It's giveaway time peeps.

I spent last night making candied orange peels. I'd seen it on a few blogs and decided to try it out. I got the recipe from here and decided to photo document the process.

1. Blanching the peels... you have to cut them into little slices and remove as much of the pith as possible before blanching. The pith removal is super important.

2. Then I had to boil them in an obscene amount of sugar until they started to look translucent. It took quite a while, over an hour.

Before and after...

The orange peels photographed really well and I got a bit picture crazy, ha.

3. After the peels cooled in the syrup I laid them all out to dry on a cookie rack with waxed paper underneath. It was my favorite part for sure because there were a million little peels and I had to take them out with a fork one at a time and line them up.

They looked like weird little minnows all slippery orange and lined up.

4. I let them dry for a while and then sugared them which also took forever.

I liked the sugaring.

After I finished with the peels the waxed paper was covered in glistening syrupy drops which begged another photo.

I told Nathan on the phone after I'd finished what I'd spent my night doing and he said it was a super weird thing to have done with my night. I didn't think it was that weird but there you go. I did realize a bit later that I'm not a big gummy candy fan so it was a strange thing to make for myself. They taste good and I was pleased with how they turned out but I don't really want to eat a ton, I'm more of a chocolate gal myself. Ooh, maybe I should chocolate dip them, mmm, diabetes, bad idea. Anyways on that note I've decided to give some away.

I packaged 4 little bags today and will send them off to the lucky four names I will draw at the end of this weekend.

Cool? Comment away.

Comments

[joel]

first! i love these!

ps if you draw my name i can give you your gum...

[elijah]

I would like a piece. Thank you.

[michelle]

Definitely the weirdest free giveaway that you've (or anyone else for that matter) ever done.

But I should expect this from the person who sent me a care package with a bunch of regular circle bandaids labelled "fOr yOuR cOrNs."

[lisa]

you are adorable. this is such a perfect thing to spend your evening doing. fabulous.

[Becky]

Please please please pick me. I'm your sister and I've never won anything from you....except the huge 4x4 painting hanging in my living room which you gave to me and I might never have paid for. So...pick me!

[Ryan]

I would like to be included in the draw.... Also could you please describe the taste?

[beth]

i have always wanted to candy orange peels. or lemon slices.

[Amelia]

those look incredible.

[mom]

Could you bring me a couple/few to taste when you come this week? I think I would love them because I so love orange marmalade.

[Caro]

awesome!!!