The orange zest plays an essential roll in the Persian kitchen; we use it in pickles, marmalade, risotto, stews, different kind of seasoning mix, etc. etc.
Start by taking away the wax (see blog post) and then use the inner part in whatever way you want.
Put the orange peel in a large pan, pour water to cover and bring it to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.
Take the peel one by one, cut in half, and with a sharp knife remove as much of the inner white part of the peel as you possibly can. Return it to the pan in hot water to soak even more if it is difficult to remove all the white parts. Go through the peel again after a while and trim it even more.
You can dry the peel as it is – but storing will be much easier if you cut it in smaller pieces. Start by trimming the edges, do not discard, they can be dried and ground later. Cut in even small stripes.
Put them separately on a tray and let dry at room temperature for 1 – 2 days. Store them in jars and keep them in the dark place.
If you use the oranges but do not have the time to do all this, put them in the freezer to handle them later.
Enjoy!
