Candied Citrus Peels -- Lemon and Orange

The candied peel shown above is American made. As you can see, it has not been dyed with strange colors like the red and green we find in Christmas fruitcake mix. Instead, the colors are the natural colors of lemons and oranges. The natural colors make candied peel a better choice for year-round baking when you don't want vivid red and green. 

Barry Farms peel is in small, irregular pieces, so it is best for using inside baked goods like biscotti, panettone, and fruitcake. For garnish, use the more attractives strips shown below.

Besides use in fruitcakes and baked goods, candied lemon and orange peel is a wonderful, edible garnish for desserts and dishes. 

Imported candied peels are usually more expensive, but have fewer chemicals and do not use high fructose corn syrup. For example, the ingredients in the lemon peel linked above are Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Sorbate Potassium, Traces of Sulphur Dioxide, and Citric Acid.

Buying candied lemon or orange peel in bulk will make the unit price cheaper, so consider buying a few pounds at a time.

Another plus to these imported peels is the shape. Mostly uniform strips make for an attractive presentation if you want to serve them as a garnish or to eat plain. Candied peels dipped in chocolate are a fancy treat as well, and you will need neat strips for dipping.