Makes about thirty 1 by 3-inch strips of zest This is the perfect thing to make whenever you have a recipe that calls for fresh squeezed citrus juice. Zest the fruit before juicing so nothing goes to waste. You can use the zest from any citrus fruit.

These sugar-coated strips are a beautiful garnish for ice cream, finished cakes, or fruit tarts. Or use it in recipes: drain the zest (skip the rolling-in-sugar step), chop it, and fold into ice cream, scone doughs, or cake batter. It works wonderfully to add a bit of citrus to any recipe.

WAITING AND COOLING TIME: At least 2½ hours

SHELF LIFE: Nearly indefinitely when kept in syrup in the refrigerator; several weeks once rolled in sugar

INGREDIENTS

• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• 1½ cups water
• About ½ cup turbinado sugar or other coarse sugar, for rolling

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the oranges, keeping the strips as wide as possible. Or use a channel knife (the type used by bartenders to make a “twist” for your martini) instead.
2. Fill two small nonreactive saucepans with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the first one comes to a boil, add the strips of zest all at once and stir to submerge them all. When the water comes back to a boil, drain the zest and repeat the process in the second pan. (This process reduces the amount of bitterness in the zest and helps soften it.)
3. In one of the empty saucepans, combine the granulated sugar and 1½ cups water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the zest strips and stir to coat them evenly with the syrup. Partially cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook gently until the zest is softened and appears translucent about ¼ inch in from the edge, about 1 hour.
4. Remove from the heat and let the zest cool in the syrup. If not using right away, transfer the zest and syrup to a container and refrigerate.
5. If you’re using the zest as a garnish, set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Remove the zest strips from the syrup and arrange them on the rack. Let drain for 30 minutes or so, then cut into thin strips and roll in the turbinado. Allow the zest to dry on the rack for an hour or two before using. For longer storage, transfer to an airtight container and keep at room temperature.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN:

• You can use almost any type of citrus in this recipe: lemon, grapefruit, orange, pomelo, sliced kumquats … the list goes on and on!