I was able to find oranges on sale this week for .37 cents per pound, which was really exciting. Especially because they were actually *good* oranges. Do you ever buy oranges, only to bite into them and they have absolutely no flavor or are totally dry? Such a bummer. These are good, though. So we have an abundance of orange peels, and I just hate to throw anything away, so I thought I’d write a post about all the ways you can use orange peels.
(Note: When you’re planning to use orange peels for cooking or medicinally, organic is always best).
1. Orange peels can easily be dehydrated and saved for later use. You can dehydrate them in a dehydrator, in the oven or even just out on a cookie sheet. Alternately, you could freeze them so that you’ll have some available for orange zest the next time a recipe calls for it. The zest can also be ground into a powder to be added to any recipe that calls for orange zest.
2. Candied orange peel is also an option for your baking needs. Dipped in chocolate, it makes a delicious snack all on its own.
3. Like many fruits, oranges, and specifically the peel, contain a lot of nutrients, flavanones, antioxidants, and enzymes that can help your body perform better. This website talks about how orange peels are especially beneficial during times of respiratory issues. It works as a histamine and has irritation reducing properties, making it a fantastic addition to your medicine cabinet during cold and flu season, as well as allergy season. Consider adding some dried, frozen, ground, or fresh orange zest to your next smoothie or granola recipe for an added nutritional boost. It’s also great in tea! With a little honey, I might even be able to convince my kids to drink that tea. 
4. Multipurpose cleaner. This was my first experience with reusing orange peels. Fill a glass jar with orange peels, and then fill the container with vinegar. Place the lid on, and let the citrus infuse the vinegar over about 2 weeks. Then strain the infused vinegar into a cleaner bottle, and add an equal amount of water. You now have a great smelling, non-toxic, all natural, disinfecting, and deodorizing multipurpose cleaner. You could also add a cinnamon stick to the jar along with the peels for more cleaning power and a great scent.
5. Air Freshener: Orange peel in a small sauce pan with some water set to a simmer will have your house smelling great. Consider adding in some cinnamon cloves, or maybe even rosemary for some nice combinations. This is also effective at getting rid of a smokey smell.
6. Biodegradable seed starting pots!
7. Some charming orange peel garland. This is SOOO Little House on the Prairie. I love it! I have some baker’s twin that I just ordered for wrapping Christmas gifts…I think we’ll use that instead of the wire.
8. Use hollowed out orange halves to bake cinnamon rolls over a campfire. Love it, and it probably adds a really nice fresh orange flavor to the sweet rolls.
9. For the crafters: An orange peel bouquet, orange peel roses, and an orange peel topiary tree.
10. Winter is our favorite time to watch birds because they can’t hide behind all of the leaves on the trees. Winter is also the time when oranges go on sale. Coincidence? I think not. Orange peel bird feeders, and then get the kids involved and do the Great Backyard Bird Count this upcoming February.
11. Make some orange peel candles. All you need is an orange peel, a wick, and some olive oil. Frugal, smells great, and nice to know in case of an emergency if you don’t have any candles on hand!
12. Clean you garbage disposal.
13. Repel: mosquitoes, ants, cats, and slugs from your garden.
14. Fight acne and make a nice scrub.
15. As kindling to start a fire.
16. In your orange marmalade. Orange peel contains a lot of natural pectin, making it a great addition to jams and jellies.
17. A Vitamin C facial toner. Just some water and orange peels make this very frugal and easy to make…with great benefits to your skin. (Here’s a post where I talk about my other favorite homemade facial toner)
18. These Cranberry Orange muffins are one of our favorite winter breakfasts.
I could go on and on. There are so many uses for orange peels! But my youngest just dumped a box of crayons all over the floor, sending his 4 year old sister into a complete meltdown. And I should probably get dinner started anyway. You know…typical daily stuff for a house with lots of littles. 
In case you’re interested, I’m going to try this Enchilada Pasta dish tonight because it’s frugal, meatless, and looks really yummy. So I’ll leave you with these 18 ways to use orange peels. Whether for crafts, healing properties, or for food, saving your orange peels will only result in good things. So don’t throw them away. And if you just can’t bring yourself to have the energy to do something with them, compost them, because you garden will thank you later.
This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you clink on a link and then purchase something, I receive a commission. Thank you so, so much! This is a list of some of the awesome sites that I occasionally link my posts at. They’re all great blogs about anything from parenting, simple living, cooking, homesteading (backyard and large scale), gardening, Christian life, frugal living, etc. Check them out! The Prairie Homestead- Homestead Barn Hop, Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth- The Art of Homemaking, Homestead Bloggers Network- Tasty Tuesday, Backyard Farming Connection, Growing Home- Growing Homemakers, Wildcrafting Wednesday, So Much At Home, Hope in Every Season, Green Thumb Thursday, Home Acre Hop, From the Farm Hop, Farmgirl Friday, Front Porch Friday, Simple Meals Friday, Better Hens and Gardens, The Modest Mom Blog, Nourishing Joy, Home Grown and Healthy, Hump Day Happenings, Living Well Spending Less.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2014
Great ideas! I don’t usually like oranges, but for some reason I’ve been eating them lately. I’ll have to try out some of these! I especially like the idea of adding it with the vinegar.
The orange cleaner made with the vinegar is my all-time favorite homemade cleaner.
I hope you enjoy it.
Hmm…never thought about all these uses before! I especially like the idea to infuse vinegar for a green cleaning spray. I’ve tried the vinegar and water spray before, but the smell was so off-putting for my husband, he refused to use it!
Your fabulous post is featured on From the Farm Blog Hop on my site this morning. Thanks for the great tips! I have to try orange peal tea!
I add whole cloves to the orange peels and vinegar-they have antimicrobial/viral/bacterial properties and it smells really good!