How to Make Dried Orange Peel (and a Tea Recipe) (2024)

Make Your Own

ByMerissa

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Have some extra orange peels and don’t want to make them go to waste? Make your own dried orange peel for recipes, cleaning, and teas!

How to Make Dried Orange Peel (and a Tea Recipe) (1)

Dried Orange Peel

I recently bought a large bulk amount of oranges as I promised my youngest son that we would make orange juice if I found a good sale. Not long after I told him that, I found a great deal on some no-spray oranges! I’ve really gotten into herbal teas lately and I’ve been needing some dried orange peel for the blend that I enjoy. But did you know it’s $18 a pound?? A little out of my budget. Luckily, it’s super easy to make your own!

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Be sure and wash your oranges well. You will want to use no-spray, no wax oranges to make dried orange peels.

When you decide you want to make dried orange peel, don’t forget about the best part of the orange, the inside! I used my simple little Juiceman Citrus Juicer to juice all of my oranges first. I use this simple method for Preserving Orange Juice or I place in jars and freeze.

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Once you’ve juiced your oranges, you should have plenty of peels left! If you’ve decided not to juice your oranges and are just using those that you are eating, just be sure and save the peels.

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Once you’ve juiced your oranges, dig your finger under the leftover pulp and begin to peel the leftovers out of the inside. If you get your finger in just the right place, the insides will come right out.

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Dice up your orange peel. I plan on using mine for tea so I just need it to fit in my tea infuser ball. You will want to cut your peel in the size that you need. I use my Rada Cutleryfor everything in my kitchen! 🙂

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Spread the orange peels out on the dehydrator and dry for at least 5-8 hours or until completely dry.

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Store the dried orange peels in an air-tight container. I like to use half gallon size glass jars for storing teas and things like this.

Uses for Dried Orange Peel

Since this orange peel contains the pith it will have a hint of bitterness and might not be the best for use in certain recipes where you are looking for the sweet orange taste. To get that flavor, you will want to peel your oranges with a veggie peeler so that you don’t have as much “white stuff”.

You can dry this orange peel in the oven if you don’t have a dehydrator. Just place in the oven at the lowest temp it will go (preferably around 150 degrees) and keep a close eye on it until dried.

If you don’t want to dry orange peel, you can use it as a wonderful cleaner. Just place the cleaned peels into a jar of vinegar and let it sit in the cupboard for a few weeks. After that, remove the peels and mix with water to create your cleaner.

You can use your dried orange peel to make an easy body scrub. Just pulse it a few times in the blender (some pieces are ok) and mix with a bit of coconut oil (or your favorite oil) and some scrub until a nice scrub comes together.

You can also make some tasty infusions if you love cooking with orange flavor. Drop some dried orange peels into vinegar or oil and let the mixture sit for several weeks until flavorful.

Making a refreshing bath salt is easy with the dried orange peel. Just pulse in the blender to finer pieces and mix with epsom salts in a 4:1 ratio (ie: 1 cup of epsom salt to 1/4 cup orange peel).

And of course, who can forget about potpourri? Blend your oranges with other dried items and sprinkle with a few drops of sweet orange essential oil to boost the scent. Beautiful and practical!

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Tea Made with Orange Peel

I love herbal teas! I especially love when I can make my own blends. You can try adding dried orange peel to a variety of blends but this simple one is my favorite.

Fruity Tea Blend

Blend the ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl and store in a glass pint jar. Place about a teaspoon of the mixture into a tea infuser and steep in hot water for about 4 minutes.

This tea is high in vitamin C and has a deliciously tangy, fruity flavor. Perfect for mid-morning or a mid-afternoon pick me up!

Have you ever dried orange peels? What do you use them for?

How to Make Dried Orange Peel (and a Tea Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

How to dry out orange peels for tea? ›

Use a knife to scrape off any pith clinging to the peels. No-cook method: Lay the strips on a plate (with the inside of the peels facing upwards) and let them dry in a warm, well-circulated, sunny place at room temperature for two to three days; until they have shriveled, lost their moisture, and are crisp.

How to make orange peel tea for weight loss? ›

When using fresh peel, wash the orange thoroughly before peeling. Boil the water in a kettle or pot. Turn off the heat, and add the orange peels. Infuse for 5 to 10 minutes and then strain and drink without adding sugar or sweetener.

Can you boil orange peels and drink it? ›

“To make orange peel tea, just combine fresh or dried orange peels and water in a pot with a lid, bring to a boil, and then remove from the heat. Allow the orange peels to steep for an hour or more before straining and discarding the used peels,” she said, sharing another method of making this tea.

Does boiling orange peel destroy Vitamin C? ›

Does boiling orange peel destroy vitamin C? - Quora. Yes, Vitamin C is sensitive to heat and oxygen so leaving the peels out to dry will deplete the vitamin C content, cooking them in water as in boiling, steaming or baking will also destroy the vitamin content.

Do orange peels go bad? ›

You can store citrus peels in the refrigerator in a sealed container and they'll last a few days. Orange peels tend to get soggy faster than lemon peels. In experiments I found that orange peels lasted 1 day at maximum crispness, while lemon peels could go at least 2-3 days.

Can I drink orange peel tea every day? ›

Drinking this tea regularly every morning can help to stimulate the digestive system and improve the absorption of nutrients from the food. Additionally, the high nutrient vitamin C content in it can boost your metabolism and immunity.

Can orange peel reduce belly fat? ›

Orange peels help increase your metabolism and burn fat from your body.

What does soaking orange peels in vinegar do? ›

By infusing the peels of a citrus fruit you will be able to remove any odours completely. Trust me when I say the vinegar will seriously smells like the fruit you picked.

What is dried orange peel called? ›

Chenpi, chen pi, or chimpi is sun-dried mandarin orange peel used as a traditional seasoning in Chinese cooking and traditional medicine. It is aged by storing them dry. The taste is first slightly sweet, but the aftertaste is pungent and bitter.

What are the disadvantages of orange peels? ›

The bottom line

Though often discarded, orange peels are rich in important nutrients, such as fiber, vitamin C, and polyphenols. Still, they're bitter, can be hard to digest, and may harbor pesticide residues.

How to make orange peel tea less bitter? ›

1 Answer. Try to remove as much of the pith as possible before drying peels or using them fresh. You can use a microplane or zester to remove rind without cutting into the pith. You can remove even more bitterness if you boil the rinds for one minute, drain, add fresh water and repeat.

Does orange peel tea help you sleep? ›

Pour hot water over some cleaned orange peel sitting in a small mug. Drink 20 minutes before bedtime (of course, just a little – so it doesn't make you wake up and go pee). Sleep like a baby guaranteed! Good for daytime anxiety, heartache as well!

Is dried orange peel tea good for you? ›

Orange peel in your tea has pectin, a substance known to clear bowel. If you suffer from constipation, try this remedy as a natural buffer to prevent it. Orange peel may also improve overall digestive health and fight acidity and heartburn. One single cup may also prove to be a good enough relief !

Can I dry orange peels in the sun? ›

Lay the peel out onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper. Cover with an umbrella fly cover and place outside in direct sunshine. Leave for about 6 hours; the peel will curl up and shrivel when it is totally dried - it should feel hard and crisp. Store in an airtight container in a dark place for up to one year.

How do you preserve orange peels for drinks? ›

Whenever you peel an orange, add the peel to a jar,before removing the white part. Cover with sugar and let sit. Over time, the sugar becomes a syrup and will preserve the orange peels. Keep in the refrigerator and use in your recipes.

References

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