Candied Orange Zest

This is one of recipes I have tried because I’m a food blogger and I feel I have to do everything from a scratch 😉 But it also annoys me to find artificial ingredients in shop-bought candied orange zest.
The recipe for candied zest comes from Usagi blog. It isn’t traditional way of preparing candied orange zest, because you don’t boil it in a syrup. You just need to peel oranges, get rid off of the white pith, cover it with sugar and leave it for a few weeks to soften. Apparently the orange zest prepared this way is more fragrant and has nicer colour. And you can always add new layers of it at the top.
I won’t tell you that making your own orange zest is a hassle free activity, but you will feel that you have the control of what you eat and your house will smell like Christmas 😀

• Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

• oranges (choose fruits that are free of pesticides, dyes, and wax)
• granulated sugar

Directions

Wash and dry oranges.
Using a citrus zester, vegetable peeler or small knife peel the oranges.
If there is any whit pith left on the zest, simply peel it with a knife.
Cut zest into long stripes or small pieces (depending on how you want to use them).
Put a layer of orange zest (not to thick) in the sterilised jar and cover it precisely with a layer of sugar. Press it well with a spoon. Keep going until you run out of the orange zest.
Cover it with a thicker layer of sugar and leave it to rest for a few weeks.