Linne Mixed Peel

Mixed peel is great in many recipes.  Particularly British Tea Biscuits.  They take a bit of work but add a citrus note to many things.  This is best done when you need the citrus for some other recipe and are going to be using it all.  For instance I made mixed peel last when I made my Mincemeat filling recipe last November for Christmas.  It calls for the zest and juice of 4 lemons and oranges.  Perfect time to turn the leftover rinds into mixed peel.

Ingredients
4 lemons
4 oranges

2 cups sugar

water

extra sugar for rolling

The rinds need to have the pulp and meat removed.  Use a large spoon to scrape along the interior of the rinds to pull away most of the pulpy material so that you've just got the rind and some pith.  Cut into 1/4 strips.  Place in a large pot and cover with water.  

Cook over high heat until boiling.  Let it boil 10 minutes and then drain it.  Repeat the process two more times.  This is to remove the bitterness.  You may think this is excessive or that the rinds will end up without flavor, but this isn't so.  Trust me they'll be delicious.

Once you've blanched the rinds for the 3rd time, drain them again and set the rinds aside.  Put 2 cups of water in the pot and 2 cups of sugar.  This is a basic simple syrup proportion.  Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.  Once hot and dissolved, place the rinds in the syrup, reduce the heat to low and simmer it for an hour or more, stirring every 5-10 minutes, until the syrup is cooking done to be very thick and there's very little actual liquid left.

Set the oven for 250° F.  Spread the goopey mixed peel mass out across on a drying grill lined with parchment paper.  Try to space them out evenly so that the oven is able to dry them out quickly. Place this over a large baking sheet to stabilize it.  Place the sheet with the peels in the oven and let it dry with the door to the oven cracked open 2 inches.  This process should take about 2 hours.  Once the rinds are no longer sticky-feeling, remove the sheet from the oven.  Let the rinds cool.  

In a separate large bowl, put a cup of white sugar and then dump the rinds into it.  Shake it around and separate the clumps of rind strips as best as possible.  Try to get them all separate and sugar coated.  This will help them last longer.

Store in a large quart-sized mason jar.