Better Than Composting: Three-Ingredient Candied Clementine Peel
As you well know, this week was Valentine’s Day. And, as of late, it’s possible I’ve been a less-than-stellar boyfriend. I am completely aware of my shortcomings, but also of my strengths. Cooking is one thing I’m pretty good at, so I thought it might be a nice idea if I made a romantic dinner for my girlfriend. In short, we had a really nice time together and dinner was great.
But it is always fascinating to learn something new about a person you love. We've been together for awhile now. But I had no idea she doesn’t like the combination of fruit and chocolate until last night, when I made fondue with clementine sections for dipping. It wasn’t a big deal; we were both drunk on champagne, and I got to eat clementine sections and chocolate fondue for breakfast. Win/win.
In an attempt to be cute on Valentine’s Day, I had placed the citrus sections atop their peels in a bowl (really, the best part about clementines is the way their rinds smell). After eating the fruit the next morning, I almost threw the peels out. But on my way to the garbage, I realized how wasteful that would be. When life hands you a bowl of citrus rind...you should candy it. Who knows? Maybe she’ll really like the tender, bittersweet rind with the leftover fondue. If not, I can assure you, I will.
Turning citrus rind into candy is actually quite easy; it just takes a little time, and the results are wowing. It is always rewarding to transform what you might otherwise throw out into something exquisite. Trust me, you show up to the dessert table with this stuff, and every day becomes Valentine’s Day.
Candied Clementine Peel
Makes about 1 cup
This recipe can be used for any kind of citrus. If you find yourself with an overabundance of fruits, feel free to double, even triple, the recipe.
2 clementines
water
2 1/2 cups sugar
Peel the clementines and eat the fruit. Cut the peel into 1/3-inch-thick slices and transfer to a bowl. Cover the peels with cold water and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Drain the peels.
Bring 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan, then stir in peels and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until peels start to look translucent and liquid is slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and let peels cool in liquid overnight.
Bring peels and cooking liquid back to a simmer and cook until liquid is thickened, 30 minutes. Drain peels. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl and toss peels in sugar until well coated. Spread peels in one layer on a sheet of aluminum foil and let cool at room temperature, about 6 hours. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature.
Comments