by Georgie Adamson

I learnt this idea from a dear, elderly, past resident of Bermagui who, when she had a freshly squeezed juice, would save her rinds and put them in the freezer, there to use when she made marmalade or candied peel.

The freezing seems to tenderise the peel. When required, put the halves in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer till tender. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, scrape out most of the pith and cut into whatever shape you require, strips, wedges or smaller pieces for marmalade.

If making marmalade, proceed as normal with equivalent amount of sugar to peel bringing the pan slowly up to heat to dissolve the sugar, then simmering to thicken.

For peel, make a syrup with equivalent amounts of sugar and water till sugar is dissolved. Simmer for a few minutes then place peel in the pan and continue to cook slowly until most of the liquid has reduced. Be careful at this stage to remove before it catches.

Remove and place on baking paper on a wire rack and allow to dry overnight. Sprinkle or toss in caster sugar if desired then put into sterilised jars for storage.

The preserved peel is a lovely addition to fruit cake, to decorate desserts and just to nibble on. For pure decadence you can also dip the larger pieces of peel in dark melted chocolate.

Tip: Use thick skinned peel and any sort of citrus fruit – orange, lemon, grapefruit.