Recipe: Candied citrus peel is an old-fashioned favorite
Candied citrus peel is the original sweet and sour treat. Easy to make, this old-fashioned candy uses what normally would be discarded – the outer peel of oranges, lemons or grapefruit.
“To me, (it’s) the perfect way to end a large meal,” says cookbook author Mark Bittman, the former New York Times food columnist.
Choose thick-skinned varieties of citrus such as navel or Valencia oranges, Eureka or Meyer lemons or grapefruit (especially pink or Cocktail grapefruit). Cara Cara oranges work, too.
The peel is simmered in water to soften the bitter white pith and make it easy to scrape off. Then, the peel is cut into long strips and simmered in syrup. After absorbing the syrup, the peel strips are rolled in sugar, then dried. Covered with sweetness, the peel hardens as it dries.
Grapefruit needs a little extra work. Boil it three times, changing the water each time, to remove any bitterness.
As for sugar, try rolling the peel pieces in demerara sugar. The large granules add crunch along with the sweet-sour flavor.
Candied citrus peel
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Garden Checklist for week of May 5
Survey your garden after the May 4 rainstorm. Heavy rain and gusty winds can break the neck of large flowers such as roses. Also:
* Keep an eye on new transplants or seedlings; they could take a pounding from the rain.
* Watch out for powdery mildew. Warmth following moist conditions can cause this fungal disease to “bloom,” too. If you see a leaf that looks like it’s dusted with powdered sugar, snip it off.
* After the storm, start setting out tomato transplants, but wait on the peppers and eggplants (they want warmer nights). Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, radishes and squash.
* Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias. Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.
* Don’t wait; plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.