Candied Orange Peel

September 17, 2002

During my recent trip to Napier I called on relatives in Carterton in an area known as the Wairarapa. My uncle used to farm nearby but when the family showed no interest in farming, he moved to Carterton, a small provincial township.

The Wairarapa is reached from Wellington by driving over the Rimutaka Range, a long winding road up the hill and down the other side. When I was a child and prone to carsickness, the journey in the service car, as the bus was known, was a fairly anxious affair. There were various theories on how carsickness could be prevented - brown paper wrapped around the abdomen, sucking on a lemon, sucking on a barley sugar.

In my teens we would drive over in Mum's little Ford Prefect car, fondly known as Gertie. Again a nervous trip. Would Gertie make it to the summit, would the radiator boil? We always carried a flagon of water just in case.

My grandmother retired to Carterton in the 1960s and by then I had my own car and would often go over to spend a couple of days with her. I recall driving back one day when there was a huge gale blowing. My car was a fairly light one, a little Hillman Imp. Several times, as I rounded a corner into the teeth of the gale, my car was brought to a standstill.

These days the road is vastly improved. It's been widened and there are passing bays. Today's modern cars make the journey an effortless one although I did have to drive through a real storm to return home the other night.

The Wairarapa has become a favourite weekend haunt for Wellington people. The sleepy little rural towns have had a revival as part of the tourist business. Cafes, galleries, craft shops and antique businesses have sprung up between the farmers' supplies depots and tractor saleyards.

One of the biggest industries to hit the area has been winegrowing. There are now numerous vineyards, particularly in the Martinborough area and the wines are fast acquiring an excellent reputation, particularly the pinot noirs. Olive groves are also springing up everywhere.

Martinborough is home to an annual wine, food and music event, Toast Martinborough. There is also the Martinborough Fair, held during the summer. Some 400+ stalls are set up in the town square selling everything from crafts to plants, pickles to paua fritters. The latter are a delicious fritter made from minced paua, a sort of black abalone.

The Wairarapa has always been a special place for me because of the many happy holidays I spent at my uncle's farm. My paternal grandmother's family settled in Carterton in 1911 and other members of the family lived thereabouts. My grandmother was a great source of stories about this one and that.

Visiting my aunt and uncle in Carterton always rekindles these memories. It's good to see family again and inevitably to depart with something from the garden. This time it was a large bag of citrus. It was a bonus to discover this included some nice thick-skinned oranges, perfect for making candied peel.

Peel makes an interesting addition to a cheese board, specially for those whoe prefer sweet to savoury. It's easy to make, but does require a bit of vigilance in the latter stages.

Candied Orange Peel

6 thick-skinned orange
water
sugar

Quarter the oranges and then cut out the flesh, leaving as much pith behind as possible. Set the orange flesh aside for another use. Cut the skin into slices and place in a large pot. Cover with water, bring to the boil then simmer for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid.

Make the liquid up to a 250ml with water and pour back into the empty saucepan. Add a cup of sugar, stir well to dissolve and bring to the boil. Put the orange peel back in the pot and simmer gently uncovered until the liquid has all but evaporated. This is where you need to keep a close watch that the sugar does not burn.

Spread some baking paper on a flat surface and lift out the pieces of peel, one at a time, letting any excess syrup drip off (1). There should not be much remaining anyway. The peel should not be too damp.

Allow to dry in the air for a couple hours then transfer to a cake rack and set aside for a further two hours. Place some white sugar in a bowl and roll each piece of peel in it (2). Set aside on a cake rack to dry off further (3) then store in an airtight container.

Instead of rolling the peel in sugar, I sometimes dip it in melted dark chocolate. It makes an interesting accompaniment to after dinner coffee.