That’s when I did some research and found out orange peels
are very useful. I posted about 10 Easy Ways to Use Orange Peels (you can read the
post here) and I started to put those orange peels to good
reuse. Since that post I experimented, researched, and found 10 more easy ways
to reuse orange peels.
If I don’t have enough orange peels for a project, I either
store orange peels in a container the freeze or let the orange peels dry on a
tray for a few days (no oven or dehydrator needed!) and store them in a jar in
my pantry until I have the amount I need.
For Everything
1. Make Orange EssentialOil. Instead of buying orange essential oil to use in projects, I make my own.
Technically, my tutorial is for making an orange oil tincture or extract which
is a little less potent than a pure essential oil. I use it for the same
purpose I just need to use a little more of the homemade verses the
commercially made.
For Food
2. For baking and tea. Make orange sugar by putting clean
orange peels in a jar of sugar and allow it to sit for one to two weeks. Remove
the peels and use orange flavored sugar in baking or tea. Yum!
3. Add a kick to your olive oil. Steep orange peels and
cranberries in a closed bottle or container for a few hours. Then strain the
fruit and peels from the olive oil and use the flavored oil to add a kick to
your cooking. It is best to do this in small batches because it will spoil
quickly. According to CNN, “Flavored oils made and used within about eight hours
are safe and good for you. Or you can make a flavored oil, keep it
refrigerated, and use or discard it within 10 days.”
4. Keep potatoes from turning purple or brown. Soak
blanched and sliced potatoes in a bowl of water and orange peels for a few
minutes before putting the potatoes in the dehydrator. The vitamin C in the
orange peels allows the potato keeps the potatoes from turning unappetizing
colors while dehydrating.
5. Enjoy an orange brandy.
Soak orange rinds (try not to include the bitter white part of the orange peel)
in a covered container of brandy for three to four weeks in a dark cupboard. Strain
the orange peels from the brandy and enjoy responsibly. The alcohol in the
brandy acts as a preservative (unlike the flavored olive oil.)
6. Make an orange spice rub to use on meat or fish.
For Cleaning
7. Make a spray disinfecting cleaner that cuts through dirt like buttah.
Steep orange peels in vinegar for 3 weeks. Strain the orange peels from the
vinegar and pour the mixture in to a spray bottle. The natural oils in orange
peel are an excellent cleaner that cuts through dirt and grease while the
vinegar disinfects (and acts as a preservative for the orange oil in the
cleaner.) Tip: do not use this cleaner on natural stone or granite because the
acid in the vinegar can mar the natural surface of stone or in the case of marble make
it fizz away.
8. Clear the air a musty drawer or closet. Wrap dried orange
peels in a piece of cheesecloth and put them in a closed musty drawer,
cupboard, or closet. The peels will remove the smell over time.
For Beauty
9. As a blemish fighting face mask. Soak an orange peel in
milk for an hour before scrubbing your face with an orange peel (you may need
to rough up the peel with your fingers to release some of the orange oil
first.) Allow the mask to sit on your skin for 15 to 30 minutes and rinse the
mixture from your face with only water to reduce pimples and dark spots. The fat
in the milk acts as moisturizer and keeps the citric acid that fights the
blemishes in the orange peels from drying your skin. The citric acid will make
your skin photosensitive during the day. You may want to do this at night to
avoid potential sunburn during the day.
For Light
10. Orange peel candles. Carefully scoop out the orange
pulp, fill the peel with olive oil and light the pulp wick to make a small tea
light (get the tutorial over at ApartmentTherapy .) It
might be best to use these candles outside since orange peels make good firestarters.
How do you use orange
peels?
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