Make Your Own Dried Citrus Peel at Home (2024)

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  • Ingredient Information
  • Basic Ingredients

By

Kyle Phillips

Kyle Phillips

Food, wine, and travel writer Kyle Phillips lived in Tuscany and developed his passion and expertise for food and cooking through travel.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 12/4/22

Tested by

Tracy Wilk

Make Your Own Dried Citrus Peel at Home (1)

Tested byTracy Wilk

Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 0 mins

Dry Time: 48 hrs

Total: 48 hrs 20 mins

Servings: 2to 6 servings

208 ratings

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When enjoying citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, you end up with a lot of waste. Unless you're adding tons of zest to your dishes, the peel ends up in the trash. It's a shame since there's a lot of good citrus flavor and aroma stored in the peel. You can certainly freeze citrus zest and peel, but one great way to preserve and harness this flavor is by drying lemon and orange peel, which are perfectly edible and can really add a whole lot of flavor to your cooking.

While dried orange peel and lemon peel are sold in markets and natural food stores, they can be difficult to find. The good news is that dried citrus peel is quite easy to make at home, and can be made with or without the help of an oven—no fancy dehydrating equipment required.

If at all possible, use organically grown citrus fruit with untreated, pesticide-free peels, and wash and dry them well before beginning. Oranges, such as navel, Valencia, or cara cara, are great for drying, as are lemons, limes, tangerines, and grapefruits. Once your peels are thoroughly dried, you can leave them whole or grind them in a spice grinder to form a fine powder.

A Complete Guide to Citrus Fruits

Make Your Own Dried Citrus Peel at Home (3)

"Making your own dried orange or lemon peel is now super easy thanks to this recipe. What I love about making this is you don't need any special equipment, and you can just let it sit out and dry. You can add it to tea or to sugar or salt for a flavored option." —Tracy Wilk

Make Your Own Dried Citrus Peel at Home (4)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 organic oranges

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Make Your Own Dried Citrus Peel at Home (5)

  2. Use a fine-bladed paring knife or sharp vegetable peeler to trim away just the colored part of the skin, leaving the bitter white pith behind. The white pith is not only bitter, but the peels will also take much longer to dry if it is still attached.Use a knife to scrape off any pith clinging to the peels.

    Make Your Own Dried Citrus Peel at Home (6)

  3. 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.

    Make Your Own Dried Citrus Peel at Home (7)

  4. Speed method: If you are short on time, you can also dry them in a 200 F oven. Spread them on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and dry in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. If the peel starts to brown, turn off the oven for a few minutes, and rotate the pan. The peels will curl up and turn stiff when they're dry.

    Make Your Own Dried Citrus Peel at Home (8)

  5. Store the cooled, dried peels in a cool, dark place in a clean, airtight container. They will keep for up to a month.

    Make Your Own Dried Citrus Peel at Home (9)

Variation

  • Substitute oranges for lemons or any other citrus, such as tangerines, limes, grapefruit, pomelo, blood orange, bitter orange, etc.

What to Do With Dried Orange or Lemon Peel?

You may be wondering what to do with all those dried peels. Here are a few ideas.

  • Dried orange peel or lemon peel can be used to make your own DIY co*cktail bittersor homemade vermouth.
  • Add them to a mulling spices mix for making aromatic hot mulled cider or mulled wine (vin brulé). Homemade mulling spices make a great holiday gift.
  • Add dried citrus peel to a marinade or salad dressing.
  • Make an infusion with your favorite extra-virgin olive oil.
  • Grind them up with salt in a food processor for a citrus-flavored salt that's delicious on vegetables, chicken, and fish, for example.

What Is Dried Tangerine Peel?

  • Basic Ingredients
  • Italian Cooking Basics
  • Citrus Recipes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
124Calories
0g Fat
32g Carbs
2g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2to 6
Amount per serving
Calories124
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g1%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 3mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 32g11%
Dietary Fiber 5g19%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 134mg672%
Calcium 89mg7%
Iron 0mg2%
Potassium 431mg9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • lemon
  • italian
  • fall
  • ingredient

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Make Your Own Dried Citrus Peel at Home (2024)

FAQs

Make Your Own Dried Citrus Peel at Home? ›

Heat your oven to 200 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Wash the fruit well and, using a vegetable peeler, remove long strips of the bright peel. Spread them out onto the prepared pan and bake in the low oven until dry and slightly curled up at the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.

