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Sweet, tart and absolutely scrumptious! Plain or dipped in chocolate, my Easy Candied Grapefruit Peel is an incredibly easy-to-make treat for snacking or gift-giving! Great way to use up grapefruit rinds.
Easy Candied Grapefruit Peel – For Snacking or Holiday Gift-Giving
Before refrigeration and rapid transport made eating fruit out of season an everyday occurrence, citrus of all kinds was considered a luxury.
Back then, grapefruits and oranges were treats reserved for holidays and special occasions, and every part of the fruit was precious, including the peel. Candied peel emerged as a means to preserve the rinds of grapefruit, oranges, or lemons.
Though citrus fruit isn’t the rare commodity it was back then, this sweet and tart Easy Candied Grapefruit Peel is still a delicious holiday treat. My Easy Candied Grapefruit Peel also makes a wonderful gift for family or friends. And if you’re lucky enough to receive a box of citrus this Christmas, making Easy Candied Grapefruit Peel is a great way to make the most of that gift.
But this Easy Candied Grapefruit Peel isn’t just for holidays. At my house, we enjoy grapefruit at breakfast all year round, and I often use the rinds to make candied peel. A couple of pieces of sweet and tart, chewy Easy Candied Grapefruit Peel is a scrumptious snack that helps satisfy my sweet tooth.
In addition to being delicious, Easy Candied Grapefruit Peel is also a cinch to make!
How To Make Easy Candied Grapefruit Peel – Prepping the Rind
As I said, we often have grapefruit for breakfast or even for dinner (check out some of my recipes here). When I want to make candied peel, I take the rinds from the half grapefruits I’ve served at breakfast and stow them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They should be fine stored this way for three to four days.
The other option is to cut the fruit in half and scoop out the flesh from all three grapefruits at the same time, reserving the fruit for another use. No matter what method you choose, remove all the fruit and membranes clinging to the inside of the rind.
When that’s done, slice the rinds into long pieces about ¼ to ½ inch wide. (If the white pith of the fruit is more than a quarter inch thick, trim some of it off. If you are using orange peels, remove most of the pith. Everything else is just the same for oranges as it is for grapefruit.)
Next, you’re going to blanch the rinds to help remove any bitterness.
To do that, you’ll place the peels in a pot, cover them with cold water, and bring the water to a boil. Allow the peel to boil for five minutes, then drain out the boiling water and run the peel under cold water. Repeat the blanching process, using fresh water, twice more.
DO NOT skip this step! And be sure to go through the blanching process THREE TIMES! Failing to do so could leave your candied grapefruit with a bitter taste.
How To Make Easy Candied Grapefruit Peel – The Sweet Finish
When the rinds are prepped, you’ll prepare a syrup of sugar and water. Then, boil the prepared peels in the syrup for twenty minutes. After draining, you’ll arrange the candied peels on waxed paper to dry.
Drying can take anywhere from overnight to two days. If you’re in a hurry, you can place them on a rack in a 180-degree oven for about two hours. When the peel is mostly dry but still a little sticky, toss them in sugar.
While these little morsels are delicious as is, dipping them in tempered chocolate adds an extra touch of decadence.
Tempering the chocolate is easy and will help prevent streaking. You simply melt the chocolate according to your favorite method, either in a double boiler or the microwave. Leave a couple of tablespoons of the chocolate, then stir them into the heated chocolate until they are melted, too.
While the chocolate is still warm, dip the peel into the chocolate and leave it on waxed paper to dry.
Your finished candied peels then can be stored in a closed container in a cool, dry place. They should last for two to four weeks.
Print
Easy Candied Grapefruit Peel
Ingredients
- Prepare the rinds by removing the fruit flesh and membranes. If pith is more than ¼ inch thick, trim off extra. Slice rinds into long pieces about ¼ to ½ inches wide.
- Place rind slices into a cooking pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil on stove. Boil for 5 minutes. Drain off water and run the peels under very cold water. Repeat the boiling and draining process twice more.
- Place two cups of sugar and one cup of water into a pot. Bring the sugar and water to a boil, creating a syrup. Place the rinds into the syrup. Lower heat to a low boil and allow the rinds to simmer in the syrup for 20 minutes.
- Drain off syrup. Let the candied peel onto wax paper to dry overnight or up to two days. (If in a hurry, peel can be dried in a 180-degree oven for 2 hours. See post for details).
- When the peel is dry but still slightly sticky, toss in the remaining cup of sugar.
- Optional: Dip the candied peel in tempered chocolate and lay on waxed paper to dry. (See post for details.)
- Candied peel can be stored covered in a cool, dry place for 2 to 4 weeks.
Instructions
- 3 grapefruit rinds
- 3 cups sugar, divided
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup Dark chocolate chips (*optional, use if you want to dip the candied peel in chocolate.
