What You Can Do With Citrus Peels


Post by Sharon

Citrus is still in plenty right now. When I was a kid, my dad was from Norway and he would eat an orange like an apple, peel and all. Just bite right in! I started doing it with him and later on, I learned how to incorporate the peels that are precious commodities. 


Here's some ideas for what to do with the peels.

I put them in a bowl in the freezer. When I have water or iced tea, I toss a chunk in and let it give me the flavinoids and micronutrients. I also eat it when I'm done with the drink so I get the fiber, as well.



Put a piece in your hot tea. The oils release and it enhances the flavor. In fact, Earl Grey utilizes bergamot in its mix which imparts an orange flavor.

Candy it. LINK TO RECIPE

A slice in your brown sugar keeps it soft.

Put in bath to let out the oils.

Dry it out to use as kindling or to start bbq grill.

Eat them! Citrus peels have huge concentrates of important flavinoids and fiber you won't get anywhere else. Citrus peels are packed with nutrients such as sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus. They also make a great breath freshener by chewing on them.

Make your skin happy and bright. The peel of the orange contains antioxidants and using it regularly in face packs will give you clear and brighter skin. The peel has anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties which make it great for treating acne and oily skin. ... Orange peel for the face is best used in a powder form.

To powder it, place the peel-pieces out in the sun for 3-4 days until they are completely dry. It is essential that the peels are totally dehydrated before grinding otherwise they will rot quickly. Take the dried pieces and grind them in a mixer. Grind till you get a fine powder.

When using for your face mask, add a few tsps of the citrus juice to the powder made from the peels.



Slice and dehydrate it to make tree ornaments. Cut each piece of fruit crosswise into slices, making each as thin as possible; discard any seeds as you go. Arrange sliced fruit on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1/2-inch apart. Bake, rotating baking sheets and flipping fruit about every 30 minutes, until just dried out, 2 to 3 hours.

Poke it with cloves and make a scented pomander. 


Make a tasty cooking oil by infusing 3 T of citrus peel and 1 c. oil in a jar for up to 2 weeks, shaking the jar occasionally. Strain it and use the oil for cooking or dressings.

Put in the garbage disposal, they can make it smell better.

Placed in a pot with water and simmered with spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, the peels can fragrance the house while they are warm. 

Lemon peel sprinkled with salt cleans silverware nicely.

Lemon peels in the dishwasher can actually help keep glasses from having spots.

Bugs hate lemons and oranges. You can rub the peels on your skin or you can also place rinds in door frames and windows where bugs might get in. If you mix the peels with warm water, you can pour it into an ant hill.

Using a microplaner, fine grate the colorful portion of the outer peel, avoiding the tart pith. This grated rind can be mixed into marinades, salad dressings, and used in reductions. 

Don't forget the wonderful uses for mojitos or margaritas, utilizing the peel perhaps cut into a very thing swirling slice put into the glass. 

How about infusing alcohol with the peel?  RECIPE HERE



Don't forget popsicles! When you juice them and make them into popsicles, be sure to grate a wee bit of the waxy peel surface for extra zing and health!






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