Citrus Patch Sours
Pucker up.
Let’s be real—sometimes, you just want to snack on something that makes your taste buds question their life choices. Enter these candied citrus peels, lovingly coated in sugar and citric acid to give them that “Whooo! That’s sour!” punch, followed by a sweet, chewy reward. It’s like if nature made Sour Patch Kids but forgot to add the artificial colors and questionable ingredients.
We’re taking citrus rinds—yes, the part you usually throw away—and turning them into something that will make your mouth pucker and your inner child do a happy dance. Plus, making these means you get to tell people, “Oh, I just casually make my own gourmet sour candy at home.” Fancy, right?
Ingredients explained:
Citrus peels - You’ll need peels from about 3-5 medium sized citrus fruits. Use any citrus you like, it all tastes amazing. I ended up using the peels from 3 oranges, 1 lemon and 1 lime.
Sugar - Just regular white sugar. This is what makes the citrus peels candied, but also helps to balance the sour taste.
Citric acid - This is what gives that signature sour taste! Citric acid is dried citrus and gives that pucker taste. It is used in preserving food, so you can find it where you would buy canning supplies or online.
Tools required:
Medium saucepan
Wooden spoon
Slotted spoon
The recipe
Citrus Patch Sours
Ingredients
Peels from 3-5 citrus fruits with the pith partially removed, cut into small pieces or strips
2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup water
1-2 Tablespoons citric acid
Directions
Prepare the citrus peels. Wash the citrus thoroughly. Cut the ends off and then make slices lengthwise, then take the peel off. If the white pith is quite thick, you may want to cut part of it off as it can be quite bitter. However, if you take the pith completely off, your peel will be very chewy and tough, so leave a little. Cut the peels into strips or little candy-sized pieces.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add the citrus peels and boil for 15 minutes. This will get the bitterness out of the peel. Strain then rinse the peels.
Over low heat, melt 2 cups of sugar in 1 cup of water. Stir until dissolved and it starts to boil. Keep the heat on low and add the peels. Let it simmer for 45-60 minutes. The sugar will get thick and syrupy. Stir maybe once or twice. It may also get quite bubbly in the last 10 minutes of cooking. Take off heat and let cool for a minute.
Mix 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 Tablespoon of citric acid. Taste and add more citric acid to your desired taste. With a slotted spoon, take the citrus peels out of the pan and shake the excess syrup off. Place in the sugar and citric acid mixture and toss to coat.
To keep the citrus peels moist, store in an airtight container after cooling. If you would like them drier and a little more chewy, spread out on a drying rack and let them dry for a day, then store in an airtight container.
Makes approximately 2 cups. Store in an airtight container, keeps for 3-4 weeks. If you refrigerate or freeze, they will get quite sticky from the extra moisture, but they will keep for longer.
Hey, I’m Kim!
After a lot of practice (and a few sticky disasters), I’ve crafted a delicious selection of lollies and mastered a ton of candy making tips to share with you—lump free. (You’re welcome.)
