Sheldon’s Corner: 9 Genius Uses for Citrus Peels
Believe it or not, there are quite a few amazing uses for leftover citrus peels. Citrus is among the healthiest foods that contain tons of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. These nutrients are great at preventing diseases, helping with bone density, and improving cognitive functions. Aside from just ingesting citrus, you can use it to benefit your health and well-being in a number of ways. Instead of throwing your old orange or lemon peels away save them for any of the nine uses outlined below.
Infuse in Your Tea
Want to enhance your tea with a little nutrients and some extra flavor? Add your leftover citrus peels! To make your citrus peels into a homemade tea mix, simply leave them out to dry on a plate or a rack. After a few days, the water should have evaporated and they should feel crispy. You can also toast the peels in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit until they are dry. After they are dry you can chop them up and add with other spices to make a natural and yummy herbal tea.
Air Freshener
Citrus peels added to boiling water and spices can make a natural air freshener that will leave your whole house smelling warm and inviting. To get started toss orange peels, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves in a pot of water. Bring this pot to a low simmer and let it heat on your stove until the smells become pungent. Eventually, the simmering fragrance will fill your home. This is a cheap and effective way to make your home smell great without having to buy plugin air fresheners or expensive candles.
Teeth Whitener
Did you know that lemon rinds can also be used as a teeth whitener? Simply rub fresh lemon rind on your teeth to whiten and get rid of spots and stains. You can also add a pinch of salt to the lemon rind and rub on your teeth to get them sparkling white. You can also blend the lemon peel with water to make a fine paste to use on your toothbrush. Once you are done thoroughly rinse with clean water. Repeat this process three times a week or more for the best results. For exact instructions check out home remedies recipes here.
Anti-Wrinkle
The antioxidants and pectin in the lemon peels make for a fantastic anti-aging remedy. You can use lemon peels to make a natural anti-wrinkle mask if you mix it with other natural juices. Just mix up lemon peel powder with papaya juice until it becomes a paste. Put this paste on your face and let it rest for 30 minutes. Wash off with cold water and follow up with a healthy oil-based moisturizer. You can use this natural remedy every day or once a week for a refreshing face mask.
Candied Peels
Leftover citrus peels can be candied and turned into delicious sugary treats. Making candied citrus peels is easier than you think and can be used for a variety of desserts garnishes. To candy your citrus peels, cut them into long strips and toss them in a saucepan with water and salt. Boil the peels for 10 minutes and drain. Repeat this process twice as it will soften the lemon peels and take away and residual bitterness. After this, add cold water and sugar and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes. Once this is done let them cool on a piece of wax paper and roll in sugar while they are still wet. For more detailed instructions check out the recipe here.
Citrus Zest
Add tons of flavors to otherwise bland dishes using zest from citrus peels! There a ton of recipes you can make that use lemon and orange zest. For example, you can add citrus zest to creamy desserts such as yogurt, ice cream, smoothies. You can also add lemon or orange zest into baked goods like muffins and pies. To make zest simply grate the lemon or orange peels on a cheese grater or a specific zester kitchen tool. You can also freeze leftover citrus zest to save for later.
Vinegar Cleaner
Vinegar is a wonderful natural cleaner, but it has an incredibly strong smell that turns a lot of people off. Luckily, you can infuse it with citrus peels to give it a more refreshing aroma. Citrus peels also give the vinegar additional cleaning properties since it chemically reacts with oils to break them down. To make this natural cleaner add lemon or orange peels to a distilled white wine vinegar and leave in a jar for two weeks. Once this is done, strain the peels and add the leftover liquid to a spray bottle with a little water.
Garbage Disposal Cleaner
Don’t you hate when your garbage disposal starts to stink up the kitchen? Add citrus peels in your garbage peels after every few uses in order to deodorize the smell. This will keep your garbage disposal smelling fresh every time you use it. You can also use citrus peels to clean your garbage disposal. Add two cups of ice and one cup of rock salt to your disposal for 5 seconds. This will purge the drain of all extra waste. Once this is done, toss four to six peels along with cold water through your garbage disposal and run it for 5 to 10 seconds.
Ant Deterrent
Do you have ants and other annoying pests? Get rid of them easily using leftover lemon peels. Place a handful of lemon peels by the windows, door frames, or cracks where ants can sneak through. Lemon is a natural ant and pest deterrent since they hate the smell and stay away from concentrated areas with lemon. You can also boil the lemon peels in hot water and add that water to an essential oil to create a lemon spray. This spray can be used the same way as the peels.
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