Candied Citrus Peels

I don't make this super often, because it's an absolute bitch and I'm the only one in my house who loves it, but it's a very nice treat and a good way to use all the peels you use to make lemonade/orange juice/...limeade? Is that a thing? Oh woah it is. Anyway.

This tastes like if you condensed a gallon of [insert citrus drink here] into a piece of candy the size of your pinky. Do you dream of eating the sun and think like it would taste like an orange? Then this is the candy for you!

Ingredients

• Citrus peels. Lots. Maybe, uh... 2 - 3 cups?
• Water. 4 cups or so
• Sugar. Same amount as the water + an extra for tossing.
• About a half cup citrus juice (optional)

Directions

• Remove all white bits/the pith off of the peels. Cut peels into thin strips.
• Boil water. Once it's boiling, add citrus peels and let cook for fifteen to thirty minutes. The longer you wait, the less sour/bitter the peels are going to be. If you do it too long it's not going to taste like much. Remove peels with a slotted spoon and put to the side.
• Add in the sugar (and fruit juice, if using). Add peels back in and let cook for forty five more minutes, until the peel is very soft and your entire house smells like summer. Remove from the water, toss peels in about another cup full of sugar.
• Spread out peels on a baking tray lined with either tin foil or baking parchment. Let air-dry for 1 to 2 days (or just start scarfing it down as soon as it's cool enough to touch)