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Oh, there is just something so magical about transforming simple fruit into these gorgeous, shimmering jewels, isn’t there? It feels like history preserved right on your counter! If you’ve ever wanted to master that perfectly glossy, totally chewy texture that looks professional but tastes like pure sunshine, then you’ve landed in exactly the right place. I’m sharing what I firmly believe is the definitive guide to making the very best candied orange slices.
This recipe definitely scratches that old itch for tradition. Just like my grandmother taught me that love goes into every batch of cake, I put that same slow, patient care into preserving citrus. Forget those overly complicated shortcuts; making homemade candied orange slices is surprisingly simple when you stick to the right process. I learned so much about simple, soulful cooking by digging through her recipe cards, which you can read more about on my About Me page! We’re going to take basic oranges, water, and sugar, and turn them into an elegant snack or the most stunning garnish you’ve ever seen. You ready to get glowing?
- Why This Recipe for Candied Orange Slices is Your New Favorite
- Selecting the Best Oranges for Candied Orange Slices
- Ingredients for Classic Candied Orange Slices
- Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Make Candied Oranges
- Finishing Touches for Your Candied Orange Slices
- Creative Uses for Your Sweet Citrus Candy Recipe
- Storage & Keeping Your Candied Orange Slices Fresh
- Frequently Asked Questions About Candied Orange Slices
- Share Your Homemade Edible Gifts
Why This Recipe for Candied Orange Slices is Your New Favorite
Honestly, this recipe is my go-to because it skips the fuss and goes straight for amazing texture. No one wants tough, bitter citrus! We get straight into making that perfect, chewy orange candy that’s chewy on the inside and perfectly glossy on the outside.
- They offer incredible texture contrast against frosted cakes.
- The process is straightforward—no fancy equipment needed!
- They are super versatile for snacking or creating truly glossy orange garnishes.
Achieving Translucent Orange Slices
The secret to that beautiful, jewel-like look is all in the simmering. We let those slices hang out in the gentle syrup for a good long while until the fruit fibers soak up all that sweetness. It’s what makes them tender instead of tough, giving you that professional, translucent finish.
Perfect for Bright Winter Desserts and Gifting
These aren’t just for snacking; they truly shine when the weather gets cold! They add a necessary pop of sunshine to heavier baked goods, making them ideal for bright winter desserts. Plus, they package up beautifully as thoughtful, homemade edible gifts when the holidays roll around.
Selecting the Best Oranges for Candied Orange Slices
When we talk about making the perfect sweet citrus candy, the orange type really matters! You want something sturdy that won’t fall apart while it’s swimming in hot syrup. Trust me, digging around to find the best oranges for candying saves so much time later.
I almost always grab Navel oranges because they have a thicker rind that handles the simmering process beautifully. Blood oranges are another favorite of mine—hello, gorgeous color! Before you slice them, give those oranges a really good scrub under warm water. You want all that zest and rind goodness, so make sure they are super clean before you start slicing them thinly!
Ingredients for Classic Candied Orange Slices
Okay, gather up your supplies! This recipe is wonderfully straightforward—we are relying on the power of sugar and time to do all the heavy lifting here. But because we are relying on a precise syrup to gently preserve the fruit, you need to be exact with these measurements. Don’t try eyeballing the sugar amount, or your candied orange slices might end up sticky instead of chewy!
Here is what you will need to get started. Make sure you have access to a good quality saucepan that can handle simmering; nothing too thin, please!
- 3 large oranges (Navel or Blood oranges work well)
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 cups water
That’s it! Three things! It’s the very definition of how using common pantry staples can create something truly spectacular, just like keeping those old family techniques alive. The ratio of water to sugar is key to making a syrup that’s strong enough to candy the fruit without it tasting overwhelmingly sweet.
Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Make Candied Oranges
Alright, let’s dive into the actual cooking! This is where the transformation happens. Don’t rush this part; the magic of these glorious, sweet citrus rounds comes from patience and heat management. If you want that perfectly glossy, totally chewy texture that looks professional but tastes like pure sunshine, then you’ve landed in exactly the right place. I’m sharing what I firmly believe is the definitive guide to making the very best candied orange slices.
This recipe definitely scratches that old itch for tradition. Just like my grandmother taught me that love goes into every batch of cake, I put that same slow, patient care into preserving citrus. Forget those overly complicated shortcuts; making homemade candied orange slices is surprisingly simple when you stick to the right process. I learned so much about simple, soulful cooking by digging through her recipe cards. We’re going to take basic oranges, water, and sugar, and turn them into an elegant snack or the most stunning garnish you’ve ever seen. You ready to get glowing? If you want more of my favorite baking projects, check out my main page for all my dessert recipes!
