What happens when you are gifted 10 pounds of tiny, sweet, Kishu mandarins? After the unboxing excitement subsides, the culinary wheels begin turning. Slightly larger than walnuts, these petite mandarins arrived at my door this winter. I was already in citrus mode, soaking long strips of pomelo peel in syrup before drying them gently in the lowest of ovens. That practice, and a flickering memory of a long-ago M.F.K. Fisher story about tangerines and snow and a radiator (see footnote), inspired what has become a current obsession: Peeled, dried citrus. Basically citrus candy, no sugar necessary. After three hours in gently balmy heat, the Kishus were transformed: complex, marmalade-rich (sweet, yet infinitesmaly bitter), crisp outside, addictively sticky inside. I made another batch at once. Then I experimented with other, easy-peel citrus: the feather-light dried segments of larger mandarins, clementines, and satsumas were unstoppably good. Inhalable, like a bag of chips.
In short, these dried citrus seem to be that holy grail of snack foods: healthy candy. Here’s how to make them.
Photography by Marie Viljoen
When I think—or, when I thought—of dried citrus, it’s of slices: orange, usually, in cross-section, with the skin. It’s crisp and quite bitter. But peeling then drying the whole fruit transforms it from freshly juicy to intensely marmalade-redolent and yieldingly chewy. The flavor and texture are compelling, and these tidbits of dried citrus could not be easier to make.
Drying peeled citrus whole, or in segments (for larger fruit) might deliver to your kitchen the guilt-free snack you have been longing for. They are high in fiber and minerals like calcium and potassium.
Other benefits? These dried citrus treats are a versatile, shelf-stable ingredient, and can be deployed beyond the realm of snacking: They’re great as a road or trail food, can be stirred into breakfast granola, added for contrast to smooth ice cream, or included on cheese plates, paired with creamily escaping goat or cows milk cheese.
There is only one caveat when drying easy-peel citrus: The fruit should be seedless. Crunching through the obstruction (and bitterness) of dried seeds in an otherwise impeccable mouthful feels like an affront.
