A few weeks ago, I happened to stumble upon a bag of Meyer lemons while poking around in one of my favourite fancypants gourmet stores in search of new and interesting ingredients. For a mere $5, a half-dozen of these fragrant little beauties were mine to take home.
Meyer lemons, if you're not familiar with them, are believed to be a cross-breed between mandarins and lemons. While they may look a lot like a regular lemon, they have the thinner, less bitter peels of a mandarin, and a light floral aroma that's equal parts lemon and mandarin.
These traits make them perfect candidates for marmalades, as well as for candied lemon peel... so that's precisely what I did with my little bag of Meyers. If you aren't lucky enough to find Meyers where you are, you can also adapt this recipe to use any kind of citrus fruit, but do take the time to scrape away as much of the bitter white pith as you can if you're using regular lemons, oranges or grapefuits.
Candied lemon peels are a very versatile ingredient. Chopped up, they can be stirred into baked goods or ice creams for a lemony flavour boost. For a pretty garnish, you can wrap whole strips around the handle of a wooden spoon to make lemon curls. Whole strips can also be dunked in chocolate for a delicious edible gift.
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Candied Meyer Lemon Peels
6 Meyer lemons
11 cups cold water, divided
2 ¼ cups sugar, divided
Cut lemons into thin slices. Discard the ends, then remove the pulp from remaining slices. (Pulp can be reserved to make a very tasty Meyer lemonade by extracting the juice and mixing with water and sugar to taste)
Place peel strips in a small saucepan and pour in 3 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then drain off the water. Repeat this step twice more, using fresh cold water each time.
After the strips have been boiled three times, remove from the saucepan and set aside. Combine remaining 2 cups water and 2 cups of sugar in saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add peel strips and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and transparent, about 15-20 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid if desired - it makes a lovely lemon-flavoured simple syrup which can be stirred into lemon cocktails or drizzled onto pound cake.
In a bowl, toss together peel strips with remaining ¼ cup sugar. Arrange on a wire rack and leave to cure overnight before packing up in an airtight container.
Nancy says
I made these yesterday from my Lemon Meyer tree that’s exploding with fruit right now. So yummy. What is the shelf life of these?
Mahalo from Hawaii ?
Isabelle Boucher says
I'm so jealous of your Meyer lemon tree, Nancy! It's much too cold to grow citrus here in Canada, so we're stuck paying an arm and a leg for Meyers over here.
In regards to your question, candied citrus peel will keep for several months, so long as it's stored in an airtight container away from light and moisture. I'd suggest planning to use it within 3-6 months for best results, as it will start to dry out after that point. I've heard some people freeze their candied peel if they want to keep it longer, but I've never had a problem using it all up before the 6-month mark, so I've never tried it for myself.
pTsaldari says
Loved your site and really enjoyed the candied lemon peels I love orange as well. Wonderful presentation making my visit all the more enjoyable. Shall return back soon for another bite of your foodie magic. Thank you for sharing, Cheers PT,
https://ptsaldari.posterous.com
Polka_Roo says
Thanks for all the wonderful comments, everyone!
Vegetable Matter: I'm sooooo jealous. What I'd give to be able to walk outside and pick my own citrus! Darn those cold Canadian winters. :(
Kitty: I love the idea of making preserved lemons with Meyers. I think I just might have to give it a try next time I manage to score a bag, because I loves me some preserved lemons.
Lo: Candied orange in granola? That sounds awesome! Hope you can manage to find a source for Meyers.. they're so worth it.
Errin says
I am suddenly feeling inspired...
Lo says
Ah, Meyer lemons! And candied citrus peels! So many great memories tied up in these. My mother always used to make candied orange peels around the holidays -- and they were just perfect chopped up and added to our morning granola. Now, if only I had a good source for those lemons...
Sortachef says
These look great! So much better than the candied grapefruit peel I once made with a friend. Thanks!
Kitty Morse says
My tree is weighed dow with ripe Meyer lemons. Now, I will try candying the fruit rather than preserving them in salt, Moroccan style!
Brie: Le Grand Fromage says
mmm, yummy. they also look really pretty. this is definitely on my to-do list!
Vegetable Matter says
I have a Meyer lemon tree that needs to be transplanted. It's been in a grower pot for months, and I've been too lazy to dig the big hole it requires. Now you're making me regret my sloth -- $5 for 6? Maybe that little tree could fund my retirement. Your lemon peel looks well worth it, though. I love the idea of dipping them in chocolate.