Prep Time: 45 minutes (There is also soaking & drying time.)
Lemon and orange mixed peel is one of those recipes you will be glad you made. I’m a huge fan of anything fruit related: fresh, dried, candied. When you make this recipe, delightful citrus smells waft through the house.
If you have little helpers, you can challenge them to see who can peel an orange in one long piece, and reward the winner with a special treat.
While you finish up making this recipe, you can think of all the wonderful recipes that this can be used: hot cross buns, stollen, Christmas cake, my cranberry-citrus fruit salad, and many others. I got this recipe from the blog Naturally by Trisha.
Beware: this mixed peel is quite addictive, so you might find others in your house snacking on it if you store it in the fridge.
Looking for some yummy recipes that use mixed peel? We’ve got you covered!
Stollen: a German Classic: a fruit-filled Christmas bread that has a vein of marzipan running through the middle.
How to Make Hot Cross Buns: these soft Good Friday buns are flavored with citrus peel, raisins, and mixed spice.
Making a Traditional Christmas Cake: a moist family favorite dessert during the Christmas season.
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Lemon and Orange Mixed Peel
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Prep Time: 45 minutes (There is also soaking & drying time.) - Cook Time: 60 minutes (stovetop)
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 3 1/4 cups
Prep Time:
Yield:
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Pin RecipeIngredients
- 5 medium sized unblemished lemons
- 5 medium to large sized oranges (I used Minneola oranges.)
- 1 1/2 cups of sugar
Instructions
- Cut the lemon rind off your lemons with a sharp knife and place them in a bowl.
- Once your oranges are peeled, place them in a second bowl.
- Cut the citrus peel into strips about 1/8″ wide.
- Put the peel in a sauce pan and cover with water. Boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Drain off the water.
- Repeat step #4, but this time keep 1/2 cup of the citrus liquid. Put the peel in a bowl.
- To make the sugar mixture, add 1/2 cup of citrus liquid, 1/2 cup of water, plus 1 cup of sugar to a small sauce pan. Stir the mixture to dissolve the sugar, while bringing it to a boil.
- Pour over the sugar syrup over the mixed peel and leave it covered overnight or 10 hours.
- In a saucepan, place the peel, sugar syrup, and the last 1/2 cup of sugar. Gently stir the mixture over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Drain the peel and spread out on a parchment lined cookie sheet to dry overnight. You may also choose to place the cookie sheet in your oven, at the lowest setting, (170F) for 2 hours to help dry out the mixed peel.
- Taste your peel. If you would like to add additional sugar, sprinkle some more on top.
Notes
The peel soaks for about 10-12 hours and dries for about 24 hours. It’s best to make it 2 days before you need it.
Feel free to use any combination of fruits that are traditionally in mixed peel. Some suggestions are: lemons, oranges, citron, and limes.
The mixed peel will keep well in the fridge for one month in an air tight container or longer if stored in freezer bags and placed in the freezer.