Candied Orange Sticks Recipes

Steps:

• Scrub the oranges, then remove the peel in quarters. To do this, cut through the peel with a sharp knife, going right around the orange, starting and finishing at the stem end, then repeat at a right angle to the first cut. Remove the peel, with the attached pith, from the fruit. Weigh out 9 ounces of peel and cut it into slices measuring about 1/4 by 2 inches.
• Put the orange peel slices into a large pan and cover with 8 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and return to the pan with 4 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved (it won't take long). Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 24 hours.
• Bring the pan to a boil again. Add the corn syrup, if using, and boil gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated and the orange sticks are coated with bubbling orange syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Using a pair of tongs (or your fingers), carefully remove the orange sticks and place on a wire rack with a tray underneath to catch the drips. Leave in a warm place for 24 hours, or place in a very low oven at approximately 140°F for 2 to 3 hours to dry.
• Break the chocolate into pieces, put into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, and leave until melted. Remove from the heat. Dip one half of each orange stick in the melted chocolate and place on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper to dry.
• Before dipping, the sticks will keep well for 3 to 4 months. Once they have their chocolate coating, they are best eaten within 3 weeks.

Steps:

• Cut tops and bottoms off of the orange and score the orange into quarters, cutting down only into the peel and not into the fruit. Peel the skin and pith of the orange in large pieces, use the orange for another recipe. Cut the peel into strips about 1/4-inch wide. Put the orange peel in a large saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat. Then pour off the water. Repeat 1 or 2 more times depending up how assertive you want the orange peels to be. (Test kitchen liked the texture of a 3 time blanch best, it also mellowed the bitterness. But it is a matter of preference.) Remove the orange peels from the pan.
• Whisk the sugar with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 9 minutes (If you took the sugar's temperature with a candy thermometer it would be at the soft thread stage, 230 to 234 degrees F.) Add the peels and simmer gently, reducing heat to retain a simmer. Cook until the peels get translucent, about 45 minutes. Resist the urge to stir the peels or you may introduce sugar crystals into the syrup. If necessary, swirl the pan to move the peels around. Drain the peels, (save the syrup for ice tea.) Roll the peels in sugar and dry on a rack, for 4 to 5 hours. Return to the sugar to store.
• Cook's Note: One way to use orange peels is to stuff a dried date with a piece of orange peel and almond, then dip the entire thing into dark chocolate.

Steps:

• Butter a 9-in. square pan with 2 teaspoons butter; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the pectin, baking soda and water (mixture will be foamy). In another saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Bring both mixtures to a boil. Cook until foam on pectin mixture thins slightly and sugar mixture comes to a full rolling boil, about 4 minutes. Gradually add pectin mixture to boiling sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. , Remove from the heat. Stir in orange oil and food coloring. Immediately pour into prepared pan. Let stand at room temperature for 3 hours or until set. , Sprinkle waxed paper with sugar; invert pan onto sugar. With a knife dipped in warm water, cut candy into 1-in. squares; roll in additional sugar. Place on a wire rack. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature overnight. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Bring a stainless-steel pot of water to a boil. (It should be large enough to hold the oranges submerged.)
• Wash and dry the oranges, and channel from stem to navel at 1/2-inch intervals, removing strips of peel while leaving the pith intact, until the oranges resemble those onion domes on Russian churches. (You need a good, sharp channeler, not a tiny-toothed zester for this one.)
• Place the oranges and their long, fat threads of channeled peel into the boiling water, and reduce to a simmer. Cover the oranges with a lid one size too small for the pot, to keep them submerged. Let them blanch for about 25 minutes to remove the harshest edge of their bitter nature. They should swell and soften but not collapse or split.
• Remove the oranges and zest from the simmering water with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Dump out the blanching water, and return the dry pot to the stove.
• In that same pot, combine the sugar with 6 cups water; bring the sugar water to a boil over medium-high, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then allow to gently boil, and reduce for 10 minutes, uncovered. You want some water to evaporate and for the syrup to take on a little body.
• Carefully place blanched oranges and zest into the sugar syrup, and reduce heat to a very slow, lethargic simmer. Cover oranges with a parchment circle cut slightly larger than the circumference of the pot (by 1 inch is enough), then place the too-small lid on top of the parchment on top of the oranges, to keep them fully submerged (and sealed under the parchment) in the sluggishly simmering syrup.
• Cook the oranges in the syrup for about 45 minutes, checking on them frequently to keep the temperature quite slow and stable, until they take on a high gloss and appear vaguely translucent and jewel-like. (We have several induction burners that come with features that can hold a temperature, and I leave the oranges at around 170 degrees for most of the candying, sometimes with a little bump up to 180. But without a thermometer or an induction burner, just a visual slow, slow, slow bubble is a good cue.)
• Cool oranges and peels in their syrup for a full 24 hours before serving. This kind of "cures" them. They get even better after 48 hours. First, you'll want to let them cool at room temperature until no longer warm to the touch, at least 4 hours, then refrigerate them until thoroughly chilled. The oranges last refrigerated for 1 month as long as they are submerged in that syrup.
• Serve very cold. Eat the whole thing, skin and all, with a knife and fork. It's like a half glacéed fruit and half fresh fruit - refreshing, tonic, digestive and so great after dinner.