Christmas is the feast commemorating the birth of Christ. It is fixed in the liturgical year as December 25th and is preceded by four week of fasting called Advent.Candied Orange and Lemon Peel
- 8 navel oranges (about 4½ lbs.) or 14 lemons (about 4½ lbs.)
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
Using a paring knife, quarter the fruit lengthwise, cutting through the peel only. Remove each quarter of peel from the fruit. Save the flesh of the fruit for another use. Place the peels in a 4 to 6 quart pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and allow cooling. Using a tablespoon, carefully dig out most of the white pith on the peels and discard. Julienne the peels lengthwise into ¼ inch strips and set aside.
Return the pot to the burner and add 2 cups of the sugar and the 1 cup water. Heat to dissolve the sugar. Add the julienned peel and simmer gently, covered, 45 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove the peel to drain on a fine mesh cooling rack with a pan underneath. Spread the peel out so it will drain evenly. Allow to cool and dry out for 1 hour. Place the drained dry peel in a large bowl and toss with the remaining 2 cups of sugar until evenly coated. Sift the excess sugar through your hands. Place the sugar-coated peel on a baking sheet and allow to dry overnight. Store in canning jars up to 2 weeks.
