I’ve been a loyal Bon Appétit subscriber for a little over 10 years.  In fact, flipping through Bon Appétit is one of my favorite pastimes, complete with dog-earing pages/stories/recipes that look interesting and returning to them the next time I head out to the market.  The November 2017 Thanksgiving edition was no exception, but it wasn’t the turkey or sides that caught my eye – it was a recipe for homemade sour patch kids!

I’ve always had a soft spot for gummy treats and an even softer spot for candied citrus, so this seemed like a bit of a no-brainer.  Plus, I thought if they turned out well I could take some home for my sister-in-law (Michelle) at Christmas (or make her some when we arrive), as it’s her favorite candy (or at least her favorite movie theater candy).

This morning on my trip to Victor Hugo I decided to load up on citrus:  four oranges, three lemons, three limes, and two grapefruits (I didn’t end up doing anything with the grapefruits, so I’ll eat those later) and attempt what appeared to be a pretty simple recipe – cut fruit in half, remove all flesh, slice into 1/4 inch strips…

Then boil, boil again, boil again, then boil with sugar, cool, then toss with sugar/citric acid.

I made the batch of orange peels, first, followed by a batch of lemon & lime (mixed together).  The orange turned out quite tasty (though I can only eat two before my whole face completely puckers), but the lemon/lime were too bitter to eat.

I’m not entirely sure if the error was in cooking them together (could’ve been) or if they’re just innately too bitter to begin with, but they were inedible.  When Jim got home I asked him to try one…and we decided it was best to not eat any more.  In sum, these seemed to strike more of a chord of what would inspire the Sour Patch Kid commercials or even the French name for the same candy, Very Bad Kids.

In sum, I’d totally recommend making these (or at least orange).  Our apartment smelled AMAZING, and all in all it only took about an hour and a half for each batch (not including the “drying” time) and they keep for up to a month in an airtight container.  I figure we’ll munch on these for the next few days and take any back to the states for Michelle to enjoy!