Candied Oranges
Candied Oranges are an incredibly simple garnish to toss together with just water, sugar, and orange slices. You also end up with simple syrup at the end of this process that's perfect for drizzling over desserts or mixing into a cocktail with the same flavor profile.
Equipment
- Saucepan (or small pot)
- Stovetop
Ingredients
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 c. water
- 1 orange sliced
- 2 tbsp. orange juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Slice the oranges to 1/8th-inch thick, or as thinly as you can evenly cut them.
- Add the sugar, water, and orange juice to a saucepan. Stir constantly and bring to a simmer.
- After the sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup has begun to simmer, add the orange slices.
- Continue to simmer the orange slices for at least 15 minutes. Making sure to rotate at least once during the cooking process.You can simmer the oranges anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or more. I tend to simmer mine for about 30 minutes and use them as a garnish. Although you can simmer them for longer if you want more crystallization on the oranges. If you simmer them down for long enough, they'll become edible. I don't necessarily want to eat orange rinds and use these more as a garnish in most scenarios. This is possible, though! And, if you have enough patience, is a viable option.The sugar water leftover is also ostensibly how you make simple syrup. So, if you simmer the oranges for lesser amount of time or add more sugar and water to the mixture, the leftover syrup is great for drizzling over cakes or making cocktails with.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
- I only had 1 orange left after making Moroccan Orange Cake w/ Candied Oranges. I sliced up half of it and used the other half to squeeze for orange juice. Although you can easily scale this recipe up to use more oranges. You could probably fit a dozen or so orange slices in a standard-sized saucepan. Just add more sugar/water if it simmers down too quickly.