Oranges

I swear that I live in the biggest small town on earth.  I know it is the fourth biggest city in the United States but it is very  much a small town.  I have the hardest time finding things here at times.  Fabrics.  Yarns.  Things to make the things.  That even includes food stuffs.  If I am willing to travel ten miles (this is within the city limits) I might be able to find the ingredients that I am looking for.  If I do not wish to that, I either have to grow it or make it. 

I make the food to make the food to make the food.  It is my life.  Let us not talk soup at all.

I was trying to get the ingredients together for kugelhopf and panettone in my neighborhood.  I just did not wish to drive anymore.  Not this season.  I started saving every orange peel.  Which I really have to ask the boyos to do for me.  I am good for one orange or tangerine.  Not as many as I needed.

I started with making candied peel to begin with.  That went into the panettone.  It clinked on the china plate when I was done.  Not the prettiest but it would do and I had some to save.

The next thing was that I took a bag full of peel and dried them.  This took about six hours and half way filled a quart canning jar.  But I will have dried peel for chai later in the year.  I can say that this area grows citrus so it is in season here.  I just have to keep gathering.  And feeding boyos oranges and grapefruit. 

When the grapefruit happens, the same will happen to its peel.  As well as the lemon.  Then I will also start in on the extracts.  I may be plotting a few Christmas presents for next year already.