CANDIED LEMON PEELS

I have been waiting to make candied lemon peels for some time.  I wanted to make them for a couple of reasons, one I love tart desserts and the second reason is I hate waste.  If you juice a lemon you are wasting the peel.   Last night as we were putting together the limoncello I told Scott and his friend Bobby I was going to candy the hard left over alcohol infused peels.  They both thought I was a bit touched because if you know anything about making limoncello the peels are what infuse your vodka with the lemon flavor. Yep. the oil of the peel gives limoncello it's lemon taste.  Of course when we make limoncello we allow the zest and the alcohol to sit for months.  So seriously the lemon peels are pretty much "used" up OR are they?  That was my quest.  Of course, normally you would use fresh peels for the recipe and I highly suggest you do so but if you make limoncello do not throw out your peels.  You to can make candied lemon peels with the peels you would otherwise throw out.  

I actually have a bag of lemons sitting on the counter and I am trying to figure out what to do with them.  If I make lemon curd I would have fresh peels so the flavor would be really amazing but I have lemon curd already made so I might just do another run of limoncello.

Candied lemon peels are easy to make and oh so yummy tasting.  

CANDIED LEMON PEELS

Ingredients

• Zest of 10 to 12 lemons
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups sugar

Directions 

• Zest your lemons, leaving as little pith on them as you can.  Pith is the white part which is under the zest which is the skin.  I use a vegetable peeler to peel my lemons.
• Make a simple syrup with the 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar.  Pour both into a pan and bring to a simmer.  Add the zest and allow to simmer 30 minutes or more.  You want your peels to be a bit translucent. So, it might take more or less time.  Mine took 40 minutes. 
• Strain out your peels onto a cooling rack.
• Sprinkle with more sugar, I used vanilla sugar.
• Allow to completely dry.
• Store in an airtight container.

Mine are leftover from the limoncello they are not really a bright yellow color.  Instead, they look almost like crystallized ginger. 

I am not trying to sound conceited but I love when I come up with ways to not waste hardly anything of whatever I am cooking.  Just wait till I post my tomato canning saving ideas.  

This is the type of peeler I use.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend, although it is coming to an end. 

ENJOY!!