Candied citrus peel

Candied citrus peel is made from the rind of oranges, lemons, grapefruit or citron. A recipe from David Tanis's One Good Dish shows the first step: the rinds are emptied of pulp, covered with cold water and simmered until firm-tender, which softens them and takes away bitterness.

The softened peel is then cooked slowly in sugar syrup until translucent, drained and often rolled in sugar to dry. The sugar acts as a preservative and gives a chewy, glossy sweet-tart result.

Bakers chop it into panettone, fruitcake, scones and hot cross buns, or dip strips in chocolate as a confection. It should be dried well and stored airtight.