ADVENT CALENDAR December 15th - Candied Orange and Lemon Peel

Someone asked me where to get candied orange and lemon peel in the US, or barring that, how to make some yourself.

Candied lemon peel isn't made of lemons if you buy it commercially. It is made from a fruit called "Citron," or "Buddha's Hand." It looks something like a big, rough lemon. Sometimes they are as big as grapefruits. The peels are used whole and candied. First they are softened by soaking them in sea water for some time. Then they are desalinated and finally boiled in syrup to candy them. If you buy this at a Christmas Market or an alternative store in Germany you get the peel in big chunks. It is then cut into small cubes and used in many German Christmas recipes. You can also get it already cubed.

If you just want the flavor, not the texture, I would suggest getting a few organic oranges and lemons, using a vegetable peeler or a very sharp knife to peel them thinly, cutting the peel into thin slivers and packing into a jar with sugar, or even with syrup. Keep for a few days before using. It is totally delicious! Use the peel in anything that strikes your fancy, the syrup/juice that results flavors food more delicately, but is just as good. This will keep for about four weeks in the refrigerator, if you take care not to contaminate it when you take some strips out of the jar, i.e. use a nice clean spoon!

Of course you can candy orange or lemon peel yourself!

Score the peel of well-washed organic lemons or oranges into 6-7 parts and peel off. Use the fruit for something else. Boil the peels in water for a few minutes. Drain water and boil again with fresh water.

Then add sugar

and cook the peel strips for about 45 minutes, till translucent.

Drain, reserving the syrup for other uses.

Now roll the peel strips in sugar and let them dry for some hours.

You can eat them as is, dip them in chocolate - or you can cube them and use them in Stollen (coming next week) or gingerbread or whatever strikes your fancy!

Time for the Advent Calendar! Here is number 15:

And we see: Christmas trees!

Have a magical day!