Great Uses for Lemon Peels

Lemons have a lot to offer: they’re delicious, refreshing and have an aroma that can upgrade many dishes. Adding a bit of fresh lemon juice to a cup of water in the morning can do wonders for our level of alertness throughout the rest of the day. But what about those lemon peels? 

If you like to add lemon to your diet on a regular basis, you probably throw the peels in the trash. Did you know, however, that the peels are incredibly rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibers that can increase your food’s nutritional value, aid in house cleaning, and even be used to maintain your skin’s health? The following recipes will show you how you can add lemon peel to your day-to-day life with ease.

1. Homemade Lemon and Herbs Butter

Would you believe that you can enjoy this delicious butter without going to a fancy restaurant? Simply turn the plain butter you’ve got at home into a gorgeous and delicious lemon and herbs butter you can enjoy at every meal.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup chopped mixed herbs (such as chives or parsley)

• ½ cup butter (softened)

• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest

• Pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix the butter, zest, and herbs. Stir and season to taste.

2. Transfer the content to a baking sheet, roll it into a cylinder and fold the edges.

3. Wrap the baking sheet with aluminum foil.

4. Refrigerate until the mixture solidifies. The butter can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen for 3 months.

2. Candied Lemon Skins

This is an unusual treat, and if you want to keep the peel's sour flavor, just use less sugar than called for in the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 large lemons

• 2 cups of sugar

• 8 cups of water

Preparation:

1. Peel the lemons and cut the peel into thin strips.

2. Place the peel on a cutting board and remove as much of the fruit as you can using a sharp knife.

3. Boil 2 cups of water in a medium-sized pot. Add the peel strips to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. This will remove most of the bitterness in the peel. Remove the peel strips from the water.

4. Repeat the process 2 more times, using fresh water each time.

5. Empty the pot, add 2 new cups of water and 2 cups of sugar. Let it simmer to produce a sugary syrup.

6. Lower the heat and add the lemon peel. Cook the strips in the syrup for an hour – they should become soft and translucent. Use a fork or tongs to remove the strips from the syrup and leave them on a drying rack to dry out – this should take a few hours.

7. After removing the strips from the water, you can sprinkle sugar on them. (optional)

8. Move the dry peel pieces to a sealed container. The dried peel pieces will stay fresh for several days at room temperature, or for several weeks in the fridge.

3. Add Some Zest to Your Olive Oil

Transform your plain olive oil into a delicious and nutritious lemon-oil. This upgrade will have your guests begging for the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of olive oil

• 2-3 tablespoons of lemon zest.

Preparation:

Combine the zest and oil in a sealable jar and leave it for 2 weeks. Give the jar a good shake every few days. Finally, use a sieve to remove the zest from the oil and store in the fridge.

4. Jazz Up Your Drinks with a Lemony Ice-Cube

Add some extra flavor to any drink you serve this summer by adding a couple of fancy lemon ice-cubes. Cut the lemon peels into spirals and remove as much of the fruit as you can from them (this will make it less bitter). Cut the spirals to fit in an ice tray, fill the tray to the half-way point and put one spiral in each segment, making sure a small bit stays out of the water. After freezing, you’ll be left with fancy-looking ice cubes.

5. Make a Lemon-Pepper Seasoning Mix

This seasoning mix can work for almost any kind of dish whether it’s a salad, fish, or chicken. Preparation is very simple, and the ingredients are 100% natural.

Ingredients:

• Zest from 5 lemons

• ⅓ cup black pepper (whole)

• ¼ cup salt (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix the zest and black pepper.

2. Line an oven tray with a baking sheet and spread the mix on top of it.

3. Bake the mixture for about an hour at 150°C (300°F), until the zest is completely dry. To make certain that the whole tray bakes evenly, remove it from the oven after 30 minutes and give it a shake, and then place it back in the oven.

4. Grind the pepper-zest mix in a food processor or a coffee grinder.

5. Once the mixture is ready, you can add salt if you wish.

6. All-Natural Ant and Pest Repellent

Place small pieces of lemon peels along your windowsills, doors, and any other cracks and holes that ants use to sneak into your house. Ants hate the scent of lemon, so they’ll be reluctant to return to that area again. The peels are also particularly effective against fleas, making them an ideal solution for pet owners that want to protect their 4-legged companions from those nasty parasites.

