Jim and I are always happy when the mandarin oranges start coming into our local natural foods co-op. We buy a box at a time and feast on them. I hated to see the lovely (and organic) peels going to waste, so I started collecting them and candying them. After a while I got tired of that, so I ground up the peel finely with some brandy. I plan to let it sit for about a month, then strain it, sweeten it and have homemade orange cordial. Then I decided to can up some mandarin orange segments in a brandied syrup, so we could taste them later on when they’re no longer in season.
Notes for next year: the peels keep their color better if blanched quickly in boiling water, then “shocked” in cold water. (I think I got this idea out of the “Passion for Chocolate” book that Rose translated.)
First picture:
back left - box with some of the Satsuma mandarin oranges on top.
back right - peels soaking in cold water. I then cut away the white pith before candying.
middle, leftt - container of finished candied peel.
middle - jar of leftover syrup from candying and canning the segments. (I wasn’t sure how much to make for canning. As you can see, I ended up with way too much.)
slightly right of middle - one of the jars of canned mandarin segments.
middle, right - jar of ground-up peel in brandy
front - bowl of mandarin segments and plate of candied peel
Second picture:
closeup of candied peel and mandarin segments
) and discovered that Italians also make a similar drink from mandarin oranges, called “mandarino.” So I guess that is what I am making!
