9cupswater and juice from the oranges combined9 cups total
1poundquality chocolate
Instructions
Prepare ingredients
Soak oranges for 15 minutes in a pot of water that has had vinegar added to it in a 4:1 ratio (water to vinegar). This will help minimize spoilage by killing off bacteria and removing dirt
Rinse and cut oranges in half and juice the oranges. Strain the juice to remove pulp.
Measure the juice and pour into a saucepan, adding water for a total of 9 cupsAdd the sugar to the liquid
Remove all the fruit and membrane from the peel.Set the fruit aside to make marmeladeSlice the pieces of peel into strips
Bring the liquid to a boil and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve completely. Reduce the temperature to 180º
Add the the peels to the syrup and continue to cook at 180º F for 90 minutes
Do not cover it while it is cooking or it may boil over. Keep an eye on it, especially if your range does not permit specifying the absolute temperature of your element.
Cool the syrup.Pour the peels and syrup into jars and seal them with lids and rings to store for a few days while the syrup permeates the peels.
After a few days return to the saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook again for 90 minutes at 180º. Cool.Remove the peels with a slotted spoon, and dry them on either parchment paper or a clean cloth.
Dip peels
Melt chocolate at a temperature of 120º - 130º
Dip orange slices in melted chocolate, coating thoroughly
Cool the coated peels on a tray lined with tin foil or waxed paper
Variations
Reserve some of the peels and toss these in granulated sugar
Add some of the freshly peels to a mason jar and add brandy to this. Begin quality testing after two days.
Notes
If you were motivated to go the distance after extracting the peels from the brandy, you could shake sugar into the jar. Then let them sit for a week or two before dipping them in chocolate as well for a nice boozy chocolate covered orange peel.You will end up with:Approximately 1.5 - 2 lbs of dipped peels (including the weight of the chocolate) 3 cups of marmalade 7-8 cups syrup 20oz orange brandyNotes:A combination of sugared and chocolate covered peels makes a very nice gift package The same recipes may be made with either lemon, or lime To prepare the bottles, boil them in water for 10 minutes. To preserve the syrup, water bath can it at a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Keep the syrup refrigerated once opened. Use a high-quality chocolate bar, the type you don’t normally see in convenience stores.WARNING: Syrup easily can boil over and if it touches your skin, it will cause bad burns. Do not allow children to do this alone