How to make dried citrus peels? ›

Speed method: If you are short on time, you can also dry them in a 200 F oven. Spread them on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and dry in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. If the peel starts to brown, turn off the oven for a few minutes, and rotate the pan. The peels will curl up and turn stiff when they're dry.

How to dry lemon peel naturally? ›

You can place them on a large plate or tray and spread them out as much as possible. Then dry them in an area with enough sunlight. They should completely dry out within an hour to a few days, depending on the sun's intensity in your area.

How to make dried orange peel potpourri? ›

Just cut peels into thin strips, give them a bath in a little red food coloring to tint the pith (the light colored back) and dry the strips. After they're dry, add a few drops of sweet orange oil (essential oil of orange) and place them where you need them.

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 dry citrus at home? ›

Place the citrus slices in a single layer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake them at 170 degrees F (yes, very low) until they're completely dried out. Cool & enjoy.

Is dried lemon peel good for you? ›

Lemon peels are a great source of antioxidants including vitamin C and D-limonene, which help your body fight free radicals and cellular damage. Regular consumption of antioxidants such as D-limonene has been linked in studies to a decreased risk of type II diabetes and heart disease.

Why do people boil lemon peels? ›

Some people even claim that it can boost weight loss, clear up your skin, and enhance immunity. The beverage is made by boiling lemons or lemon peels in water. In some cases, people add other ingredients, such as ginger, honey, cinnamon, or cayenne pepper.

How long can you keep dried lemon peel? ›

How long does it last. Dried and stored in an airtight container, Dried Lemon Peel will last up to a year.

Can you boil orange peels for air freshener? ›

Orange peels make a home smell cozy and clean. You can boil orange peels with mulling spices like cinnamon and cloves to send a fresh autumnal aroma through the air. Boiling orange peels with lemon and grapefruit peels create a fresh, vibrant, and energizing aroma that makes your house smell clean and pristine.

How to dry citrus for potpourri? ›

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet.
  2. Using a serrated knife, thinly slice the fruit crosswise into thin wheels. Arrange the fruit in a single layer on the wire rack. Bake until dry to the touch, 2-3 hours for the lemon and lime slices, and up to 4 1/2 hours for the oranges.
Mar 7, 2016

How do you boil orange peels and cinnamon for scent? ›

All you need is orange peel and cinnamon for a delicious scent. Some other great add-ins are cranberries, apple peels or rosemary. In a large pot filled ¾ the way with water, add the orange peels, cinnamon sticks and cranberries, and any other add-ins.. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Can I dry orange peels in the microwave? ›

Dried orange slices make a classic decoration for trees and wreaths during the holiday season. They're also a tasty treat! After cutting an orange into 1 cm (0.39 in) slices, dry them using an oven, a microwave, a food dehydrator, or even natural sunlight. When the slices look and feel dry, they're ready!

How long to soak citrus peels in vinegar? ›

Fill a mason jar halfway to the top with the reserved peels. Pour distilled white vinegar over the top. Set aside to infuse in a dark place for at least 1 week, and preferably 2-4 weeks. The longer the infusion, the more citrus aroma, and color will be infused into the solution.

How to dry orange peels in the microwave? ›

How to dry oranges in the microwave
  1. Lay out a double layer of kitchen paper on a microwave-proof plate. Spread your orange slices out on top. ...
  2. Put the plate in the microwave. Select the defrost setting and set the microwave for 7 minutes.
  3. Remove the plate from the microwave and discard the kitchen paper.
Mar 30, 2021

How do you make dried citrus garnishes? ›

Using a serrated knife, thinly slice the fruit crosswise into thin wheels. Arrange the fruit in a single layer on the wire rack. Bake until dry to the touch, 2-3 hours for the lemon and lime slices, and up to 4 1/2 hours for the oranges. Cool, then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

What are the benefits of dried citrus peel? ›

They are enriched with vitamin C, antioxidants and minerals. Be it fighting pigmentation, reducing aging signs or minimizing acne breakouts, citrus peels serve plenty of skincare purposes, if used the right way. You can use citrus peels in the form of face packs, masks, scrubs, etc.

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