Candied Citrus Sweets
- Jun 29
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 1
Its citrus season and we are lucky enough to have friends with an epic pomelo tree which they gift to me and I gift them back with these delicious candied citrus sweets.
Turning these giant pomelos, or any citrus fruits into sweets is a really great way to preserve the harvest and satisfy your sweet cravings (almost guilt free) as these chewy candied citrus sweets are actually full of health benefits, and you get a lovely cordial as a bonus!
The rind of citrus hold complex nutritional layers which benefit us by eating them in whole form to get all the goodies they provide. They are bitter so infusing them with sugar “helps the medicine go down” as they say. I use unrefined organic sugar as it still contains all the beneficial properties of the sugar cane, of which there are many.
Citrus rinds are highly nutritious and good for skin health. They are rich in bioflavonoids including quercetin and hesperetin, as well as containing concentrated antioxidants, essential oils and pectin which aid in weight management, reduce cholesterol, soothe digestion, and are anti-inflammatory, immune boosting and support the liver, cardiovascular and lymph systems.
You can use any citrus to make these candies, but pomelo’s make the biggest best ones due to their huge pith which makes a better gummy texture. Homegrown, spray free or organic citrus are the best to use if possible. This recipe can be adapted to any amount of citrus you have by using the ratios of
water to sugar.
Pomelo, Citrus Maxima, literally the biggest citrus is a close relation to grapefruit. Pomelo's are either round or oval in shape and have a rind that ranges in colour from green to yellow with a textured rind. They have a thicker pith than most other varieties of citrus fruit. which lends itself perfectly to the candied citrus sweets.
Much like grapefruit, pomelo contains a compound called furanocoumarin, which can interfere with the way your body metabolizes certain medications. If you are taking statins or calcium channel blockers for high cholesterol or blood pressure, you should avoid eating pomelos
Candied Citrus Sweets Recipe
~New Recipe~
Vegan | Gluten-free
2kg Pomelo lemon, or alternative citrus fruit, rind and pith removed and diced into 2cm cubes (reserve the juicy part to add to the cordial)
Water to cover approximately 3L
Every 100ml water = 100g sugar
Extra sugar for coating 2-3 cups
Gather your ingredients. Top and tail the citrus to give yourself a flat base to work from and remove the pith with the rind in as big a pieces as you can, then cut each piece into cubes or thick slices. Place them into a large pot and just cover with water and a lid. Bring to the boil, remove the lid and simmer for 10 minutes, drain through a colander and put back into the pot, cover with water again and repeat. You may need to repeat this step a couple of times, depending on the citrus you use, the peel should be tender and translucent before you do the final cook with sugar.
On the last cook reserve the water and measure, every 100ml water = 100g sugar.
Place the soft peels, water and sugar back into the pot and bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, remove from the heat and cool in the syrup. Drain well and reserve the liquid.
Preheat the oven to 80°C. Put 1 cup of sugar into a bowl and dredge each piece of peel through the sugar and place the citrus pieces on a lined tray with gaps between each piece to ensure even drying. Cook for approximately 1 hour, the candies should be slightly chewy and no longer sticky. If in doubt cook for a further 10 minutes and leave to cool in the oven.
For the cordial:
Heat the sterilised jars in the oven at 150°C. Pour the reserved sweet cooking liquid into a pot. Squeeze the juice from the citrus and add to the pot, bring to the boil. Remove the jars from the oven and using a funnel pour the cordial into the jars and cap. You could add flavourings such as fresh ginger slices, kawakawa leaves or rosemary to the brew when heating.
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