Delicious Candied Orange Slices Made Easy

When you want to add an extra touch to a dessert, try candied orange slices for an added bit of sophistication.

Something that looks like it definitely needs a professional to make, is surprisingly easy to pull off.

Nice sweet oranges suspended in sugar making them brighter and sweeter for your pleasure.

What Are Candied Orange Slices?  

Today’s candied orange slices are a leftover from a time gone by.

Candying was a method used for fruit preservation to save it through the winter months.

This type of fruit preservation using sugar or honey is said to have originated in Arab culture.

By boiling, adding granulated sugar or honey, and then drying out the fruit, will  give it a longer life.

Sugar coated orange slices are also very pleasing to look at.

They will add a whole lot to the esthetic of a dessert making it even more desirable.

Nonetheless the same method can be used on the peel of the orange instead of discarding it. 

Often used to make fruitcakes, eaten as snacks, or used as garnishes for desserts, orange peel is very versatile.

How To Make Candied Orange Slices

Firstly bring to a boil a large pot of water over high heat.

Then add the orange slices, and boil the oranges for two minutes each side.

Thirdly remove the slices and set aside on a wire rack, then dispose of the water.

Bring two cups water with sugar to a boil, once the sugar has dissolved add the orange slices.

Simmer over a very low heat in the sugar water for 45 to 60 minutes.

The pith (inside white part of the orange peel) will begin to become translucent.

Take out the orange slices and place on a cooling rack to cool completely, letting sit for 24 hours.

Then either dip the slices in sugar or shake them in a plastic bag with granulated sugar.

However, they can be easily stored in the fridge for up to a month.

Which Type Of Oranges To Use

Luckily you can use all kinds of oranges when making candied orange peel or slices.

Valencia Oranges are large oranges with an easy to peel skin, they are best known for their sweet juice.

Honeybell Oranges are a combination of a grapefruit and tangerine, and well known for their sweet and sour flavor.

Cara Cara Oranges are very unique in their appearance, they have pink, orange and red shades, and are known for their complex flavor.

Navel Oranges are what many people will think of as the classic orange; nice juice and good flavor.

Navel oranges tend to have a thicker skin, with sweet and juicy characteristics.

Temple Oranges have thicker skins with a sweet and tart flavor orange juice.

All of these oranges will be good candidates for making candied orange slices.

Fun Facts About Oranges

First to appear in Southeast Asia, there are roughly 600 varieties of oranges in the world, yet only a small percentage are eaten.

Oranges are a hybrid, unknown in the wild, they are a combination of the pomelo and tangerine.

The word orange is derived from sanskrit for the words, orange tree.

The color Orange was coined after the orange color of the orange.

Marmalade is made from a bitter variety of orange, and the zest is used to flavor liqueurs.

Orange peel can be used as a slug repellent, and the flowers to make perfume, as well as to flavor food.

Italian and Moorish traders first brought the orange to Europe from the Middle East

Oranges are widely known to be packed with nutrition, vitamins, and immune system boosting properties.  

The fragrance of the white flower of the orange tree is impossible to forget, moreover it is so lovely.

Evergreen, the orange tree can be as tall as thirty feet, and a dwarf variety can be as small as a couple of feet when planted in a pot.

Brazil is the largest orange producer, and followed by China, the European Union, and the United States.

Oranges typically have ten segments inside their peel, with some easy to peel and some more difficult.

Tips For Making Candied Orange Slices

Try dipping half the orange slices in melted dark chocolate; this will give them an additional sweet and chocolaty taste.

Do pre boil the slices before boiling them in the sugar water to remove the bitter flavor of the pith.

Don’t cut too thin, otherwise the orange pulp can begin to disintegrate. 

Use a mandolin slicer to get uniform orange slices every time.

Where To Use Candied Orange Slices

Serve as candy snacks alongside candied lemon for a nice contrasting look and taste.

Use the candied oranges to decorate the top of an orange or chocolate cake.

Add them as beautiful and tasty garnishes to your alcoholic, and non alcoholic beverages.

Decorate cakes, pastries and cupcakes to give them additional appeal. 

What About The Simple Syrup

Don’t get rid of the sugar water that you used to boil the orange slices in.

What you have in that mixture is a simple syrup with an orange flavor which can be used to sweeten cocktails.

However, you can also use the simple syrup as a way to moisten pound cake, or to trickle over a dessert.

Try using the syrup on pancakes, waffles and crepes for an orangey, sweet, syrupy taste.