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Spring's Favorite Garnish: Candied Citrus

Updated: Mar 31, 2020

Happy New year everyone! We are full swing into 2020 and Spring is pretty much here in Florida. During the Holiday's I was making homemade garnishes that everyone one was going crazy over, so I have been thinking about what I can bring to my boards in the new year.


I was inspired by the color yellow this week. I am a scorpio so I am drawn to those "firey" colors - orange, yellow, red! When I was shopping at my local Aldi and came across and bag of Meyers Lemons, I knew I had to pick them up. When I got home from the store I realized that these beautiful pops of color would be the perfect garnish for my Spring boards. The question was - how do I make these both edible and beautiful?


The Answer: candy them! (cranberries 2.0)



Boiling Lemons

Recipe:

2 c sugar

1 c water

12 lemon/ blood orange slices (you can really candy any citrus thing lemon, limes, oranges etc.) cut them thin maybe no thicker than a 1/8 in.


Directions:

- Combine water and sugar in large pan and bring to a boil (the sugar will dissolve and mixture should become clear)

- add in slices of fruit - make sure the fruit is flat and no overlap is occurring (every fruit has their own floating space) *see photo here*

- Bring water to a simmer and let fruit simmer for 15-20 minutes, flip them over once or twice

- The fruit is ready when the rind becomes "transparent" we want the rind to be cooked fully so there is no more tart taste

- Lay the fruit out on a baking sheet and let cool and dry for as long as possible (I am drying for 24 hours *updated note* the drying process in Florida is taking much longer than anticipated (I think this is due to the high humidity we have here) - I have now allowed the fruit to dry for 3 days and they are finally becoming firm and not tacky to the touch! (line the cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up)

- These slices will be best to eat in 2 days - this will allow for the fruit to dry and not stick

- When ready to serve sprinkle with sugar to coat lightly





Learnings:

- when you decide to make these candied fruits make sure you are planning ahead! They will not be ready the day of - plan for at least 48 hours of drying




To Store:

- use an airtight container

- layer the slices in with sugar to keep them from sticking together

- can be stored in the fridge or dark dry place like a pantry for 3-6 months




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