5 Ways I Use Citrus Peel (easy, zero waste)

November 12, 2023

reading time: 6 min

It's citrus season where I live. Since excess citrus isn't good on a compost pile, and I am always looking for ways to reduce waste, here are five ways that I make use of citrus peel.

1. Citrus Peel as Seasoning

Whenever a recipe calls for freshly squeezed orange juice, I first peel the orange using a potato peeler. The strips of peel will be very thin and perfect for drying. Only use organic oranges for this! Only then do I go on to juice the orange for the recipe - it doesn't work the other way around, because the peel will be too wobbly once the orange is juiced.

To dry the orange peel strips the "natural" way (i.e. not in a dehydrator or oven), place them on a cooling rack for cookies, or a proper herbal drying rack, or - as I usually do - place them in a metal sieve on top of a small plate.

Once the peel has dried, store it in an air-tight jar or small bottle for culinary use.
I regularly use small pieces of it in my oatmeal (especially paired with cacao and cinnamon) as well as in cookies, cakes and smoothies. Or you can use it to make a lovely citrus tea, or mix it with sea salt to make a zesty salt blend. It's also a great addition to vinaigrette salad dressings. For it to be used in a dressing, either use fresh peel, or soak the dried peel in some water for a short while for it to soften up before adding it to the dressing.

You could also do this with lemons, however I personally don't enjoy the taste of lemon peel in desserts as much, so I usually don't do it. I can imagine it tasting great in a Moroccan stew, though!

Freshly peeled orange peel prior to drying.

Fully dried orange peel. Store in an air-tight jar.

2. Citrus Peel as Hair Conditioner

Next up, for my homemade hair conditioner for hair growth you need rice, water, and - you guessed it - citrus peel! This can be anything from oranges and lemons to grapefruits or pomelos.

To "harvest" the rind, you can either use the same peeling method from before, or (since you are not going to dry the peel, but infuse it) simply peel it with your hands. Of course, you could also use dried citrus peel for this!

For the hair conditioner, follow the instructions in the dedicated blog post.

3. Citrus Peel as Cleaning Agent

A common cleaning agent in the zero waste / eco / sustainable / minimalist / natural-living / vegan (?) community (yes, writing it like that feels a tad bit sarcastic, but I guess I fit into all of these categories, so it's fine) is vinegar. Plain white vinegar. By adding citrus peel, you get the benefit of a nice(r) smell and an enhanced cleansing effect due to their citric acid that breaks down grease and lime, as well as their essential oils with antibacterial and antifungal properties. Again, this can be any type of citrus fruit, from Meyer lemon to tangerine.

To make a Citrus Vinegar, simply place the rinds of any type of citrus fruit, or a mix of all, in distilled vinegar. Alternatively, you could use dried citrus peel for this. You could also add fragrant herbs such as rosemary, lavender or lemon balm to the mix.

Allow to soak for 1-2 weeks before straining it. Transfer to a bottle, preferably one with a spray top, and use for cleaning around the house. Do not use on marble surfaces as they might be damaged by the acids in this cleaner!

4. Citrus Peel as "Scrubber"

Combining the aforementioned properties of the citric acid and essential oils with the physical exfoliating effect of the citrus peel, squeezed citrus halves make for great scrubbers. Lemon or lime are best for this.

Once you've squeezed your citrus half for baking or cooking (see notes!), use the leftover rind to scrub any grimy sinks, faucets, or even shower tubs. This pairs very well with using (citrus) vinegar and/or baking soda, by the way.

5. Citrus Peel as Cutting Board Cleanser

Similar to the previous point, used citrus halves can be used to remove strong odors and unpleasant bacteria from wooden cutting boards. Sprinkle some coarse salt over the surface of the cutting board and use the leftover citrus half to scrub it in. Again, lemons and limes work best for this.

I also like to spray some white vinegar or homemade citrus vinegar on the board as well for a stronger sanitizing effect. Rinse the cutting board with hot water once you're done scrubbing.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

(Sorry, I just had to.)