I’m a chocolate girl. Everyone knows that. But seeing these candied lemons in cookbooks and on Pinterest got me craving for them. And they weren’t all that hard to make. Which is curious because they look so delicate and pretty that I always assumed that the process was difficult and complicated.
You simply cook the lemons in water and then in sugar syrup till they turn translucent. It takes over an hour from start to finish but at least you don’t stand over the stove the whole time. You just leave them simmering and let the sugar do all the work.
These are so pretty to look at, and strangely nice to eat. When used to garnish a cake or a pie, they offer a contrasting texture and a strong lemony kick to the palette.
And you don’t waste any part of the lemon this way. The rind becomes completely edible. And the lemon imparts a beautiful flavour to the syrup. So don’t throw it away. Bottle it up and use it to sweeten your tea. Or maybe use it to make a zingy citrus glaze.
I have plans for these beautiful hoops of sunshine! Keep an eye out for the next post. 😉
Storing the leftover sugar syrup: Add 1/2 cup water to the syrup and bring to a boil. This will dilute the sugars a bit. Transfer to a clean, dry glass bottle. Let it cool completely before covering. Store in a cool, dark place.
Candied Lemon Slices
- Prep Time:10m
- Cook Time:1h
- Total Time:1h 10m
- Serves: 8
- Yield: 8 slices
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- a small pot of boiling water
- 1 c sugar
- 1 c water
Instructions
- Wash and pat the lemon dry. Slice the lemon finely.
- Bring a small pan of water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat.
- Drop the lemon slices into the hot water and let it cook in the residual heat for about a minute.
- Then pick them out and plunge them into an ice bath.
- In the meantime, heat a medium saucepan. Add sugar and water to it and bring to a rolling boil,
- Add the cooled lemon slices and reduce heat to medium-low.
- Let it simmer (not boil) for 1 hour until the rind becomes translucent. Flip it every 20 minutes or so to let it cook evenly.
- Drain the slices and transfer onto a wire rack covered with parchment/wax paper.
- Let it cool. Use as needed.
Anonymous says
Does lemon rind taste bitter?
Tina Dawson says
No it doesn't. Cooking in sugar syrup, all the bitterness is lost, and it just ends up tasting intensely lemon-y and sweet. Not bitter at all. Plus, the leftover sugar syrup also becomes lemon flavoured.