Orange peel jam, often romantically named “Zavity” is not just a sweet addition to your tea or coffee; it’s a beautifully aromatic creation. Beyond being a delightful treat on its own, it can be used to adorn various pastries. These attractive curls can elevate your ice cream, pastries, cakes, mousses, or jellies, giving them a finished look and a distinctive taste and aroma.
For making orange peel jam, known as “Zavity” we will exclusively use citrus peels – you can enjoy the fruit’s pulp separately. Lemon is only needed for its juice; if you don’t have one, a pinch of lemon citric acid can be used as a substitute.
Ingredients:
- Oranges – 3 pieces
- Sugar – 300 grams (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
- Water – 300 ml (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
- Lemon Juice – 1 tablespoon
Preparation:
- Let’s embark on creating the delightful “Zavity” orange peel jam using oranges (peels only), granulated sugar, water, and lemon juice (or lemon citric acid as a substitute).
- Start with the oranges: thoroughly wash them, scald with boiling water (commercial fruits are often treated with preservatives for extended shelf life), and cut each into quarters. Use the pulp as desired (either consume or prepare something else), and remove the inner white layer from the peels, as it imparts bitterness.
- Cut the peeled orange rinds into strips and place them in a bowl. Cover them with cold water and let them soak for several hours, preferably overnight, changing the water several times to eliminate any potential bitterness.
- After soaking (the specified time is 5 hours, but it can be as long as two days depending on how long you soak the peels), they will slightly curl, which is desirable.
- Drain the water and prepare a strong thread and needle. Thread the needle, securing it at the end. Now, roll each peel into a spiral, stringing them onto the needle until the thread is full. This creates fairly long strands of orange peel beads.
- Place the orange peel strands in a saucepan, cover with water, and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes after boiling. Then, drain the hot water and refill the saucepan with cold water. Repeat this procedure about 4 times.
- Remove the orange peel spirals from the thread and let them drain.
- In the saucepan, pour 300 ml of water and add sugar. Bring the syrup to a boil. Add the orange peel spirals (it’s better to remove them from the thread immediately to avoid sticking to your hands) and simmer over medium heat for about half an hour.
- Allow the orange peel jam to cool completely. Then, add lemon juice and simmer for another half an hour.
- Your orange peel jam is ready – marvel at those adorable curls!
Never discard seemingly inedible citrus elements. Instead, prepare orange peel jam “Zavity” and surprise your family with this unique and delicious treat!
