Sweet & Sour Candied Citrus Slices

There are three ways to slice citrus for candying:

– Food Processor: The most safe and precise way to slice citrus us by using the slicer disc in conjunction with your food processor. Most middle to high end food processors come with this attachment now. So, it’s time to get comfortable experimenting. Once you start, I promise you won’t go back.

TIP: Push the citrus into the left side of the chute (if your blade spins clockwise) until it’s snug. When the blade spins, it will continue pushing the citrus into the same corner and keep it in place. If you start on the right or place the fruit in the middle, it could fall over and then you have sideways slices.

– Mandolin Slicer: This option is also very precise. Depending on your mandolin you may have removable plates to change thickness instead of a numbered adjustor. You’ll likely need the thickest setting for these slices if you have removeable plates.

TIP: A mandolin can be dangerous if you aren’t careful to protect your fingers and maintain constant speed while slicing. Because citrus has so many different textures, it catches easier on the mandolin blade than something like a potato would and is a little more difficult to cut than a lot of other fruits and veggies. If you don’t plan to use the guide your mandolin slicer came with (I see you Evil Knievel) please use cut resistant gloves.

– Knife and cutting board: These are the simplest and most accessible cutting tools in your kitchen. And, while they will work for this recipe, it will be more difficult to get even, consistent slices.

TIP: Make sure your knife is sharp and curl your fingers into a claw, resting the knife against your knuckles when you cut. If you use gentle pressure to force the bottom of the blade inward while you slice, it will help keep your knife, and resulting cuts, straighter.

Yes, but there’s a caveat.

When you freeze citrus, it does make the whole thing a more uniform texture. Since it’s harder to squish as you slice, you will end up with more even slices. Sounds great right?

Well, during testing, I noticed freezing the citrus produced a more delicate slice once it was back to room temperature. Because the liquid in the citrus expands when it freezes, it breaks some of the cellular structure. Then, when those broken cells get boiled, they disintegrate. So, the more frozen the citrus, the harder it is to keep them intact during the first and second boils.

I’m not saying candying doesn’t work; just that your citrus creations may not be as pretty, and you may lose some of the tastiest parts of the fruit during the process.

I leave it up to you on which trade off to choose.

I tried several thicknesses when making this candy. I would not recommend making slices less than ⅛in (3mm) thick. The thinner you go, the less structure the center of the citrus slices have to hold up against boiling them. They also dry out much more and can get almost crisp. As, I was looking for intact slices and a bit of a jellied center, under 4mm was too thin for my tastes but definitely doable.

Slices thicker than ⅙in (4mm) took longer in all respects. As a matter of fact, I almost couldn’t get the bitterness out of the lime slices during the first boil; And drying times increased quite a bit as well.

If you want thicker slices than the recipe calls for, I will only suggest using oranges or at least experimenting with them first. They are sturdier than lemons and less bitter than limes, making them easier to play with.

Baking soda isn’t 100% necessary to remove the bitterness from your citrus slices, but it does move things along much faster.

I’ve attempted making candied citrus several times in the past and the recipes that skip boiling always tasted like I was eating rind. So, I made sure to stick to recipes that had this first boil step. Over the years, I started boiling my slices longer and longer past the listed 1-2 minutes, searching for a scenario in which that bitterness is completely gone, and I just couldn’t get there. Especially with limes.

Enter baking soda. Adding baking soda to the water during the first boil, weakens the pectin in the citrus and make the slices softer without destroying them. It also pulls the bitterness out of the peels more efficiently, so you aren’t left with citrus “candy” that tastes like anything but.

Now, if you like that bitterness, feel free to try a shorter boil time or leave the baking soda out of the recipe. I don’t want to get in the way of anyone’s taste buds. If you are a quad-hopped, astringent loving person, you might prefer some bitterness.

The first boil before blanching the slices, is meant specifically to soften the citrus rind and extract some of the bitterness. You know you’re done boiling when you are happy with the level of bitterness in the peel. I’ve given times in the recipe instructions that were to my own tastes.

How do you know if you like the taste? Easy. Take a bite out of one of the cooled slices and see if you are happy with the level of bitterness there. If you aren’t return them to the pot for a little more boiling. Cool in the ice bath again and taste again. Nothing too scary. Just a do-over. 😉

I would not recommend it. In theory, simmering the slices in only simple syrup is possible, but there’s no telling how long they would need to cook until they are thoroughly imbued and the bitterness is gone. By that time, the syrup will have thickened too much and begun to caramelize. While this can be a delicious flavor. The citrus will taste more like the syrup than their true flavor profiles. Additionally, the thicker the syrup gets, the longer the citrus takes to dry. No one wants to wait 4 days for their slices to be ready.

I mean, you don’t have to, but they will all have varying levels of firmness and bitterness if you don’t. Oranges are the least bitter and softest citrus, so they need less work than lemons do. And limes are the fussiest of all the citrus I tested. (see notes for baking soda amounts and first boil timing)

I did experiment with cara cara, navel, and satsuma oranges during testing, so I’m fairly confident in the consistency of the orange instructions. In full transparency however, I did not attempt, working with grapefruit or pomelo (that’s why they aren’t listed in the recipe). They are just so large, and their piths are so thick, I couldn’t imagine them making good candies.

Unfortunately, no. The peel is kind of what keeps the citrus together. I did attempt to do this, so I figured it out the hard way. I thought I could make some oleo saccharum with the peels then slice and candy the pith and fruit. Everything broke into pieces during the first boil. It was a mess.

Yep. You can dry them either in a dehydrator (lemons at 115°F or 46°C and oranges at 135°F or 57°C) or in the oven, on the lowest setting available, for at least 2-3 hours.

Also, no. The syrup will be much thicker by the time an hour of simmering has passed. In theory, you could add water back into the syrup to loosen it up. However, your ratio of sugar to water will be off. Additionally, if any caramelization has started in the first batch of simple syrup, that flavor will carryover and increase in the second batch. Essentially what this means is that the sharp, clean flavor of the citrus slices will be muted in your second batch.

It’s better to just double the recipe at the start.

This is an easy one! Add some water to the syrup, 1tbsp (15ml) at a time, until it thins out to your desired consistency. Preferably, back to where it was at the start or during the first half of simmering the slices.

Oh yeah! The leftover syrup is great in cocktails and mocktails. I have a Oaxaca Old Fashioned Cocktail recipe that this citrus syrup (lemon or orange) is delicious in. You could also substitute candied lemon syrup specifically for the rosemary triple simple syrup in my Barrel-Aged Bee’s Knees Cocktail or for the oleo-saccharum in this Lemon Drop Martini.

Food-wise, drizzle it over some fresh fruit or use it in your next vinaigrette. Have fun experimenting with flavors.