Candied Peel

Candied peel is preserved by soaking the rind of various citrus fruit in a sugar syrup until the sugar replaces the moisture in the peel, thus extending its keeping qualities.

There are a number of different varieties of candied peel available, including the following:

Citron Peel

Taken from aromatic skin of the citron (the large, scented, thick-skinned relative of the lemon), this type of peel is traditionally used to decorate the top of a Madeira cake.

Orange and Lemon Peel

Orange and lemon peel may be bought in large pieces that may be diced and added to a range of cakes, puddings, breads and other recipes. They may be stored for a time in airtight jars; however, if they become hard and tough, they may be softened by steaming.

Mixed Peel

Ready-cut mixed peel is a mixture of orange and lemon peel that has been soaked in sugar syrup and then diced. It may be used for fruit cakes, biscuits, puddings and tea breads. However, ready-cut peel does not have the intense flavour of larger pieces; this is partly because the more inferior pieces of peel are used to make mixed-peel (with the best examples being sold whole), but also because much of the essential oils will have already evaporated.