[Sca-cooks] Candied Orange Peel

[Elise Fleming]

Renata wrote:

>Grapefruit peel should be boiled at least twice (3X is better) orange 
>peel once and lemon peel does not have to be boiled at all if the stripes 
>are wide enuf. If you are doing lemon in fine strips they will actaully 
>burn in the syrup and so should be boiled once. 

We use such a wide variety of methods!  The Dawson recipe I use suggests
two boilings/simmerings twice a day for eight or so days.  (Works for
orange but not lemon which is more fragile.)

"Take Cytrons and cut them in peeces, taking out of them the iuice or 
substance,  then boyle them in freshe water halfe an hower untill they  be
tender, and when you take them out, cast them into cold water, leave  them
there a good while, then set them on the fire againe in other  freshe
water, doo but heate it a little with a small fire, for it not  seeth, but
let it simper a little continue thus eight daies together heating them
every day inn hot water: some heat the watre but one day, to the end that
the citron be not too tender, but change the freshe water at night to take
out the bitternesse of the pilles, the which being taken away...."

It sounds like a long time but beats any other peels I have tried.  When I
was working, I'd give the peels a morning boil while I was dressing and
eating breakfast.  Then, they'd get their cold water bath and I'd go to
work.  Once home in the evening I would repeat the process.  The peels
never come out tough or crunchy.  Well, once some of them did because I
didn't keep a good eye on the final sugar syrup boiling and the bottom ones
dried out and stuck, becoming tough.  I think Stefan may have the whole
recipe in his Florilegium.  If not, I can send it if desired.

Alys Katharine

Elise Fleming
alysk at ix.netcom.com
http://home.netcom.com/~alysk/