Preparing the Orange Rounds and Simple Syrup Fruit Candy
First things first: wash those oranges really well. Like, scrub the rind! Then, we slice them thin, about 1/8 of an inch thick. If you have a mandoline, use it for consistency, but honestly, a sharp knife works just fine. Pop out any pesky seeds you see. Next up is your base: the simple syrup fruit candy. In your saucepan, mix the 4 cups of water and 4 cups of sugar. Get it over medium-high heat and stir until every single crystal is dissolved. You shouldn’t feel any graininess on the bottom of the pan when you whisk it.
The Gentle Simmer for Translucent Orange Slices
Once that syrup is boiling, turn the heat down immediately. We want a low, happy simmer—not a roaring boil! Carefully slip your orange slices into that barely bubbling syrup. If you have a lot, do them in batches so they aren’t overlapping too much. Now, let them simmer, turning them very gently with tongs every ten minutes or so, for about 45 minutes to a full hour. You are looking for them to become soft and see-through—that’s how you know they are becoming translucent orange slices. If you notice the syrup thickening too much, just add a splash of water!
Drying the Candied Fruit Candy: Air Dry vs. Low Oven
Once they look perfectly glossy and tender, use those tongs to carefully lift them out and set them on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Now, this next step is crucial for getting that classic chewiness! You can let them air dry at room temperature for a full day, but if you’re impatient like me, pop that rack into your oven set to the absolute lowest temperature—I mean 200°F (95°C) max—with the door slightly ajar for 2 to 3 hours, checking every half hour. This keeps them from getting gooey forever. Sticking them in the oven like this is the best way to get that perfect, non-sticky texture for easy candied fruit!
Finishing Touches for Your Candied Orange Slices
We’ve done the hard work making those gorgeous, chewy slices! Now, we get to the fun part of customizing them. Once your slices have dried—remember, tacky but not wet!—you have a couple of options to elevate them from great to absolutely stunning. You can trade that plain rind for a lovely crunchy coat by rolling them gently in extra granulated sugar, creating perfect sugar coated orange rounds.
Or, for maximum holiday elegance, we go straight for chocolate! Dipping them makes them irresistible, especially when you’re looking to add them to a dessert platter or for a homemade edible gift.
How to Make Chocolate Dipped Orange Slices
Melting the chocolate requires care, just like managing that syrup simmer earlier. I love warming up dark chocolate slowly, either over a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave. Dip about half of each cooled slice into the melted chocolate. Lay them back on that same wire rack we used for drying so the excess can drip off properly. Don’t skip this final touch: sprinkle just a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt right on top of the wet chocolate. That salty contrast against the sweet, tangy orange? Oh, it is next level. If you love chocolate and fruit pairings, you’ll want to check out my recipe for Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls for another sweet fix!
Creative Uses for Your Sweet Citrus Candy Recipe
Now that you have these beautiful, glossy rounds, what do you even do with them? Honestly, I find myself eating half the batch before I even get them decorated! They are fantastic straight out of the jar as a tangy sweet fruit snack, but their true calling is elevating homemade goodness.
These are incredible as an elegant dessert garnish. Imagine topping a simple vanilla cake or cheesecake with a few layers of these citrus jewels—instant fancy! They work wonderfully as edible orange decorations. Forget relying on store-bought ingredients; making these yourself puts you leagues ahead of any simple assembly required by something like a preset meal planning service.
They are perfect sliced up and sprinkled over yogurt bowls, or you can use them as a fabulous citrus dessert topping for panna cotta. And please, please package them up! They make the absolute best little addition to homemade edible gifts, especially wrapped up with some nice ribbon during the holidays. For more delicious snack ideas, take a peek at my collection of appetizers and snacks!
Storage & Keeping Your Candied Orange Slices Fresh
Phew! You’ve made it through the simmering and the drying—don’t let all that hard work go to waste by storing them wrong! Luckily, because we simmered these slices in all that sugar, they are naturally preserved, which is just one more amazing historical trick our kitchens have given us.
The key here is ensuring they are fully dry before you put them away. If you seal them up when they are still tacky in the middle, all that trapped moisture will cause them to stick together into one giant, glorious clump of citrus—and we definitely don’t want that!
Once you are 100% sure they are dry (either air-dried for a day or baked off nicely), transfer them immediately into a clean, completely airtight container once they have cooled to room temperature. I usually layer them between sheets of parchment paper just to be safe, especially if I made a big batch!
If you stored them correctly, these sweet, tangy bites will stay perfect at room temperature for about two weeks. Seriously, they taste best within the first week, but I’ve kept them around for longer when they are sealed properly. No need to put them in the fridge; they actually get a little weird and soft in the cold! Just keep that container tucked away in a cool, dark pantry, and they’ll be ready whenever you need an elegant garnish!
