There are loads of amazing ways to make the most of leftover orange peel so start putting it to good use today!
- Use orange peels for food.
- Zest up your meals.
- Stop brown sugar hardening.
- Make candied orange peel.
- Make orange peel-infused olive oil.
- Drink it in tea.
- Use orange peels for cleaning.
- Turn it into a sponge.
Bright, shiny and tangerine, the peel of the orange contains antioxidants and using it regularly in face packs will give you clear and brighter skin in no time. The peel has anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties which make it great for treating acne and oily skin. Orange peel is best used in a powder form.
Oranges, the citrus fruit with the pitted peel, are well-known for their vitamin C content which is a powerful antioxidant, helping protect your cell damage. They also contain health-promoting compounds known as flavonoids and are a good source of fiber, B vitamins, vitamin A, calcium and potassium.
How long does dried orange peel last at room temperature? Properly stored, dried orange peel will generally stay at best quality for about 2 to 3 years. To maximize the shelf life of dried orange peel purchased in bulk, and to better retain flavor and potency, store in containers with tight-fitting lids.
To make orange peel tea simply put fresh or dried orange peels and water into a pot with a lid on, bring everything to a boil and then turn off the heat. Let the orange peels steep for one hour or more, then strain them from the water and discard the used peels. Citrus peels are loaded with vitamin C and pectin.
Tone Your Skin
The abundant vitamin C and anti-oxidants in orange peels prevent your skin from getting too oily or dry. When applied to skin, they also work as a toner, removing dead cells and dirt and tightening pores.Place orange peels on the paper towels. Cover the orange peels with three or four layers of paper towels. Microwave at fifty percent for five minutes, rotating half-way through if your microwave does not have a carousel. Remove peels and store in a cool, dry place for two to three days, until completely dry.
Lay the peel out onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper. Cover with an umbrella fly cover and place outside in direct sunshine. Leave for about 6 hours; the peel will curl up and shrivel when it is totally dried - it should feel hard and crisp. Store in an airtight container in a dark place for up to one year.
Spread the orange peel in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 200°F oven until they curl and harden slightly – 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
You can take a few peels and freeze them, use them frozen or defrost if you want to but it'll also ruin the oils in the peel that give a nice orange zest when you express it over the top.
Then take the teaspoons of orange zest and put them in an airtight container. Put on the lid and label them if you feel like it. Put the container into the freezer. Now any time you need orange zest for a recipe, you can just grab the amount you need from the freezer!
Lemon Zest Soap. In a microwaveable bowl, add your cubes of glycerine soap. Add in drops of lemon essential oil and lemon zest and stir. Carefully pour into soap mold.
Five ways to use dried orange peel
- Marinades. Make a really delicious marinade for chicken or fish with olive oil, ground orange peel, thyme for chicken or dill for fish.
- Infusions. In an air-tight jar, add in strips of dried orange peel to 1/4 cup of olive oil.
- Flavoured Salt.
- Tea.
- Potpourri.
If you're also stuck with a surplus of
mandarins, don't be compelled to gobble them up.
7 Useful Things You Can Do With Leftover Mandarin Oranges
- Make mandarin orange juice.
- Bake a cake.
- Use them in your dishes.
- Make them into an organic detergent.
- Scrub 'em.
- Make mandarin oranges sorbet.
- Donate them.
While it may seem strange, the easiest way to eat tangerine peels is to just to throw them into the blender with the rest of the fruit. The citrus oil makes the entire smoothie quite citrusy but not unpleasant. All parts of the tangerine are edible, so don't worry about picking out seeds.
To make orange peel tea simply put fresh or dried orange peels and water into a pot with a lid on, bring everything to a boil and then turn off the heat. Let the orange peels steep for one hour or more, then strain them from the water and discard the used peels.
Peel It Into Strips. It's nice to always have the orange peel garnish on hand. Peel oranges before squeezing your morning cup of juice, then store the peels in a plastic bag in the freezer. You can also infuse the peels in marinades, syrups, and liquor.
Mandarins are a class of oranges that are flatter on both ends, have a mild flavour and are very easy to peel. Mandarins are usually available from November until March. Clementines are the smallest member of the mandarin family and are seedless. The peel is smooth, glossy and deep orange.
Over-ripened fruit – A common cause of dry orange fruit is when the oranges are left too long on the tree after they are fully ripe. Underwatering – If a tree receives too little water while in fruit, this can cause dry oranges. Too much nitrogen – Too much nitrogen can cause dry orange fruit.
1 medium-size lemon = approximately 1 tablespoon of lemon zest = 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. One (1) cup of lemon juice has only 61 calories (that's less than 4 calories per tablespoon) and no fat. The juice is 5 to 6 percent citric acid.
Sweeter and less tart than lemon peel, orange peel brings a bright, citrus flavor to everything from desserts to main dishes. Use it whenever recipes call for orange zest, substituting equal amounts of dried orange peel to fresh.
Sometimes a recipe calls for dried orange or lemon peel, and this can throw people for a loop. While dried citrus peels are sold in markets and, more often, in natural food stores, in other regions, they are difficult to find. Don't despair—the good news is that it's quite easy to make your own at home.
You can add another dimension to your favorite dish or dessert, or create lovely homemade gifts using dried orange peels. It's quite easy to dry orange peels, and you can do it in the oven or at room temperature, depending on how much time you have.
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.
