Autumn and winter are considered golden months for citrus fruits. We eat them, we prepare juices: our home always smells of oranges, lemons or mandarins .

We live in the countryside and the fireplace is always lit in winter, so we put the peels to dry. But it is possible to dry them in many ways even without a fireplace.

 Orange and citrus peel should never be thrown in the trash because, with small tricks and simple procedures, it becomes very useful.

 Orange peel powder is an idea to use orange peel and take advantage of this very aromatic and fragrant natural resource.

Let’s talk about using oranges that have not been treated with wax and anti-mold

If we want to use the dried peels to enrich our dishes, we separate the peel from the white rest, which is bitter. 

Procedures for drying orange peels

1.Oven

 Drying orange peels is a fairly simple method, and you can do it in the oven by setting a low temperature.

Wash the oranges thoroughly and set the peel aside.

Place the orange peels on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and let them dry slowly in the oven at a very low temperature (about 50°C/100°F) for more than two hours. The skins should be very dry. Let it cool and check if the skins are well toasted, they must break up easily otherwise you have to put them back in the oven to continue their drying.

2. Air Fryer

We set the fryer to 140°C/280°F

We can line the fryer with parchment paper.

We follow the instructions of our fryer, but remember to turn the orange peels every 3 minutes or so, to prevent them from burning.

They will be ready when they are well dried but not burnt (check halfway through cooking).

3.Radiator

4.Food Dryer

5.Fireplace

6.Sun

Dried orange peels can be pulverized or left in pieces and stored in hermetically sealed glass jars.

To make orange peel powder: Place the peels in a mixer and chop them as finely as possible.

With the peels of two kg of citrus fruits, a small jar of powder is obtained.

You can dry the peels of other citrus fruits.

What to do with the orange peels

Dried orange peel can be used in different ways, for example to prepare oils, infusions or potpourri, but also in cooking to flavor a dish, make a dessert

Peels left whole are ideal

1.To perfume the linen and the environment. Just put a few pieces of peel in bags and close them. They should be placed in drawers, in the wardrobe or on radiators… A pleasant aroma will spread through the room.

2.to be used in the essence burner

3. added to herbal teas to flavor them.

4. very suitable for flavoring extra virgin olive oil, just add dried orange peel to the oil and let it rest for about 20 days shaking the jar from time to time, after the time the oil is filtered with a fine mesh sieve and can be used to season salads or in the kitchen.

Dried orange peels reduced to powder form are a valuable helper in the kitchen for flavorings

 5. A pinch of orange powder is enough to flavor: cakes, fruit salads, shortcrust pastry, drinks, creams, meats and fish.

6. We can very easily obtain orange-flavored sugar: add the desired amount to the sugar, stir it to distribute it well, transfer all in the glass jars and let it rest for a few days.

7.Same procedure for seasoning salt and pepper.

I propose a 100% natural potpourri with orange peels and clementines, spices and aromatic plants dried to taste. To enhance the natural scent of the ingredients, I recommend using matching essential oils.

NECESSARY

N.b. Spices and aromatic herbs are to be considered dried.Dried orange and mandarin peels (you can also use lemon peels if you want!)

Mint leaves

4-5 bay leaves

Rosemary

Chopped cinnamon sticks

Star anise

Essential Oils: Mint, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Citrus & Vanilla, Mandarin

Remember that Zesty means lively and invigorating flavor.

Have a look at some of our Zero Waste suggestions:

Nicolotta Cake

Zero Waste Tips about Lemons

Zero Waste Breadcrumbs

and many more.

Do you ever use dried orange peels ?