Homemade candied blood orange slices! These delicious, deceptively easy candies make the perfect homemade gift for Easter, to top your desserts or eat on their own.
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I love blood oranges. I was first introduced to them when I visited France back in 2011.
Just about every neighborhood in the city offers a weekly or bi-weekly farmer’s market, and open-air vegetable and fruit stands can be found on most streets. I snapped this photo at fruit stand near to Rue de la Sorbonne
Blood oranges are in season right now, and I’ve anxiously waiting their appearance in the stores. Today, I got lucky. I found them at Trader Joe’s during my weekly jaunt to the grocery store. I picked up two bags (although I’m thinking to go back to the store tomorrow and get a few more bags).
I love making juice with them, because of their distinct color and flavor. But I also, like to eat them on their own, in salads and in cooking/baking.
If you like blood oranges as much as I do, you might want to try making them into their candied version. Candying fruits has been around since the 16th century as a method to preserve fruit for storage through the winter. Seasonal fruits such as oranges, apricots, cherries and lemons were candied in honey, and later, with sugar after the Crusaders returned to Europe from the Middle East bearing what is now a kitchen staple.
I candied these very similar to my Candied Orange Peel except I left the fruit whole and cut crosswise. If you want to eat the fruit or juice, just leave the peel it would work as well…but that would be Candied Blood Orange Peels.
I used a ratio of 2:1 (water to sugar), you can always use more or less of either depending on your personal taste.
As the blood orange slices simmered away on the stove, they became increasingly translucent and a lovely fragrance filled the kitchen.
Turning off the heat, I pulled the slices out of the syrup and set them on drying racks for about 24 hours. Then I dipped some of them in more cane sugar and left some of them alone.
Candied Blood Orange Slices
Cook Time approximately 45 minutes
Total Time including drying approximately 25 hours.
Ingredients:
2-3 blood oranges, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick (or substitute regular oranges)
1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar + more for dipping
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the blood orange slices. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until the syrup is thick and the slices are tender but still intact, turning occasionally, about 40 minutes.
Transfer the orange slices to a rack to cool and let air dry, about 24 hours. Reserve the syrup for another use.
Once slices are dried, dip in more cane sugar or leave alone.
Eat as they are as candy or top on your favorite desserts.
MAKE AHEAD
The candied orange slices can be stored in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.
