Candied Grapefruit Zest Recipes

CANDIED CITRUS ZEST

Steps:

• Cut the citrus into wedges and remove the flesh. Use a sharp paring knife to remove as much white pith as possible from the peels. Reserve and use the insides of the fruits for juice or another use.
• Place all the peels in a 2-quart saucepan. Cover the peels with water and bring them to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and drain. Set the peels aside.
• Add the sugar, honey, and 1 1/2 cups (354ml) water to the empty pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook to dissolve all the sugar, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Add the reserved peels to the sugar syrup and reduce the heat to low; gently simmer until the syrup registers 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer or until the peels are bright and translucent looking. Stir the peels frequently. This should take about 1 hour. You do not want to caramelize the sugar at all, so keep the flame low and cook slowly. If the syrup begins to thicken before the peels have cooked through, you may need to add a touch more water to the pan during the cook time to slow down the candying process a bit.
• Cool the peels in the syrup until they reach room temperature. From here you can go in two different directions: you can store the candied peels in an airtight container in the syrup to keep it soft and hydrated. Alternately, you can dredge the peels in granulated sugar and set them on a wire rack overnight to create a dried candied zest confection. The sugared zest can then be stored at room temperature for months and months.

EASY CANDIED GRAPEFRUIT PEEL

Steps:

• Quarter grapefruit and remove rinds; use interiors for another purpose. Slice each rind lengthwise into strips, approximately 1/4 inch at the widest point.
• Cover rind with 2 inches of water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil for 3 minutes. Drain. Repeat 3 more times with fresh water. Drain.
• Place boiled grapefruit rind, 1 3/4 cups sugar, and 1 cup of fresh water into the saucepan. Let simmer slowly, increasing heat as needed, until water is absorbed or evaporated, about 1 hour.
• Place remaining 1 cup sugar in a large bowl and toss peels in it. Cool and allow to dry on wax paper or a wire rack. Dust with more sugar as preferred.

CANDIED LEMON ZEST FOR DESSERTS

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, peel zest from lemons. Use a knife to remove any white pith; cut zest as thinly as possible.
• Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add zest; blanch for 1 minute, drain, and rinse under cold water.
• In another medium saucepan, combine sugar and 2 cups water; bring to a simmer. Cook until sugar dissolves completely, about 2 minutes. Add lemon zest. Simmer until translucent, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat; let zest cool in syrup. When cool, transfer zest and syrup to an airtight plastic container.

27 WAYS TO COOK WITH GRAPEFRUIT

Steps:

• Select your favorite recipe.
• Organize all the required ingredients.
• Prep a grapefruit recipe in 30 minutes or less!

GRAPEFRUIT BARS WITH CANDIED ZEST

Steps:

• Shortbread base:
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line an 8x8" baking pan, preferably metal, with overlapping sheets of parchment paper, leaving at least 4" overhang on each side. Pulse flour, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor a few times to combine. Add butter and pulse until largest pieces are pea-size. Add egg yolks and pulse just until dough comes together in small clumps. (Shortbread can also be made by hand: Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl, then work in the butter with your fingers before mixing in the egg yolks with a sturdy spoon.)
• Transfer dough to prepared pan (you may find it easier to form the dough into a ball first, instead of working with clumps-entirely up to you!) and press into an even layer. If dough is sticky, use a piece of plastic wrap between your hand and the dough. Prick dough with a fork in several spots (this helps it stay flat as it bakes). Bake shortbread until edges and top are golden brown, 24-28 minutes. Let cool.
• Candied grapefruit zest:
• While the shortbread is baking, use a sharp knife to remove zest from grapefruit in 2"-3" wide strips (it's okay to leave some white pith attached). Slice strips very thinly lengthwise; save fruit for another use. Combine zest and 2 cups water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Drain immediately. Combine zest with 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in the same saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zest is translucent and softened, 15-20 minutes. Drain, discarding syrup, and toss zest in a small bowl with remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Set aside until ready to use.
• Curd and assembly:
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Vigorously whisk eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, and cornstarch in a large saucepan until smooth and sugar is mostly dissolved. Whisk in grapefruit zest and juice, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. Set saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly and making sure to get into the corners of the pan, until curd begins to bubble slightly around the edges and thickens, about 5 minutes. Simmer very gently, still whisking, 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Whisk salt into curd, followed by butter a piece at a time, whisking to fully incorporate after each addition. Scrape curd into pan with shortbread and smooth over crust. Top with some of the candied grapefruit zest (you probably won't need all of it; snack on any left over!).
• Bake grapefruit bars until surface of curd is set (the center will still wobble slightly when pan is gently shaken), 20-25 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill until very cold, at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.
• Just before serving, slice grapefruit bars into 2" squares and dust with powdered sugar if desired.
• Do Ahead
• Shortbread can be baked 3 days ahead. Store tightly covered at room temperature. Grapefruit can be candied 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. Bars can be baked 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

