Candied Orange Julienne

• 0.360 kg Oranges (or an equivalent quantity of lemons, grapefruits, limes, or another citrus fruit of your choice), thoroughly washed and scrubbed; organic is recommended
• 0.400 kg Granulated sugar
• 0.250 lt Water
• 0.050 kg Fine granulated sugar for coating

1. 1 Slice both ends of the citrus fruits. Cut the peel on each into 4 or more vertical segments, depending on the size of the fruit.
2. 2 Peel off each segment of rind. (You can remove a little of the white pith, though not necessary. The pith is bitter, but the blanching process below will help reduce the bitterness. Note that if you remove the white pith, the thinner the peels are, the harder and leatherier they will be when they’re candied.)
3. 3 Slice the peels into 2 mm-wide strips. (Keep the peeled citrus for eating, cooking, juicing, etc.).
4. 4 Boil the peels in a pot of water for 15 minutes.
5. 5 Drain the peels in a colander, rinse and then drain again. Discard the water from the pot.
6. 6 (Repeat this process one or two more times to reduce the bitter flavour.)
7. 7 Add the 1 cup of fresh water and the sugar to the pot and bring it to a boil. Boil it for a couple of minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
8. 8 Add the citrus peels, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peels become translucent and the syrup becomes lightly syrupy (on a candy thermometer, this will be approximately soft ball stage or 235-240 F).
9. 9 Use a slotted spoon to remove a few of the peels at a time and let the excess syrup drip off for a few seconds. Place the hot, wet peels in a bowl of sugar or a Ziplock bag with sugar in it and toss/shake to coat.
10. 10 Spread the candied citrus peels out on a wire rack to cool and dry completely, 1-2 days.
11. 11 Note: tossing them in sugar and letting them dry is only necessary if you're storing them at room temp for an extended period.
12. 12 They can be used immediately in any recipe that calls for them. And any leftovers can be put in a freezer bag/container and frozen as is until the next time you need them
13. 13 Stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, the candied citrus peel will keep for at least a month. They'll keep even longer in the fridge and can be frozen for several months.
14. 14 Yields roughly 0.240 Kg of candied citrus peel depending on peel thickness.
15. 15 Nutritional Highlights: candied orange julienne is a concentrated, sugar-heavy treat. While it retains the julienne’s natural fibre, vitamin C, and beneficial plant compounds (polyphenols and flavonoids), the candying process results in approximately 300 to 350 calories and up to 70 grams of sugar per 100 grams added.

Sustainability impact

• Wasted avoided: citrus peels. • By-product used: citrus peels. • Valorisation strategy: part of the regular mise en place for the pastry department. • Circular economy principle: applying circular economy principles to candied orange peel means shifting from a linear model (produce, consume, dispose) to a closed-loop system where waste is eliminated and by-products are upcycled into high-value resources.