Fragrant Homemade Lemon Peel (Lemon Confit)
Fragrant Homemade Lemon Peel (Lemon Confit)
How to Make Fragrant Homemade Lemon Peel: Perfect for Baking, Plus Lemon Juice Storage Tips!
Create your own fragrant lemon peel, perfect for enhancing your baking! The finished lemon peel turns into a delightful lemon confit, boasting a chewy texture and an intensely rich lemon aroma with every bite. While I made this for baking purposes, I haven’t found the perfect recipe to use it in yet! I’ll share how to utilize leftover lemon peels after juicing, along with essential tips for keeping your lemon juice fresh for longer. Let’s make this 3-day lemon confit, brimming with wonderful lemon fragrance!
Main Ingredients- 3 Lemons (including peel)
- 185g Water
- 185g Sugar
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, thoroughly cleaning the lemons is crucial since we’ll be using the peel. Wash the lemons meticulously with baking soda. Then, blanch them in boiling water for about 10 seconds while rolling them around. This step helps remove the waxy coating. Rinse them under cold water, and then scrub them once more with salt for a safe and clean preparation.
Step 2
This recipe begins with utilizing the peels leftover after juicing the lemons. After squeezing the juice using a juicer or by hand, separate the peels.
Step 3
Strain the squeezed lemon juice through a fine-mesh sieve. This process removes any pulp or seeds, leaving you with clear lemon juice.
Step 4
This cleanly strained fresh lemon juice is then…
Step 5
Poured into a standard cube-shaped ice tray in appropriate portions to freeze. This method makes it convenient to portion and use the lemon juice.
Step 6
Once the lemon juice is completely frozen, carefully remove the cubes from the tray and store them in an airtight container in the freezer. This way, you can take out the amount you need whenever required, making it incredibly convenient and preserving the freshness of the lemon juice for an extended period. I’ve been using lemon juice stored this way since last spring, and it’s been wonderfully handy!
Step 7
Now, let’s work with the peels leftover from juicing. Cut the lemon peels into four sections,
Step 8
and remove the white pith (albedo) from the inside of the peel. This part can be bitter, so it’s best to remove it as cleanly as possible.
Step 9
Using a knife, carefully ‘fillet’ the peel, separating the yellow outer zest from the white pith. The thinner you separate them, the softer the final texture will be.
Step 10
These separated yellow lemon zests are then…
Step 11
Finely julienned using a knife or mandoline. The key is to slice them very thinly, similar to how you would julienne scallions. The weight of the julienned peels was approximately 63g.
Step 12
Now, let’s make the syrup. In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water, and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. The ratio is enough water to cover the julienned lemon peels, with an equal weight of sugar.
Step 13
Once the sugar syrup is boiling vigorously, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. When the syrup has cooled a bit, add the prepared julienned lemon peels to the saucepan, ensuring they are fully submerged in the syrup.
Step 14
After submerging the peels in the syrup, let them macerate for 24 hours. This process allows the lemon peels to absorb a subtle sweetness and aroma.
Step 15
After 24 hours, drain the lemon peels using a sieve, reserving the lemon syrup separately.
Step 16
Pour the reserved lemon syrup back into the saucepan and bring it to a vigorous boil again to thicken the syrup. Re-boiling the syrup concentrates its flavor and deepens its richness.
Step 17
Pour the thickened syrup back over the drained lemon peels. This step allows the lemon peels to absorb the syrup’s flavor and aroma even more deeply. Let them steep again for another 24 hours.
Step 18
A total of 48 hours have passed! Drain the lemon peels using a sieve once more, reserving the syrup. Now, it’s time for the final syrup boiling step.
Step 19
Pour the reserved syrup into the saucepan and bring it to a vigorous boil again to achieve the desired consistency. This third boiling of the syrup will impart an even deeper flavor.
Step 20
Finally, pour the boiled syrup over the drained lemon peels and mix them together. Let this mixture steep for another 24 hours to complete all the steps. This recipe requires a total of 72 hours of waiting.
Step 21
This is the state of the lemon peels after all the steeping processes are complete on the 72nd hour.
Step 22
Lastly, combine the lemon peels and syrup in the saucepan and gently simmer them together for a short while. This final heating step helps with preservation and allows the ingredients to meld together beautifully.
Step 23
Transfer the finished lemon peel (lemon confit) and syrup into a clean, sterilized glass jar. Your delicious homemade lemon peel is now ready!
Step 24
Store the finished lemon peel in a sealed jar in the refrigerator. It will stay fragrant for a long time and is perfect for use in baking and desserts!
