Orenji piiru / candied orange peel

Far less sweet than store-bought candied orange peel but still sweet enough to use with cookies and cakes, which usually are already loaded with sugar. 

<Ingredients>

3 oranges

For syrup
160 g sugar
160-180 cc water
1 tbsp brandy (optional; intensifies orange peel color)

1/2 tbsp sugar (to sprinkle on finished peel; not in photo)


<Directions>
1.

Make several top-to-bottom (or bottom-to-top) cuts on orange skin, and peel.

2.

In a pot, place orange peel with enough water to cover, and bring to boil.

Put a somewhat heavy cover or plate to weigh down peel, as it tends to float.

Boil on medium low for 10-15 minutes.

Drain.

Put water to cover peel, and boil another 10-15 minutes.

Drain. 

3.

Remove as much of the white part of peel as possible with fish-bone tweezers.

Slice peel into desired width.

4.

In a pot, put water, sugar and brandy, and heat while stirring to dissolve sugar.

5.

Once sugar is dissolved, add peel. 

Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low or low, and simmer until peel turns a vivid orange, 15-20 minutes.

6.

Remove from syrup, and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper; let dry 1-2 days.

7.

Sprinkle sugar over peel.

Keep refrigerated, or freeze in small individual packs if not using soon.

<Notes>

• This is for baking use. For such desserts as orangettes (chocolate-coated orange peel), leaving some white part of the peel and using much more sugar in the syrup and final coating is recommended.
• The volume of sugar and water for syrup is the same as the total weight of orange peel after white part is removed. You can use slightly more water to ensure orange peel covered while simmering (at least at the beginning).
• If making with one orange, use half the volume of syrup in this recipe.