Sour Candied Citrus Peels (that Taste Like Sour Patch Kids!!

• total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

Bookmark the RECIPE below 👇

We’ve made these with just sugar in the past, but by adding a bit of citric acid to the mixture, they truly taste just like sour gummy candies! You can really use any kind of citrus you’d like.

Make sure to follow @crowded_kitchen for more homemade versions of your favorite store-bought snacks!

SOUR CANDIED CITRUS PEELS

8-9 citrus fruits (we used a mix of orange, lemon, grapefruit, blood orange and lime)

3 cups granulated sugar

2 1/4 cups water

For coating: 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp citric acid (or more depending on how sour you like them)

Cut off the top and bottom of each citrus. Score the peel vertically from top to bottom about 6-8 times, spacing the cuts apart equally. Remove the peels from the fruit, then use a paring knife to carefully remove as much of the white pith as possible.

You can also use a vegetable peeler, but we have found that these often end up being a bit too thin and they will not be uniform in size.

Cut the peels into 1/4-inch strips. Add all of the peels to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil for 3-4 minutes, then drain. Return the peels to the pot, cover with water and bring to a boil again. Drain immediately after boiling (this vastly reduces the bitterness of the peels).

Directions

Add sugar and water to the pot over medium-high and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer, then add in the citrus peels. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peels to a wire baking rack. Space them apart so they aren’t overlapping much and let dry for about 30 minutes.

Whisk together the sugar and citric acid. Taste and adjust citric acid as desired. Toss the peels until well coated and enjoy!