We’ve been enjoying some citrus of late, mostly oranges but other fruits too. We save the peels in containers in the fridge and then put them to use in a bunch of ways. No sense in letting any of it go to waste, especially when you consider the price of organic citrus – waste not, want not.
In case you were curious about ways to use up your citrus peel consider the following choices:
- Dry the peel, either by leaving it sit next to the stove or in a dehydrator and toss the peel into your tea for an added flavor boost
- Candied peel is a favorite snack around here
- Grind dried peel and make some homemade scouring powder
- Toss some into your woodstove for a little added scent or simmer some in water for a lovely potpourri
- Use the zest to make citrus finishing salts
What is your favorite way to use citrus peel?
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I’ve been saving my peels to make the candied peels. Thank you so much for showing me how to do it! My kids tried the lemon peel and loved it and begged for more.
I’ve got another use: cat deterrent.
I read awhile ago that cats dislike the smell of citrus fruits. After holding an orange slice up to my two cats, I can say it’s true: normally, they would be curious and thoroughly sniff anything that’s offered to them, but they quickly back away from the orange pieces. I wouldn’t normally be interested in exposing my cats to something they don’t like, but one of them has a very bad habit of digging up/ripping out/otherwise destroying any house plants I try to grow. So I’ve started drying out the orange peels and putting a thin layer of them around the base of my house plants, just on top of the dirt. It seems to be working so far.
Oh, I like the cat deterrent. They have been using the bigger house plants instead of the litter box. I’ll have to try some. Seashells did NOT work, walnuts in the shell DID but I think it was because they get distracted and start batting them around.
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