Candied Citrus Peel From Leftover Limoncello Peels

This is my candied citrus peel recipe, made with the orange and lemon peels left over from my homemade liqueurs, such as limoncello and orange liqueur. I follow an old Italian convent recipe, and the peels cook in a sugar syrup until it caramelises before they get their coat of caster sugar.

When my limoncello and my orange liqueur are ready, I am left with a bowl of peels that have given their aroma to the alcohol.

As Italians we are taught not to throw anything away, so I candy them.

The method comes from an old collection of preserves from an Italian convent, which I found in my mother's cookbook library.

The convent preserved what its garden produced, and my Traditional Sicilian Bitter Orange Marmalade comes from the same collection.

I keep the candied peels for my Christmas desserts.

They go into my Tronchetto di Natale, my Sicilian cannoli and my struffoli.

Ingredients for candied citrus peel

• Orange and lemon peels. I use the peels left over from my Homemade Italian Limoncello and my Homemade Orange Liqueur. You can use the peels of fresh fruit as well. Whether to keep the white part depends on the fruit you choose, because some oranges and lemons have a bitter pith and others do not, so taste the white part first and remove it if it is bitter.
• Sugar. I use regular sugar for the syrup.
• Water. It turns the sugar into the syrup the peels cook in.
• Caster sugar. It gives the warm peels their sugar coat.

Find the measurements in the recipe card.

Step by step instructions

The liqueur peels are already cut into strips. If you use fresh fruit, cut the peels into thin strips.

• While the peels are still warm, roll them in caster sugar to give them a sugar coat.
• Store them in a closed tin or in a dark, opaque jar for up to a month, or freeze them.

Serving suggestions

I use the candied peels mainly as decoration, but you can also mix them into a filling.

• On Sicilian cannoli, press them onto the ends of the filled cannoli, or mix them into the ricotta cream.
• On struffoli, sprinkle them over the balls while the honey is still warm, as I do in place of the diavulilli.
• On the Tronchetto di Natale, use them to decorate the log.
• You can also dip them in dark chocolate.

Grated citrus peel for savoury dishes and desserts

I do not candy all the peels.

I grate some of them in a blender and freeze them, and I use them to flavour savoury dishes and desserts that call for citrus zest.

• For meat, I use them in my Ossobuco alla Milanese, my stuffed pork tenderloin with chestnuts and cranberries, my deep fried meatballs and my fried stuffed olives.
• For pasta and rice, I use them in my spaghetti alla bottarga, my lemon shrimp risotto and my scallops and risotto with peas and bacon.
• For desserts, I use them in my butter biscuits with Bronte pistachios, my coconut orange loaf cake, my lemon magic cake, my pastiera, my zeppole di Carnevale, my chiacchiere, my crema fritta, my lime sorbet and the dough of my struffoli.

FAQ

Can I make candied citrus peel with fresh fruit? Yes, you can use fresh fruit as well. Whether to keep the white part depends on the fruit you choose, so taste it and remove it if it is bitter.

Why do liqueur peels need to soak in water? They soak for three nights, with the water changed every day, so they rehydrate after soaking in the alcohol.

How do I use candied citrus peel? I use it mainly as decoration on my Christmas desserts, the Tronchetto di Natale, cannoli and struffoli, but you can also mix it into a filling.

How long does candied citrus peel keep? It keeps for a month in a closed tin or a dark jar, or you can freeze it.

Desserts with candied peels

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