Candied Lemon Slices
Candied fruit always struck me as such an old-timey candy that I had actually never eaten any. Since many candies now elicit the “ugh, too sweet!” reaction from me, I decided to give it a shot. All you need is a lemon or two, sugar and water, right?
Okay, that’s not entirely true. You also need a really sharp knife and a heavy-bottomed skillet. A dull knife will avoid your lemon pits, instead of slicing through them, which means your slices will come out all funky. And since half the appeal (to me) of candied lemon slices is how pretty they look, it would be a crying shame to have them look all messy. Sharpen that knife first! Your slices should be the same thickness all the way through, and thin enough that they are nearly translucent. Too thin slices will lose their structural integrity during the candying process, though, so strike a balance.
A thin-bottomed pan (like the one I was using) will make the sugar over the burner boil and bubble, while the sugar at the edges of the pan is too cool to candy. I got around it by shifting my slices every few minutes, but this recipe would have required almost no oversight with a properly heavy pan.
So, how much oversight did it take? I made these while talking on the phone with Jane, so… still almost none. They were dead easy to make, and they are a pleasingly tart, slightly bitter after dinner sweet. Give them a shot! Sometimes, those old-timey folks have a few tricks up their sleeve garters.
Candied Lemon Slices (from Martha Stewart Living)
- 1 lemon (I used a Meyer lemon)
- 2 cups of sugar
- water
- ice
Prepare an ice bath, while setting a pot of water on to boil. Slice your lemon into thin, nearly translucent slices, removing seeds as you go.
When the water has boiled, turn off the heat and dump in your slices. Stir for about a minute, until the slices are soft. Drain and put the slices into the ice bath.
Set your heavy-bottomed skillet to medium heat, and dissolve the sugar into a cup of water. When the syrup begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium low, and add the lemon slices in a single layer. Simmer the slices until the rinds are fully translucent, about an hour.
Remove to a wire rack over parchment so the excess sugar can drip off. Beware, they’re very hot! Let cool for two hours before eating.
Side note: I made something with hot sugar, and neither burned myself nor made anything catch on fire. Take that, Bryan!
