Last Updated on 20th July 2022 by
Candied lemon slices are a decorative food that can be used to adorn desserts and other dishes.
These sweet little treats add a pop of color to your food, and you can use them to make interesting shapes and make your food look more appealing.
What to Do with Candied Lemon Slices
If you want to take your baking beyond simply making baked goods and actually make them look decorative, knowing how to make candied lemon slices is a good place to start.
The recipe I provide for you further down this page is for people who want to expand their baking expertise and do more with the dishes they make.
You can take a dessert that looks plain and boring and make it more appealing and more beautiful by adding strategically placed candied lemon slices. You’ll be able to really fancy-up whatever you’re making.
These ornate candies don’t just look good, they also taste incredible, and you can put them on desserts like lemon cake, lemon bars lemon meringue pie, and really any kind of cake that looks plain and featureless. You’ll add not just some beauty, but some flavor as well.
They make a pretty good snack too. You can eat them between meals or eat them on their own as a dessert, and when you prepare them the way I show you how to make candied lemon slices in the oven, they come out really tasty.
The cooking process and the sugar you use will turn sour lemons into something sweet and delectable.
How Do You Make Candied Lemon Slices?
Let me share with you my recipe for candied lemon slices. You only need two ingredients for the super simple recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 2 small lemons
Directions:
- Start by preheating the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare a baking pan by covering it with parchment paper. You could use wax paper as well.
- Take your two lemons and cut them crosswise, creating slices that are about 1/4 of an inch thick.
- Place your lemon slices onto the pan in a single layer and sprinkle them with the sugar.
- Bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes. You know the lemon slices are done cooking when they’re practically dry and they have a glazy, sugary covering. Take them off the paper while they are warm so that they don’t stick to the paper.
You could also make the candied lemon slices in a pot on the stovetop. You may still want to use the oven to dry them or allow them to air dry, which can take as long as 48 hours.
If you find that making the lemon slices in the oven is not working out for you and that they turn out to dry and hard, then try making them in a pot instead.
Start with a deep pan with water and sugar and stir the contents regularly as you bring the water to a boil. After the sugar dissolves, lower the heat to a simmer.
Then, you can add the lemon slices then let them simmer for an hour. You know they’re done cooking when the rind and pith parts of the lemon become translucent.
You’re basically cooking them in a sugary syrup, and you’ll have to air dry them for 24 to 48 hours or dry them in the oven for 1-2 hours.
How to Store Candied Lemon Slices
Once you’ve made your lemon slices, you’ll want to store them properly so that they last for a while. How long do candied lemon slices last? If you’re storing them like you should, they can last up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
They should be stored in an airtight container, and you can place them anywhere in the fridge. Because they have a decent shelf life, it doesn’t matter too much if they experience some temperature fluctuations in the fridge.
For longer storage time, you can store the lemon slices in a freezer safe container in the freezer. They will be good there for up to two months, and when you’re ready to use them, you can just set them in the fridge overnight to thaw.
It’s important that you don’t put them into the fridge and store them in a container as soon as they come out of the oven. They need to dry completely before you store them. Otherwise, they’ll stick to whatever container you put them in.
You want to make sure the sugar dries completely, and a good way to do that is to place your lemon slices onto a wire rack. I don’t recommend letting them rest on parchment paper, since they’ll tend to stick to that.
Tips about Making Candied Lemon Slices
When preparing the lemons to make this dish, make sure that you remove the seeds. You don’t want to eat the lemon seeds with the rest of the slices.
This is extra work, but it’s worth it for a dish where you don’t have to worry about spitting out parts of it while you eat. That will definitely make these a lot more pleasant to eat if you’re serving them to other people.
Feel free to experiment with these candies. You can use them as a snack on their own, packing them for your kids for school, or you can use them to decorate all sorts of desserts. You can cut them up into smaller pieces and create different shapes and designs using the candied lemon slices.
Look up some recipes for how to use them online and decorating ideas that will help you to make good use of the treats you’ve made.
I'm Pauline, a retired patisserie chef, mother of four and now a full time food blogger! When i'm not cooking i love long walks, reading thriller novels and spending time with my grandkids. Head to my about me page to learn more about the woman behind the food! You can find my Facebook here