Oranges are a year-round staple in most grocery stores and are an especially popular winter fruit due to their availability and high vitamin C. While they may have travelled some distance to get to you, they have a relatively low water footprint (460L of water/1kg of fruit) compared to other fruits (such as apples at 700L water/1kg, bananas at 860L water/1kg, or mangoes at 1600L water/1kg).
You can make the most of this fruit by putting all parts of it to use! Use up the chocolate you have on hand to make these candied chocolate-dipped orange peels – a delicious and festive winter treat that also happens to reduce food waste.
Ingredients:
-3 large navel oranges
-1 ½ cups sugar
-Water
-Salt
-3 oz dark chocolate
Directions:
Step 1.
Wash the oranges well. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel in long slices. Some of the white pith is fine, but you don’t want to have too much of it.
Step 2.
Place the orange peel slices in a saucepan with 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 3.
Drain the orange peels and set aside (discard the water). In the same pot, bring 1 ½ cups of water and 1 ½ cups of sugar to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add the orange peel and simmer, uncovered, for ~20 minutes. The peel should be slightly translucent but not completely see-through or mushy.
Step 4.
Carefully remove the peel from the syrup and set on a cooling rack to cool and dry.
Step 5.
Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (be careful not to let the bowl touch the water). Once melted, carefully dip each candied orange peel into the chocolate, and place on a baking sheet to set.
Step 6.
Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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