[Sca-cooks] Citrus Peel Candied (Long)

[Elise Fleming]

Greetings! For Rebecca Friedman who asked about what spices might be 
used with "citrus peel candied", here's an online blog to check out:
https://leobalecelad.wordpress.com/2017/05/02/suckets-of-citrus-peel/

Of the recipes for candied peel that I've collected, ginger, cinnamon, 
and cloves have been mentioned, so Rebecca is "right on"!

Regarding long soaking times, it might have been because bitter oranges 
were what was available rather than sweet oranges, but is the bitter 
only in the peel or is it also in the flesh? Over the years, I've made 
Dawson's recipe ("A goodlye secret for to condite or confite Orenges, 
citrons, and all other fruites in sirrop", a recipe from Thomas Dawson, 
THE SECOND PART OF THE GOOD HUS-WIVES JEWELL, 1597.) many times and have 
had the most success with the multiple boilings. Frankly, I hastened the 
process since I was working, so I would do one of the boilings before I 
left for work, drain the boiling water, and replace it with cold water 
for soaking until I came home. Then, I drained that water, added new 
cold water, boiled it per Dawson's directions, poured off the boiling 
water, and replaced it with cold water for soaking overnight. Johnna 
gave the link to my article, but here it is again: 
http://damealys.medievalcookery.com/CandiedFruitPeel.html

Rebecca's queried, "I was wondering why all the lengthy soaking - my 
modern candied orange peel recipe doesn't do that..." Is it how long the 
peels need to soak before being prepared to boil or is it the whole 
process of multiple soaks (day-long soaks if I read Dawson correctly) 
and multiple boilings (approximately 8 days total)? My personal opinion 
is that doing more or less what Dawson says (with a hastening process in 
the paragraph above) results in a more tender and "toothsome" peel than 
what results from peel done in one or maybe two days. Might be worth 
experimenting to see what your opinion is.

I'd like to sort of digress here and share what I think about the end 
product of candied peels. I've eaten a lot of different samples from a 
variety of cooks, including peels made from modern recipes. My 
particular preference is for a fairly moist, tender, sugary peel - not 
sticky, however. Some suckets were "wet suckets" and others were called 
"dry suckets". The wet ones usually were obtained by a slender "fork" 
rather than being picked up out of the container/dish with the fingers. 
I don't believe that "candied peels" were "wet suckets". (Although there 
may well be a recipe that specifies it. I'm going by memory.)

My belief is that the "period" nobles who were presented with candied 
peels would have enjoyed the texture as well as the taste. If the peel 
doesn't delight our mouths, then it surely wouldn't have delighted the 
nobles.

Textures:
1. I've eaten peels so dry that they couldn't be softened by chewing and 
felt like tiny bits of twig or straw in my mouth. Swallowing them was 
not an option. This would not have been acceptable. These were probably 
over-cooked or left to dry so long that the peel couldn't soften in the 
final sugar solution.

2. Sometimes the peels are left to dry too long, but a soaking in the 
final sugar solution moistens them enough so that they are "merely" 
tough, not bone-splintery dry. The peels may also have been stored for a 
long time. They're technically edible, but not all that enjoyable to eat.

3. Sometimes the peels are too moist before soaking in the final syrup 
and therefore don't absorb a lot of the sugary solution. The syrup may 
not have reached the proper concentration and, when done, the peel is 
"wet", not truly a finger-pick-up confection. (This can happen to many 
of us and we try to fix the problem by rolling the finished peel in dry 
sugar crystals. I haven't seen that listed anywhere in period recipes. 
It's we modern folk who have mastered the right sugar concentration! You 
can find some modern peels that are sold with a coating of sugar crystals.)

4. Perfection, to me, is a peel that is "toothsome", tender to bite, 
sweet and maybe slightly bitter to the taste. They aren't sticky to pick 
up. The final drying after soaking and simmering in the syrup should 
give the result that "to the end that the Honie or Suger may be well 
incorporated with the Citrons." (Or oranges.)

Peels will store well but care should be taken when storing in modern, 
airtight containers. It is possible that, after a long (How long? I 
don't know.) period of time, they might grow moldy. Check your container 
after a month or three and see (or sample!). Dessicant packs might help 
moderate any excess moisture that could cause mold. Period storage 
containers closely resemble those round or oval thin craft boxes sold in 
craft stores. (Can't think of what those bendable slats are called!)

Here's a recipe that mentions ginger as a spice. I don't read French so 
I can't tell how reliable (accurate) the Scully recipe is.

ORENGAT:   From Early French Cookery: Sources, History, Original Recipes 
and Modern Adaptations.  Scully, D. Eleanor and Scully, Terence, 
University of Michigan Press, 1995.  ISBN 0-472-10648-1.  The original 
recipe reference given is Menagier de Paris, p.265/§352

Pour faire Orengat, mettez en cinq quartiers les peleures d'une orenge 
et raclez a un coustel la mousse qui est dedans, puis les mettez tremper 
en bonne eaue doucle par neuf jours, et changez l'eaume chascun jour; 
puis les boulez en eaue doulce une seule onde.  Et, ce fait, les faictes 
estendre sur une nappe et les laissiez essuier tres bien; puis les 
mettez en un pot, et du miel tant qu'ils soient tous couvers, et faites 
boulir a petit feu et escumer.  Et quantvous croirez que le miel soit 
cuit--pour essaier s'il est cuit, ayez de l'eaue en une escuelle, et 
faites degouter en icelle eaue une goutte d'icelluy miel, et s'il 
s'espant, il n'est pas cuit; et se icelle goute de miel se tient en 
l'eau sans espandre, il est cuit--et lors devez traire vos peleures 
d'orenge.  Et d'icelles faites par ordre un lit, et gettez pouldre de 
gingembre dessus, puis un autre, et getter etc., usque in infinitum; et 
laissier un mois ou plus, puis mengier.

Authors mention that in the original recipe this is a 9-day process and 
it is recommended that it be stored for a month before eating.  The 
following is their version.

	Candied Orange Peel

Ingredients:
	2 cups sliced orange peel
	1 1/2 to 2 cups cold water
Cut orange peel into quarters.  Scrape pulp from inside with a spoon or 
knife and slice peel into thin strips.  Cover with cold water in a pot. 
Bring slowly to a boil.  Simmer 10 minutes.  Repeat 2 or 3 times.  Drain 
and dry.

	1/2 cup water
	3/4 cup honey
Make a syrup of honey and water.  Add peel.  Boil until syrup is 
absorbed and the peel becomes transparent.

	2-3 tsp. powdered ginger
	2 tsp. sugar
Lay individual strips of peel on waxed paper.  Sprinkle on both sides 
with powdered ginger and sugar mixture.  Expose to air until cold and 
surface moisture has evaporated.

Store in airtight container until needed.

Alys Katharine, garrulous!

Elise Fleming
alyskatharine at gmail.com
http://damealys.medievalcookery.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8311418@N08/sets/