Frequently Asked Questions About Candied Orange Slices
I get so many questions whenever I post these beauties online! It’s true that candying fruit can feel a little intimidating, but I promise, once you nail the technique, you’ll be turning out perfect rounds every time. Here are the ones I hear most often about making these sweet treasures:
Why are my candied orange slices bitter?
Oh, bitterness, the enemy of good candy! Nine times out of ten, bitterness comes from the white pith of the orange peel. If your slices are still biting back with a strong bitter flavor, it usually means they didn’t simmer long enough for the sugar syrup to fully penetrate and mellow out the pith. Try simmering them for a full hour next time. Or, if you haven’t already, try my trick: blanch those slices first! You just drop them into boiling water for about five minutes, drain them, and then start the syrup process. That quick dunk washes away the most aggressive bitter oils, and you’ll end up with much sweeter candied orange slices that taste purely sunny.
Can I use other citrus fruits to make candied fruit candy?
Absolutely, yes! This method is fantastic for pretty much any citrus you have on hand. I encourage you to experiment! Lemons, limes, even grapefruit slices—they all work wonderfully to create different flavorful fruit candy ideas. Just remember that thicker skins, like grapefruit, will need a slightly longer simmer time to get really tender and translucent compared to thinner-skinned fruit. Limes can sometimes turn out a bit more tart, so you might need an extra 15 minutes of simmer time to get them perfectly sweet for that chewy candy texture.
How long does it take to make candied orange slices?
That’s the million-dollar question! If you are thinking about the total time commitment, you need to factor in the drying, which takes the longest. Prep work (washing and slicing) is super fast, maybe 15 minutes tops. The simmering part takes about an hour. But then, they need to dry! If you let them air dry, that’s 12 to 24 hours. If you use my low-oven trick, you can speed that up to about 2 or 3 hours, plus cooling time. So truthfully, while the active cooking time is short, plan for the whole process to take about 15 hours minimum if you let them air dry completely—but they are SO worth the wait! If you have questions about the process, certainly don’t hesitate to reach out through my contact page!
Share Your Homemade Edible Gifts
And that, my friends, is the whole process! From simple, bright oranges to these stunning, glossy, edible decorations—you’ve done it! I sincerely hope you give this recipe a try, especially as we head toward the holiday season when these make the most thoughtful of homemade edible gifts. Imagine packaging these up with a simple ribbon!
I truly want to see what you create. Did you keep yours plain and beautiful? Or did you bite the bullet and make those incredible chocolate dipped orange slices I keep raving about? Please, leave me a comment letting me know how they turned out once they finished drying. A quick rating helps other cooks know this recipe is reliable too!
If you share photos on social media, tag me! Seeing your beautiful candied orange slices decorating your homemade desserts or sitting pretty on your holiday platters just makes my whole day. If you want to check out my posting schedule or privacy details, you can find that information here: Privacy Policy. Now go forth and make something beautiful!
PrintClassic Homemade Candied Orange Slices
Make glossy, chewy candied orange slices by simmering fresh orange rounds in a simple sugar syrup. These are perfect for garnishing desserts, dipping in chocolate, or giving as homemade gifts.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 min
- Total Time: 2 hours 35 min
- Yield: About 30 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Simmering and Drying
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3 large oranges (Navel or Blood oranges work well)
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Wash the oranges well. Slice them thinly, about 1/8 inch thick. Remove any seeds.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. This creates your simple syrup.
- Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Add the orange slices to the syrup in a single layer if possible; work in batches if needed.
- Simmer the orange slices gently for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning them occasionally. The slices should become translucent and tender.
- Carefully remove the slices from the syrup using tongs and place them on a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Let them drip for a few minutes.
- Dry the slices. You can air dry them at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours until they feel tacky but not wet. For faster drying, place the rack in an oven set to its lowest temperature (around 200°F or 95°C) with the door slightly ajar for 2 to 3 hours, checking frequently.
- Once dry, you can optionally roll the slices in granulated sugar or coarse sanding sugar for extra texture.
- If dipping in chocolate, melt dark or milk chocolate. Dip half of each cooled slice and place it back on the wire rack until the chocolate sets. A sprinkle of flaky salt on the chocolate adds contrast.
Notes
- For a tangier flavor, you can blanch the orange slices in boiling water for 5 minutes before starting the syrup process. Discard the blanching water.
- Navel or blood oranges are best because they hold their shape well during simmering.
- These slices are excellent for decorating cakes or serving alongside cheese boards. They are a great alternative to ordering from meal delivery companies when you want a special homemade treat.
- Store finished slices in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 1mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg