Sugared Lemon Zest Recipes

EASY CANDIED LEMON ZEST

Steps:

• With a sharp vegetable peeler, cut long strips of zest from lemons, being sure not to take any of the bitter white pith. Slice the strips into ⅛-inch-thick strands.
• Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan; add the zest and simmer until translucent, about 20 min. Remove from heat and let cool in the syrup.
• Strain zest and use for garnish. Use the syrup in drinks or on pancakes. You can refrigerate both for 2 weeks.

CANDIED LEMON ZEST

Steps:

• Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemons, keeping the strips as long as possible. Use a paring knife to remove the bitter white pith from the zest, and discard. Using a sharp chef's knife, finely julienne the strips of zest, and then place them in a small bowl. Cover the zest with boiling water; let stand for 30 minutes, then drain.
• Heat the sugar and cool water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, then add the julienned zest. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand at room temperature overnight. Remove the zest, and drain on wire rack. Roll the zest in the sugar. Dry on a wire rack. The zest can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

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.

CANDIED LEMON ZEST

Steps:

• Zest the lemons with a vegetable peeler into long strips. Remove the pith; cut the strips into fine julienne. Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the zest; boil 5 minutes. Cover, and remove from heat; let cool. Strain off the syrup before using. The zest can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.