PORTLAND, Maine — Chef and cookbook author Vanessa Seder stopped by the 207 studios recently to talk about this sweet but tart candy treat that can be made at home with just a few simple ingredients. Here's the recipe in her own words.
One of my favorite late-fall, pre-holiday activities is putting together homemade food gift boxes for people. And when I do, more often than not, I include this vegan, gelatin-free, sour grapefruit candy.
It's an old standby that delivers a bracing hit of citrus, acid, and just the slightest undertone of bitterness—a welcome counterpoint, in my view, to the usual buttery cookies and rich-tasting sweets.
I used to think of this recipe as "gummies for grown-ups," but I've observed that many kids like it as well, especially those partial to Sour Patch Kids.
This recipe uses citric acid to give it its pop of zingy sourness. You can find citric acid at specialty markets or online.
I've sized this recipe for quite a large amount, based on the assumption that you'll be eating some and sharing/gifting the rest. If you aren't a sharer, you can always halve the amount, of course, but keep in mind these prevent scurvy. Perhaps it's wisest to make the full amount—just in case.
Sour Grapefruit-Peel Candy
Recipe yields approximately 4 cups.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds grapefruit (about 2 large), washed well and stem end removed
- 3 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons citric acid granules
Instructions
Line a standard-sized baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper and set aside.
Score the outside of the grapefruits with a knife, making two intersecting, skin-deep circles around each. Remove the four large wedge-shaped peels that result, working around each grapefruit carefully with your fingers and leaving the pith attached. Save the flesh for another use.
Cut the large pieces of peel into half-inch cubes. You should have about 4 1/4 cups of cubes.
Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water and add the grapefruit peel cubes. They should be floating. Bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to boil until the peels sink to the bottom, about 16 minutes total.
Drain the cubes and run under cold water, then drain again.
Transfer the grapefruit peel to a large dishcloth. Fold the cloth around the peel and bring it to the sink to wring out as much water as possible. This will help take away some of the bitterness from the pith.
In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, corn syrup, and 1 cup water and stir well to combine. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush away any sugar crystals that have formed around the inside edge of the saucepan.
Place the saucepan on the stovetop and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil until the sugar crystals have melted, about six minutes.
Carefully add in the grapefruit and stir to coat in the syrup. Continue to cook, stirring a few times, until the syrup is entirely reduced and the grapefruit peel appears translucent, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the grapefruit peel to the prepared baking sheet. Allow the grapefruit peel to cool completely and form a slight bit of a shell, about four hours.
Combine the remaining sugar and the citric acid in a medium bowl. Peel the grapefruit off the silicon mat or parchment paper (it will be a bit sticky) and toss well in the sugar mixture.
Spread the candy out on the second parchment-lined baking sheet, and let it sit out at room temperature until the sugar on the outside sets and becomes a bit more crunchy but the inside is still soft and juicy. This takes few hours or can be left overnight.
Store in an airtight container in a dry area for up to two months.