Glazed strips of candied orange peel arranged on a white plate with vintage Georgian-style china in soft natural light

Georgian England · England

Mary Eales's Orange Chips

Name: Mary Eales's Orange Chips
Total time: 95 min
Yield: Makes about 300g
Cuisine: England
Ingredients: Peel of 6 oranges, cut into thin strips; 500 g caster sugar; 480 ml water

From Mrs. Mary Eales's Receipts · Mary Eales · 1718

Verified from original source

Candied orange peel strips boiled in sugar syrup, an English Georgian sweetmeat.

Historical note: Pare your oranges and cut the peel into chips...

History

Mary Eales's Orange Chips were candied orange peel slices created by boiling orange rinds in sugar syrup until translucent and preserved. Mary Eales served as Confectioner to Queen Anne, and her 1718 receipt book represents elite English confectionery practice of the early eighteenth century. Such 'chips' were fashionable sweetmeats served at dessert courses in wealthy households, demonstrating skill in sugar work and access to expensive imported oranges and refined sugar. The technique of candying citrus peel persists in modern British cookery, particularly in Christmas baking and traditional confections.

Sources

Eales, Mary. Mrs. Mary Eales's Receipts. 1718.
Davidson, Alan (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press, 1999.
Day, Ivan. 'The Art of Confectionery' in Pleasures of the Table (various publications on Georgian confectionery).
Mason, Laura. Sugar-Plums and Sherbet: The Prehistory of Sweets. Prospect Books, 2004.

Serves

Makes about 300g

Prep

20m

Cook

75m

Difficulty

Medium

Ingredients

· Peel of 6 oranges, cut into thin strips
· 500 g caster sugar
· 480 ml water

Method

1
Boil orange peel in water for 10 minutes, then drain.
2
Repeat boiling process twice more with fresh water to remove bitterness.
3
Make syrup by dissolving sugar in 480 ml water, bringing to a boil.
4
Add drained peel and simmer for 45 minutes until translucent.
5
Drain, spread on parchment and dry in a low oven or warm place for several hours.

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