Candied Tangerine Peel (Korean Citrus Honey Confection)
Quick answer
Gyul jeonggwa is a traditional Korean confection made by cutting tangerine peels into 0.8 cm strips with a moderate amount of white pith left on, blanching the strips twi...
What makes this special
- Gyul jeonggwa candied tangerine preserves the white pith to hold essential oils in a honey glaze.
- Leaving some white pith preserves the essential oil aroma of the tangerine
- 35-40 minutes of gentle simmering turns peel translucent with a chewy jelly texture
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Trim 220g tangerine peel to remove most of the white pith without cutting to...
- 2 Blanch the peel strips in lightly salted water for 5 minutes, drain and disc...
- 3 Combine 400ml water, 180g sugar, 25g honey, and 1 cinnamon stick in a pot ov...
Gyul jeonggwa is a traditional Korean confection made by cutting tangerine peels into 0.8 cm strips with a moderate amount of white pith left on, blanching the strips twice in salted water to eliminate bitterness, then cooking them low and slow in a syrup of sugar, honey, and cinnamon for thirty-five to forty minutes. Keeping the pith is deliberate: it holds the essential citrus oils that define the candy's fragrance, so trimming too much away produces a noticeably flatter result. The longer the peels simmer, the more completely they turn translucent, pulling syrup into every layer of fiber until the texture becomes dense and springy, close to a firm fruit jelly. Lemon juice added toward the end of cooking performs two functions: it inhibits crystallization of the syrup as it cools, and its acidity trims back the sweetness for a cleaner finish. Draining the pieces and resting them on a rack for an hour produces a dry, non-tacky surface that holds its shape well.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Trim 220g tangerine peel to remove most of the white pith without cutting too deep, then cut into uniform 0.8cm wide strips.
- 2Control
Blanch the peel strips in lightly salted water for 5 minutes, drain and discard the water; repeat this process twice to gently reduce bitterness and raw citrus sharpness.
- 3Control
Combine 400ml water, 180g sugar, 25g honey, and 1 cinnamon stick in a pot over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves completely before adding the peel.
- 4Control
Add the blanched peel to the syrup and simmer on low heat for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the strips turn semi-translucent and the syrup reduces significantly.
- 5Control
Add 10ml lemon juice and simmer 2 more minutes so the fresh acidity balances the sweetness and brightens the overall aroma.
- 6Step
Remove the peel strips with tongs, spread on a cooling rack without overlapping, and dry at room temperature for at least 1 hour until the surface becomes glossy and slightly firm.
After the steps
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