7. Freshen Up Your Home

The scent of fresh lemon can freshen up your home and get rid of unpleasant smells quickly and easily.

Freshen up the fridge: Place a few small pieces of lemon peel in the fridge. The skin will absorb any unpleasant odors while setting off its own citrus scent.

Freshen up the trash bin: Put a few pieces of lemon peels at the bottom of the bin to absorb the bad odors.

Freshen up closets: Sun-dry lemon peels and put them in small potpourri bags. Add spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and put it in your closets to keep them smelling fresh.

8. Effectively Clean Surfaces and Utensils

The lemon’s natural acidity is antibacterial and can help you clean many things in the kitchen.

Clean plaque residue in kettles: Fill the kettle up with water, add a few thin slices of lemon peel, and boil the water. Allow the boiled water to sit for an hour, and then empty and wash the kettle.

Remove the smell of coffee: If your coffee maker’s pitcher is starting to smell like old coffee, empty it, put some lemon peels, a few pinches of salt and some ice-cubes. Shake well and wash the pitcher.

Freshen up the dishwasher: If your dishes come out of the dishwasher smelling somewhat funky, add some lemon peel to the next load. This cleans both the machine and removes any foul-smelling residue.

Clean and deodorize cutting boards: After washing your cutting board with water and dish soap, rub the surface with the outside of a lemon peel. Let it sit for 30 minutes and then rinse.

Clean your microwave: Fill a bowl halfway with water and add a few pieces of lemon peels. Pop it in the microwave and run it on high for 5 minutes. The heat will boil the water, and the lemon-infused steam will clean the sides and top of the microwave. Once it’s done, remove the bowl (Careful! It’s hot!) and wipe down the surfaces.

Save your utensils: If you have old knives, pots, or any other metallic utensils that have lost their shine or have grime that simply won’t go away, there’s an effective solution you can use - sprinkle some sea salt on the utensils, then rub them with a lemon peel. Rinse and watch how all the dirt, grime, and stains wash away.

9. Foot Spa

If you want to soften any hard skin on your soles, boil water with lemon peels and let it cool down. Add ¼ cup of milk (bovine or almond), 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a few drops of essential oil of your choice. Pour the mixture into a tub and soak your feet in it for 20 minutes, then dab your feet dry.

10. Polish and Brighten Your Skin with a Homemade Scrub

This homemade scrub will help to soften your skin, in addition to brightening any sun damage it may have experienced. Similar to other exfoliating agents, avoid using this scrub on wounds or sensitive and irritated skin, as well as skin riddled with acne. To make this scrub, you’ll need to extract the lemon’s natural oils.

Ingredients for lemon oil:

• Lemon peels

• Coconut oil

Preparation:

1. Wash and dry the lemon peels.

2. Cut the peels into long, thin strips.

3. Put them in a large pot and pour the coconut oil on top.

4. Let the oil lightly boil for 5 minutes, and then put the mixture on the side to let it absorb all the aroma and flavor.

5. Sift out the peels and pour the liquid into a jar. (Store in a cool, dry place).

Ingredients for the scrub:

• Unrefined sea salt

• ⅓ cup lemon oil

• A few drops of essential oil of your choice (optional)

Preparation:

1. If you use crude sea salt, grind it down to prevent damage to the skin.

2. Mix the ingredients and transfer the mixture to a jar. Store in a cool, dry place.

Use:

Before turning on the water in the shower, put some of the scrub on a washcloth, exfoliating glove, or your bare hands. Rub your skin with the scrub in circular motions, and then proceed to shower regularly.

11. Morning Face-Wash

Many kinds of face washes contain alcohol and are thus not recommended for daily use, as the alcohol dries out and irritates your skin. You can rub the outside of a lemon peel onto your face before rinsing it. Avoid contact with the eyes.

12. Pamper Your Hands

Lemon peels can help you with most hand and arm-related issues, and can even help your fingernails shine.

Fingernail bleach – Clean stains from your fingernails by gently rubbing them with a lemon peel.

Soften elbow skin – Sprinkle some baking soda on the outside of a lemon peel and place it against your elbow. Twist the peel as if you’re juicing it for a few minutes, then rinse your elbow.

Lighten age spots – If you have age spots on your hands and arm, you can use lemon peels to lighten them by rubbing a small piece against the stain and leaving the juice on for an hour. Avoid sunlight until you wash yourself to prevent damage to your skin.

