Candied Grapefruit Zest

🧂 Ingredients

• 3 large grapefruits
• 4 cups (800 g) granulated sugar

  divided
• cold water
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Instructions

• 1 Slice the grapefruit navel-to-navel into four equal segments. Using a sharp
  knife and spoon, remove the fruit, so that you are left with the peel only.
  Working with one segment at a time and using a spoon, scrape the inside of the
  peel repeatedly (and aggressively) to remove as much of the white pith as
  possible. This will help remove most of the bitterness.
• 2 Once you have removed the pith, slice the zest into ¼-inch thick strips. Don’t
  worry if you have some pieces that are longer or shorter than others. Repeat
  until you have trimmed all of the grapefruit segments.
• 3 Place the zest strips in a large saucepan and cover with 4 cups (1 quart) of
  cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the zest in a
  fine-meshed sieve, and run until cold water. Repeat this entire process two
  additional times. This helps remove the oils and natural bitterness.
• 4 Set out two half sheet pans and sprinkle each pan with 1 cup (200 g) of
  granulated sugar. Set aside. Combine the remaining 2 cups (400 g) granulated
  ugar and 1 cup (240 mL) water in the saucepan and add the corn syrup. Boil the
  mixture for 3 to 4 minutes.
• 5 Continue to simmer the syrup, add the zest, and cook, stirring frequently, until
  a candy thermometer reaches 230°F (110°C). At this point, the zest should look
  fairly translucent and shiny, similar to a gummy bear in appearance.
• 6 Transfer the zest to the sugar-dusted pans with a fork, draining as much of the
  syrup as possible, and spread the pieces out. Toss the zest with the sugar to
  coat well, separating the strips. Allow them to cool completely.
• 7 Transfer zest to cooling rack, place a sheet of wax underneath to catch any
  sugar mess, and allow the zest to dry overnight. This may take slightly longer,
  depending on the humidity of your kitchen. Store candied zest in a covered
  container, place in layers separated by wax paper, for up to 1 month.

Nutrition Info