These candied citrus slices are made using the traditional french style of preserving fruit. Over a period of time the concentration of the sugar syrup the fruit is in is gradually increased so that the liquid in the fruit is replaced by the sugar syrup. This both candies and preserves the fruit.
With this method the fruit is never really cooked so it maintains its fresh flavor. There is nothing difficult about the process, it just takes time.
Servings: Flexible
Time: 14-16 days
Source: Ma'alot Farms
4 oranges or 8 lemons, preferably organic (or the equivalent amount of other citrus)
1 kg (2.2 lbs) sugar, plus additional sugar for each day. (you will need a total of 2.4 kg or 5.3 lbs of sugar)
600 g (21.5 oz or approximately 2.75 cups) water
Prepare the oranges: Slice the oranges or lemons into thin rounds, no more than 1/4 inch thick. Fill a bowl with ice water and set aside.
Cook and then cool: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sliced fruit to the boiling water. This may need to be done in batches depending on the size of your pot. Scoop the fruit from the boiling water when the slices float to the top and place into ice water to cool. They should cook no more than one minute. When the fruit is cool, drain and remove the slices from the ice water and transfer to a container large enough to hold all of the slices.
Create and add the syrup: Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. This step is just to dissolve the sugar (not to cook the syrup). Pour the hot syrup over the fruit slices. If the slices float, weigh them down to keep them fully submerged. (The easiest way is to place a plate on top of the fruit and a glass jar of water on top of the plate)
Candying process: Store the submerged orange slices in a dark cool place, like a cupboard or closet for the duration of the candying. They do not need to be refrigerated.
Increase sugar content daily for 2 weeks: Each day increase the sugar content of the orange slice sugar solution. Do this by draining off the sugar solution the slices are submerged in, add 100g of sugar, heat the solution to just dissolve the sugar, and pour back over the orange slices. Complete this increase-sugar step daily for two weeks. Once finished with this process the candied oranges will keep in the solution for a very long time.
Finishing the oranges: When ready to use them, remove the orange slices from the sugar solution. Arrange in a single layer on a drying rack out at room temperature and let stand until less tacky, 1-2 days (longer if it is very humid). Turn them after one day to make sure they dry evenly. Once dry they can be finished by rolling them in sugar or dipping them in tempered chocolate.
Storage: Store finished candies in an airtight container to keep out humidity. They should last at least a month if kept well sealed.