Orange peel spoon candy

Ingredients for 20 servings:

• 1 kg orange peel from about 10 oranges
• 1 kg sugar
• 625 ml water
• 1 lemon(s), juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 5 hours 20 minutes

directly from Greece

We should use an orange variety with a particularly thick peel for this recipe. Wash and dry the oranges. Grate all over using the finest grater. Depending on the size of the oranges, quarter or sixth them. Carefully remove the flesh from the peel and either eat it as it is or use it for another recipe. Then take a piece of peel, roll it inward, and use a needle and thread to make a sort of “necklace.” Thread 12 to 14 pieces of peel onto each thread. When the necklaces are ready, place them in a pot of water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the water, and rinse the orange peels or necklaces in a sieve under running water. Repeat this process twice. After the third boiling and rinsing, taste an orange peel to see if it has been debittered sufficiently. If it is still too bitter, place the necklaces in a bowl of water for 2-3 hours, changing the water every hour. Caution: If the orange peels aren’t debittered enough, adding sugar won’t help them later. Sugar can’t neutralize the bitterness. Now remove the strings and squeeze the orange peels very lightly. Their shape may change, but they will return when cooked. Combine 1 kg of sugar and 625 ml of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then add the orange peels, bring back to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pot stand for 20-24 hours. Then boil for another 8-10 minutes. Just before the end of the cooking time, add the lemon juice. Let cool for 5 minutes, then fill into screw-top jars.