Candied Lemon Slices

Welcome to February. It's bitterly cold out there, with the heavy winds whipping at my skirt and nylon-clad legs. Brrrr. I'm waiting for the days of sunshine, when I'll be whining about sweat and heat and stale air. Whining doesn't get me much of anywhere, so I decided to do the springiest thing possible - play with lemons. Like many a food blogger out there, I'm a lemon fanatic. I love the smell, the taste, the bite of the zest, the juice splashed into fresh salsa. It's a food that's in everything, but not as often put on display as the star.

I had a bunch of lemons that were calling my name, hoping to inject some cheer into the blusteriness of my every day. Something sweet, and a little tangy. Something versatile, that could be put in a cake, a topping for ice cream, or a base for an exotic drink.

Candied lemons. The whole thing, not just the peels. I didn't want to lose any of this brightness, I wanted the whole cheer. And I got it, with these beautiful jars of candied lemons.

Take that, February.

Last Year: Gluten Free Graham Crackers (and some S'mores)

Two Years Ago: Shortbread Cookie giveaway

Candied Lemon Slices
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
[Printer Friendly]


5 lemons
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice


Using a sharp knife, cut a slice off the top and bottom of each lemon. Cut the whole fruit, rind and all, into rounds as thick or thin as you please. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in the slices of fruit. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain the peel in a colander and rinse under cold water. Refill the pot and repeat the boiling, draining and cooling twice more. This step is important, since it helps remove the bitterness from the peels before they are candied.

Rinse out the pot and pour in the 4 cups water. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Return the slices to the pot, cover and reduce the heat so that the syrup simmers gently. Stirring now and then, cook the peel for up to 1 1/2 hours, until they are soft and completely candied. Remove the pot from the heat and let the slices sit in the syrup at room temperature overnight.


The next day, spoon the fruit and syrup into a jar with a tight-fitting lid; refrigerate.