekr at aol.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2000 11:23
> To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
> Subject: SC - candied peel question
> 
> 
> I've had an enthusiasm to try candying (orange) peel for a 
> while (have 
> collected several versions of the process from list and net 
> sites, thank 
> you kindly), but I don't (!) eat oranges, let alone large volumes of 
> them.  So, any ideas on a practical way to accumulate peel, short of 
> buying a box and keeping only the peel?  THAT $ound$ not too great a 
> $trategy.
> 
> However, at Christmas, I LOVE fresh mandarins, and have gone 
> through two 
> 5# boxes this year, throwing the peels into a freezer 
> zip-bag.  They seem 
> to freeze very quickly, probably because they're so thin?, no 
> drying or 
> discoloration, so I think I may be on to something.
> 
> Anyone know how well this "accumulate in the freezer" 
> actually pays off?  
> Tricks for optimum de-frost??  Do you defrost them at all or 
> just dump 
> them in the syrup still frozen?  
> 
> Since mandarin skins are so much thinner than orange peel, any tricks 
> there?   How do you get the white pith off something as thin 
> as mandarin 
> peel -- VERY carefully, or is there something easier?  i.e. can you 
> scrape pith with a spoon edge while peels are still frozen?   
> etc., etc.  
> 
> Hmm, I seem to be coming up with some possible solutions, 
> don't I.  But 
> would anyone out there know whether they work??
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> Chimene
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