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Peel Or No Peel: A Sister Rivalry

Photo by LYNN KESSEL

Bring fresh taste to your winter-weary palate by recycling and reusing those orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit peels you normally toss. Add them into cookies, cakes or frosting or dip them in chocolate. Use the remaining heavenly, simple syrup over your next batch of waffles or splashed in seltzer water.

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By LYNN KESSEL

Tribune columnist

Published: March 18, 2009

Updated: 03/18/2009 10:19 am

Several months ago, I wrote about my new-found weakness for Meyer lemons.

After the column was published, I pried a few dozen of the extraordinary citrus from my personal cache and sent a box to my sister, Janet, in Georgia. I wanted to share a good thing but hated to part with those lemons. In the end, familial love won out.

Several days later, Janet e-mailed to report she had juiced every last lemon and frozen half of the juice in ice cube trays.

She chose to make lemon curd with the unfrozen half, instead of the lemon curd bars I suggested. Her dessert that evening was a dollop of the mouth-watering curd on top of fresh, sliced mangoes and a garnish of homemade, candied Meyer lemon peels.

She candied the lemon peels?

Once again, I had been one-upped by my gourmand, older-by-17-minutes twin sister.

I felt sick, and not because my smarty-pants sister had outdone me, but because all those rinds from the lemons I previously peeled had been mindlessly pitched and by now were composting in a Hillsborough County landfill.

"Thank you again for shipping them," Janet said. "They are delicious and a real treat; and we will enjoy them through the season, maybe longer."

Green with mock envy, I purchased more lemons and requested her recipe for the candied peels.
After a third process of boiling and draining — as Janet's recipe directed — I removed the tender, translucent peels to dry them. But the idea of throwing out the heavenly, lemon-scented syrup that remained was devastating.

Dipping my finger into the pot, I tasted the subtly fragrant liquid. I let it cool, transferred it to a bowl, and then stored it in the fridge.

"This is the ultimate recycling recipe," I thought, proudly.

The fruit is eaten, the peel is candied and the citrus-laden syrup is perfect for sweetening drinks made with vodka, lemonade or tea or drizzling over rice pudding or waffles. The chopped peels are delicious in cookies, cakes or frosting. They're also yummy dipped in chocolate.

Candied peels of any citrus fruit can be prepared in the same manner.

As the French say, "rien ne se jette," or nothing to waste.

CANDIED CITRUS PEEL

4 lemons or 2 oranges, washed well
2 cups sugar, plus additional 1/2 cup if desired for coating
Water

Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the peel from the citrus in wide strips. Try to remove only the zest, avoiding as much of the white pith as possible. Save the fruit for another use.
In a small saucepan, combine the peels with 2 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, and then drain off the water. Again add 2 cups cold water, bring to a boil and drain. Repeat the process a third time, then remove the peels from the pan and set them aside. Measure 2 cups of sugar into the pan and add 1 cup water, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Add the peels and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, uncovered, until the peels are tender and translucent. Drain them and let cool. Save and refrigerate the syrup for other uses.

Measure the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar into a medium bowl and add the peels. Toss to coat. Using a fork or your fingers, remove the peels one at time, gently shake each one to remove excess sugar and store in an air-tight container. The peels will keep for several weeks.

Source: Adapted from epicurious.com

Lynn Kessel can be reached at lkessel@mac.com. For more of her recipes, visit southshore.tbo.com and enter the search words: Lynn Kessel. Readers are encouraged to send in their favorite recipes, comments and suggestions.

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