When the majority of us eat oranges and grapefruit or juice lemons and limes, we usually end up throwing the peels away. Occasionally we decide to get fancy with our cooking by zesting a lime, but that is usually the extent of our citrus peel use. There are actually many other ways to use the peels so you don’t waste them.
Most citrus peels are interchangeable when it comes to using them in the kitchen. If a recipe calls for lime zest, the world will not end if you use orange zest. When it comes to some of the peel suggestions we are about to list, the different peels may taste different by themselves. There are lots of nutrients in these peels so enjoy using them!
Dehydrate The Peels
Dehydrated citrus peels can be a delicious snack, but that’s not all they are. You can use dehydrated citrus peels to make comforting teas, or you can even grind them up and add them to a sea salt scrub for awesome exfoliating powers. Additionally, you can blend the dehydrated peels into a fine powder and combine it with a vegan protein powder for an added vitamin C boost.
To dehydrate your peels, lay them out on your dehydrator trays and dry them at 125 degrees until they are crispy. To avoid running the dehydrator all the time, you can store your peels in a container in the fridge and dehydrate them once a week. You can hang them to dry, but if your environment is cold or humid then they may mold. Warm and dry is best for this method.
Infuse Your Peels
You have a few options when it comes to infusing your peels into things. To make a natural cleaning product, you can put the citrus peels in a jar with some distilled white vinegar and let it sit for a couple weeks. Strain the citrus vinegar and you can use the solution for cleaning.
Sometimes you want a little citrus zing to your seasoning, but you don’t want to zest a lemon or lime every time. Place a little sea salt, black pepper, or chili powder, in a jar and zest orange, lemon, or lime into the seasoning. Shake it up and you have an exotic blend in your spice cabinet.
Compost Your Peels
Composting is a way of giving back to the earth, and a way to keep your soil healthy. All you have to do is place your citrus peels, along with other kitchen scraps, in a bin in your kitchen. When it fills up, go dig a shallow hole in the ground and bury the scraps. It is great for the soil!
We know it’s easy to throw these peels away, but there are so many things you can do them. Better to not waste things that have use!
