Candied Orange Peel

Trim the tops and bottoms of the oranges. Then use a vegetables peeler to peel the oranges from top to bottom, into 2-4 inch segments. Press the peeler firmly against the orange to collect a nice even layer of peel. Be careful to trim off just the peel, not the white bitter pith. Then cut the wide strips into ¼ inch thin strips.

Place the orange peel segments into a medium pot. Add the water, 1 cup of sugar, and the salt over med high heat. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the peels look soft, but still retain their vibrant color, around 20 min. (You don’t want them to turn brown, so set the stove just hot enough to hold the simmer.)

Meanwhile, place the remaining ½ cup sugar in a bowl and set aside. Set out a drying rack and place a piece of wax paper or parchment paper under it.

Once the orange peels have simmered 20 minutes, stir in the vanilla extract. Turn off the heat and let the peels rest in the sugar syrup for another 5-10 minutes.Use tongs to move the orange peels to the cooling rack. Allow the orange peels to rest at least 15 minutes to dry and cool. Then toss them in the sugar to coat. Let the peels dry completely at room temperature.

Store in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.These are great as a snack or on a dessert as a garnish.