I volunteered at Daphne’s school last week to help feed the choir majors. Another mom and I traveled back and forth from one end of the choir building to the other setting up tables and preparing all of the food for the dinner. I was pleasantly surprised to see a Christmas tree decorated with orange slices. It was really beautiful. The orange ornaments seemed like they would be easy enough to make. I imagine one would slice the oranges and preserve them in shellac or something to keep them from rotting. Place a hook on them and they are ready to hang. I am not sure if this is the correct process but this is how I believe it would be done.

Claud’s family traditionally places oranges in the children’s stockings for Christmas. They also decorate the tree with tangerines. The tangerines on their trees can be “picked” and eaten. We just walk up to the tree and grab one whenever we feel like eating a tangerine. When I first saw the tangerine decorations and the oranges in the stockings, I thought it was unusual. I had never seen this done in the United States. The orange slices on the tree in the choir room reminded me of the English tradition. Also, in England, the Monro kids usually found a chocolate orange in their stocking. These are chocolates in the shape of oranges, which have a hint of orange flavor. You peel the pieces of chocolate off like you would with sections of an orange. This tree in the choir room got me thinking about oranges and wondering why they are a part of Christmas in England.

So, I went home to look into this whole Christmas orange idea. Turns out that oranges were originally from China. They made their way to Sicily in the 1400s. However, because they are perishable and need to grow in warm weather, oranges were still rare in England into the late nineteenth century. Because they were so adored by the English and were an extraordinary and expensive treat, the very wealthy could place an orange as a very special gift into a child’s stocking.

In fact, even up until World War II, oranges were still rare to come across in their original state. One might be able to buy them frozen or canned but to have a whole fresh orange would have still been an indulgence. The stockings and the tree at Claud’s family home in England make perfect sense now. Oranges were treasured and now they are a symbol and a tradition of that earlier time when they were so rare and expensive.

Then, oddly enough, a couple of days ago, my friend Karen called and asked if I would like to make candied orange peels with her. I asked her why we would make those and what they were for? I had never heard of such a thing. Apparently, this is a thing. They are sugary delicious orange peels, which can be dipped in chocolate, sprinkled on top of chocolate cakes or crme brule. They can also be enjoyed just as they are. I imagine this may have been a way to enjoy the flavor of oranges back in Victorian times when having a full fresh orange was almost impossible. Of course, I told Karen I would love to learn how to make these. She told me she was making them to ship to her mother in the Midwest. I decided I would make some for Claud’s mom in England. I think she would really enjoy these.

Karen came over with all of the orange peels ready to go. This was great because prepping the peel is the most difficult part of the process. She peeled the oranges, removed the white pith and sliced them up perfectly. She walked into my house with a baggie full of ready-to-go peels. We quickly got to work. You have to blanch the peels three times before you cook them in the sugar water. Karen said this is how you remove the bitter taste you usually get when you bite into an orange peel.

Once we wzere finished making the peels, we laid them onto a drying rack until the next day. This allows them to dry and become hard like candy. The next morning, I went into the kitchen excited to try them. I was impressed. They are so good. I don’t even like candy but these are incredible. They aren’t too sweet and have a powerful orange flavor. I think I might make these candied orange peels a Christmas tradition in our home.

Candied Orange Peels

Time: 1 hours (plus overnight)

Serves: 4

2 Oranges

cup sugar

3 cups water, plus more for boiling

Remove the peel with a vegetable peeler. Remove the white part of the peel and cut into slices. The slices should be about an eighth of an inch wide. Place orange peels into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Boil for one minute. Drain the water into a colander. Repeat this process twice more. In a small bowl, whisk together the three cups of water with the sugar. Place this mixture into a pot and on the stove. Bring to a simmer. Simmer until the sugar dissolves. Place the orange peels into the sugar mixture. Allow these to simmer for 40 minutes. Remove peels from the sugar water and place on a drying rack overnight.