CANDIED CITRUS ZEST RECIPE

Steps:

• Set two pots of water (with 1 quart of water in each) to boil over high heat. By the time you're ready to start blanching, the water will be ready.
• Use a peeler and make long broad strokes from pole to pole of the fruit. Avoid digging into the pith, but don't fret if you've taken a bit as you peel.
• Chop the zest into thin strips if desired.
• Set up an ice bath by filling a large bowl three quarters of the way with ice cubes and cold water. Set the bowl near the stove, along with a slotted spoon, spider, or small strainer.
• When water comes to a boil, add the zest to Pot #1 and allow it to simmer for 20 seconds. Remove zest from water, either by fishing it out with spider or pouring it through strainer into the sink. Rinse and refill Pot #1 with another quart of water, and return the pot to a boil.
• Plunge the zest into the bath of ice water. It's helpful to keep the strands inside the strainer in the bath to avoid having to pick the zest out of the ice.
• Repeat steps 5 and 6, first using Pot #2, and then using the newly boiled water in Pot #1. When you've finished the third round of blanching, retire Pot #1.
• When you've finished blanching in Pot #2, you can immediately set up for the final step: candying. Using the ratio of 1 cup fresh water to one cup sugar for every four fruits you've zested, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in Pot #2 and bring it to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Once all of the sugar has dissolved and syrup is bubbling, reduce heat to a simmer (just a few steady bubbles, as opposed to a rolling boil) and add the blanched zest. Simmer for about twenty minutes, until the zest is completely translucent and curling along edges. The syrup will become thicker and take on some color from peel. Store the zest in the syrup and allow it to cool before using. Refrigerate in a sealed container.

CANDIED GRAPEFRUIT ZEST

Steps:

• Quarter the grapefruits lengthwise and remove the pulp, reserving it for another use. Scrape as much of the pith from the rind as possible with a spoon, cut the pieces of zest in half crosswise, and cut them lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. In a kettle cover the zest with 4 cups of the water, bring the water to a boil, and simmer the zest for 10 minutes. Drain the zest, refresh it under cold water, and repeat the simmering, draining, and refreshing process 2 more times. Sprinkle each of 2 jelly-roll pans with 1 cup of the sugar. In the kettle combine the remaining 2 cups sugar, the remaining 1 cup water, and the corn syrup and boil the mixture, washing down any sugar crystals clinging to the side with a brush dipped in cold water, for 3 minutes. Stir in the zest and simmer it, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the syrup is thickened. Continue to simmer the syrup, stirring constantly and being careful not to let it burn, until a candy thermometer registers 230°F. Transfer the zest with a fork to the prepared pans, roll it in the sugar to coat it well, separating the strips, and let it cool. Transfer the zest to racks and let it dry for at least 4 hours or overnight. The candied zest keeps, separated by sheets of wax paper in an airtight container lined with wax paper, at room temperature for 2 weeks or chilled for 1 month.