Candied Citrus Zest

An amazing garnish for cocktails, or to dress up a cheeseboard!

Ingredients:
Citrus of choice
Granulated sugar
Water

Method:
1. Wash the citrus, cut in half and juice. (You can use the juice in a recipe of your choice or just drink it!). Then, take the juiced halves and place into a container. Cover in water and let sit in the fridge overnight.

2. The next day, take a spoon and scoop out the flesh leaving the peels with some pith. Slice the peels into strips. Place the citrus strips in a saucepan with cold water. Bring to a boil, simmer for a few minutes, drain and place back into the pot with more cold water. Repeat this blanching process a total of three times.

3. Make a simple syrup with a 1.25-1 ratio of water to sugar (by weight). (The amount of syrup needed will depend on how much peel you have. You need enough simple syrup to cover the peel by at least a couple of inches.) Place the peels into the saucepan with the simple syrup and cook gently until the peel is translucent and candied. The temperature should be about 218°.

4. Drain the peel, saving the syrup for another use. Spread the peel on a rack to drain further and dry out a bit. Let sit overnight. The next day, toss the candied peel in batches in granulated sugar and lay out on the rack to dry out further for 6 hours to overnight. The next day pack the candied peel in an airtight container. It should last for several weeks.