This Candied Lemon Cardamom Peel recipe is delicious any time of the year. It makes a wonderful gift to give, tastes delicious in baked recipes, and is yummy to snack on.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Table of contents
Candied Lemon Cardamom Peel
Hi Everyone! Did you know that I love making my own candied lemon (or any citrus really) to snack on?
I love that you can make a huge amount of this Candied Lemon Cardamom Peel in your own home kitchen instead of paying a lot for the same amount in a candy store.
I made 2 versions for the photos pictured, an air-dried version that is tossed in sugar, and an oven-dried version that is not tossed sugared (but sweet from the sugar-cardamom syrup it’s cooked in).
I go into more detail about how you can customize the recipe in the recipe card below.
Cardamom is a lovely spice that you can find in the spice aisle of your grocery store.
I use them to make Rum Babas from time to time and the subtle floral essence complements the lemon flavor very well.
This Candied Lemon Cardamom Peel can be customized further by adding different spices (like cloves, if you wish) or skipping the cardamom to make plain Candied Lemon Peel.
This recipe would be so great to give in jars to family or friends, especially for any upcoming holidays 🙂
It’s simple to just double or triple the recipe if you wish to make a large batch.
Ingredients
- 3 lemons, seeds removed, washed and cut in 1/4 inch long slices
- 8 cups cold water, or more as needed
- 2 cups white granulated sugar, or more, if doubling or tripling the recipe
- 1-2 cardamom pods
FOR TOSSING (OPTIONAL)
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar, for tossing when peel is dry, optional
Kitchen Tools
- Measuring spoons and cups
- chef’s knife
- cutting board
- large mesh strainer
- citrus squeezer
- 2-cup wet measure
- large pot, with lid
- air-tight storage container with lid
Web Story
I like to snack on the lemon peel with coffee or while watching a show (instead of potato chips) and it’s a nice alternative to conventional candies.
I used a Dutch Oven with a clear lid to cook them in because it’s large enough to make a double or triple batch.
I like that it has a clear lid so I can see if the water is boiling.

It's nice to have candy where you know everything that goes into it from start to finish.

The recipe is so simple and easy to make.
I recently have been making my Stuffed Grape Leaves recipe and I always have leftover lemons after that and I hate to waste food so when life gives you lemons, make Candied Lemon Cardamom Peel!

You can make this recipe to your liking in terms of chewiness and I would suggest, just testing out the lemon peel as it dries to it gets to the perfect desired chewiness.

It's one of those recipes where you learn to make it how you like it after making the recipe a few times.
The recipe is so simple but the results can vary depending on what you are going for.

I would suggest not adding the sugar when the lemon peel is still wet because it causes the sugar to crystallize - unless, of course, that's what you are going for.

I hope you enjoy this Candied Lemon Cardamom Peel, it's one of my favorite treats!

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What's your favorite candied citrus?
Please let me know in the comments below!
Candied Lemon Cardamom Peel
This Candied Lemon Cardamom Peel recipe is delicious any time of the year. It makes a wonderful gift to give, tastes delicious in baked recipes, and is yummy to snack on.
Ingredients
- 3 lemons, seeds removed, washed and cut in 1/4 inch long slices
- 8 cups cold water, or more as needed
- 2 cups white granulated sugar, or more, if doubling or tripling the recipe
- 1-2 cardamom pods
For tossing (optional)
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar, for tossing when peel is dry, optional
Instructions
- In a medium-large pot or Dutch oven, bring water and cut lemon peel to a boil. When the water is boiling, drain the lemon peel using a colander, do this 2 more times with fresh water each time (a total of 3 times).
- Combine 2 cups fresh water with 2 cups white granulated sugar in the same pot. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar in the water and then reduce the heat to low. Stir in the lemon peels. Simmer until the white pith is translucent and turn off the heat and allow it to cool.
Candied Lemon Cardamom Peel in a Jar with Sugar Syrup
- You can store the peels in the sugar syrup in a jar if you want them to be wet. If you want to do this, I suggest straining the syrup to remove any seeds or cardamom pods. I suggest using mason jars for storage and keep them in the refrigerator.
Dried Candied Lemon Cardamom Peel (with Sugared option)
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper. You can clip down the paper on the edges with binder clips to keep the paper in place. Place the drained lemon peel in rows on the sheet evenly spaced out. (You can reserve the lemon cardamom sugar syrup in a jar to use for another recipe if you with or discard.) You can allow the lemon peel to air dry which can take several hours depending on the heat and humidity in your home. To dry them more quickly you can preheat the oven to a LOW setting, 250 degrees F. Allow them to dry in the closed oven for 45-60 minutes depending on how dry you want them. Make sure you check on them periodically so they do not over dry. After they are dry to your desire, toss them in 1/4 cup (or more. if needed) white granulated sugar. Store in air-tight containers/mason jars at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
This Candied Lemon Cardamom Peel can be customized further by adding different spices (like cloves, if you wish) or skipping the cardamom to make plain Candied Lemon Peel.
You can make this recipe to your liking in terms of chewiness and I would suggest, just testing out the lemon peel as it dries to it gets to the perfect desired chewiness.
I would suggest not adding the sugar when the lemon peel is still wet because it causes the sugar to crystallize – unless, of course, that’s what you are going for.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 437Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 20mgCarbohydrates: 113gFiber: 0gSugar: 112gProtein: 0g
Please note that the Calculated Nutrition is an estimate at best.
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