Eat the Peels of These 10 Fruit and Vegetables

In all probability, the first thing you do when eating an orange is tear off the peel and chuck it straight in the trash. Well, guess what? By doing this, you’re missing out on a load of nutrients. For example, an orange peel has nearly twice the amount of vitamins as the flesh inside, and though it might sound a bit gross at first, there are plenty of ways you can incorporate orange peels into your diet.

The same can be said for a lot of fruits and vegetables. Below are 10 foods with nutritious peels that you should be eating, alongside some suggestions on how you can add them to your diet.

Apples

An apple’s skin contains around half of the apple’s overall dietary fiber content. A medium-sized apple delivers 9 milligrams of vitamin C, 100 IUs of vitamin A, and 200 grams of potassium. By taking off the peel, you lose a third of those nutrients. To add to this, the peel has 4 times more vitamin K than its flesh, about 5% of your daily value. Vitamin K helps to form blood clots when you have a bad cut, and also helps to activate the proteins your body needs for cell growth and healthy bone maintenance.

An apple’s skin also contains the antioxidant quercetin, which can help lung function, ease breathing problems, and protect your lungs from irritants. Furthermore, it’s also believed to be able to fight off brain tissue damage and protect your memory.

 

Potatoes

A potato’s skin packs more iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C than the rest of the potato. For example, 100 grams of potato peel packs seven times more calcium and 17 times more iron than the same amount of potato flesh. Throw away the skin, and you’ll lose up to 90% of a potato’s iron content and half of its fiber.

Oranges

The peel of an orange packs twice as much vitamin C than the fruit inside. It also has higher concentrations of vitamin B6, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and riboflavin. The peel’s flavonoids have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.

As nutritious as orange peels are, you’re probably not going to want to start eating oranges whole as the peel is bitter and hard to digest. Instead, grate the peel and sprinkle it on to of a salad or in a vinaigrette dressing.

Cucumbers

The skin contains most of the cucumber’s antioxidants, insoluble fiber and potassium. It also contains most of the vitamin K. The next time you have a salad, make it a point not to peel your cucumbers.

 

Kiwis

You’ve probably been spooning out the green flesh from inside your kiwis for years, but this fruit’s fuzzy exterior is also edible. In fact, the skin contains more flavonoids, vitamin C, and antioxidants than the fruit – and double the fiber. So, ditch the spoon, wash the kiwi, and eat it like a peach.

Eggplant

An eggplant’s purple color comes from a powerful antioxidant known as nasunin, which helps to protect against cancer, especially in the brain and other parts of the nervous system. It’s also believed to have anti-aging properties.

Eggplant skin is also rich in chlorogenic acid, a phytochemical that boasts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and promotes glucose tolerance.

Mango

Researchers have found that mango skin contains properties that are similar to Resveratrol, which helps to burn fat and inhibits the production of mature fat cells. Mango flesh was also tested, but this did not produce the same results, which suggests that you need to eat the skin in order to get this beneficial property.

Mango peel also contains larger quantities of polyphenols, omega-3, and polyunsaturated fatty acids than its flesh. Mango skin also contains compounds that fight off cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Mango skin can be eaten raw, or cooked along with the insides. Another way to eat both the flesh and the skin is to pickle the entire mango.

Carrots

Since the skin of a carrot is the same color as what’s beneath it, the peel and its flesh have similar nutritional value. However, the highest concentration of phytonutrients is found in a carrot’s skin or immediately underneath. Just wash the carrot rather than peeling it.

Onions

Like apple and mango skin, an onion’s skin contains quercetin. Although the skin is not directly edible, you can draw out some of its nutrients by adding it to a stock.

Banana

Banana peel contains a lot more fiber than banana flesh, and is just as rich in potassium. The peel also contains lutein, a powerful antioxidant that plays a key role in maintaining healthy eye function. The amino acid, known as tryptophan, is also more concentrated in the peel than in the flesh. This amino acid helps to ease depression by increasing the body’s levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that affects mood.

Although the peel has a bitter taste and a tough, ropey consistency, an overripe banana becomes thinner, sweeter, and easier to chew. You can also put the peel through a juicer with the rest of the banana. Or, you can boil the peel for several minutes to make it softer, or throw it in the frying pan.