Wash and pat dry the oranges.
Peel the oranges. For neat long peel, quarter the orange
Remove any pith or pulp that is attached to the skin using a small paring knife.
Cut the peel into thin stripes.
Add the stripes in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring it to a boil. Simmer the heat for 2 minutes. Strain and discard the water.
Repeat the process 2 more times. Boiling and draining repeatedly in water helps in removing most of the bitter taste of peel/ pith.
Heat water and sugar in a pan. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and let it cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the orange peel. Cook for 45-50 minutes till the peel turns translucent.
Do not stir during this process otherwise their will be crystallization.
Strain the syrup and store it for future use. (Iced Tea or use it as soaking syrup for a cake) Roll the peel in castor sugar. Arrange on a wire rack and let dry for 6-8 hours or overnight. It took about 40 hours for the peel to dry completely for me.
Store in an airtight container.