[Sca-cooks] Citrus Peel Candied (Long)

Tue May 21 14:49:31 PDT 2019

The multiple boilings does soften the peel and eventually remove the 
bitterness.  It is essential if you use sour oranges.  I made a candied 
peel last winter with Seville oranges that was amazing.  The taste is 
very different from regular oranges, and the texture was almost silky.

Katherine

On 5/18/2019 9:14 PM, Elise Fleming wrote:
> 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/
>
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