Candied Orange Peels

Anyone who really knows me knows that I hate throwing things away. I love being able to use things that others (or I) would normally throw away, in a new way. So after the girls and I ate 3 oranges for breakfast, I was left with this.

So I went downstairs, hopped on the net, and looked for things to do with them. I found this, but nothing really stood out to me. Until... #9, which I clicked on and it brought me here.

So here is my take on Candied Orange Peels...

First off my peels were shorter, since I had not had this in mind to begin with. It turned out that it didn't matter. Also I agree, it did take about 75 minutes of simmering to turn them sufficiently translucent.

Another thing you should know about me is that, I am not very patient. The thought of waiting 4-5 hours let alone 2 days for them to dry did not appeal to me. So after letting the strips drip and dry for about 20-30 minutes, I transferred them to my food dehydrator. I turned it to the the lowest setting (95 degrees) and let the fan do the rest.

In about 2 hours they were ready to be dipped in chocolate. Also I tried something new. I chopped up some of the small pieces, put them in the chocolate, then dropped them in small piles to dry. They are really yummy, and a great way to use up the last of the chocolate.

On a side note... As afore mentioned, I hate throwing things out. So I decided rather than throw out the water when I blanched the oranges 3 times, I reserved the liquid. I added cinnamon, cloves, and about a cup of sugar. I let it boil and reduce, while the orange strips were simmering. Then after I took the oranges out of the liquid in the pan to dry, I added that to the mixture. I then added about 1-2 T Ultra Gel. I mixed it up, and put it in a jar. I plan to use it as a syrup for pancakes or waffles tomorrow, and as an added benefit it made my house smell AMAZING!!!!!

So there you have it, I hate to throw things out, I am impatient, and I love to try new things (mostly just to prove to myself that I can).