Make a Batch of Dried Orange Peel

I normally don’t remember to do this anytime I eat an orange – but recently I’ve been playing around with so many recipes that use orange – that I decided, why not make a big batch of it to have it on hand.

And good thing I did! 

Maybe it’s the season, maybe it’s all the citrus essential oils in the air…

but this project made me feel really happy and the final results are going to bring you many more moments to enjoy!

Go ahead and get yourself 3-5 oranges. You can eat the fruit in a big leafy green salad, on it’s own or cut it up and freeze it to make green smoothies in the mornings… or have sangria with dinner.

But for now, we’ve got plans for all that peel!

I’m going to share five ways to use dried orange peel, but first here’s how you make it…

How to make dried orange peel

Scrub the orange clean and then peel the outer skin trying not to pick up the white part inside…

Peeling oranges

nothing too precise, you can easily carve away any of the bitter, white pith that comes up…

Removing pith from oranges

just like that

Removing the pith from oranges

Keep peeling and de-pithing the whole orange…

I love when you get a long piece in one single slice – it’s so gratifying!

Long slices of orange peel

Once you’ve peeled the whole orange – stack up a few slices together, and then cut them into strips.

Or you can leave them in large pieces if you wanted – I guess it depends on what you’re doing with your orange peel!

I’ll give you some ideas for that at the end…

Cut orange peel into strips or large pieces

I did strips and pieces to show you how they both turn out…

Cut orange peel into strips or large pieces

Set your oven to the lowest temperature setting and then lay down baking paper on an oven tray or cookie sheet

Lay your orange peel on baking paper

and arrange your orange peels…

Lay your orange peel on baking paper

Lay your orange peel on baking paper

Lay your orange peel on baking paper

Isn’t that pretty! Proudly walk your beautiful tray over to the oven…

To dry orange peel, place in a warm oven

…and place them in. It should be just warm – not hot!

To dry orange peel, place in a warm oven

They need about 20-30 minutes. I’ve learned to leave the oven door cracked open just a bit, because they can go from starting to dry – to burnt in just a second! Even this batch was almost on the verge… so keep your eye on them!

Once they start to curl and harden, they’re done.

And then you have all this concentrated flavour and aroma to use in so many great ways!

Dried orange peel coming out of the oven

Dried orange peel coming out of the oven

You can also chop the orange pieces into smaller bits or grind it down fine.

Ground orange peel, chopped orange peel, sliced orange peel, and dried orange peel pieces

And then just keep it in an airtight container….

Store dried orange peel in an airtight container

Store dried orange peel in an airtight container


Five ways to use dried orange peel


1. Marinades

Make a really delicious marinade for chicken or fish with olive oil, ground orange peel, thyme for chicken or dill for fish. Basil for both. You can add in salt, pepper, some garlic and you’ll have tons of flavour very easily.

Grind up the dried orange peel to fine grains for your marinade

2. Infusions

In an air-tight jar, add in strips of dried orange peel to 1/4 cup of olive oil. In just a week, the flavour will start coming through and you’ll have an orange olive oil that’s great for salad dressings and cooking. The longer it infuses, the more flavourful it becomes.

You can also infuse oil for your body! My Autumn Body Glow Oil has dried cinnamon sticks, cloves and dried hibiscus – but you can add orange peel as well and it will smell absolutely amazing! Get the recipe in the free Autumn Starter Pack!

Strips of dried orange peel would be good here


 did you know: orange zest has more vitamin c than the fruit inside!


3. Flavoured Salt

Grind the orange peel and mix it with dried herbs like thyme or rosemary and your favorite salt. It makes a good and simple gift to give – or keep it in your kitchen for adding extra flavour very easily to your food.

Finely ground orange peel would be good here.

4. Tea

If you love flavored tea, a piece of dried orange peel to your green or black tea will add a nice twist of flavour.

You can also make a bath tea! Add a few pieces of orange peel to a warm bath. Get a small cotton muslin bag, and fill it with orange peel, a cinnamon stick and epsom salts – and you’ll be in heaven!

Strips or pieces of dried orange peel would work great.

5. Potpourri

Orange peel looks beautiful and makes a simple natural decor. You can mix it with other Autumn spices like cinnamon sticks and cloves. Add a few drops of orange essential oil to boost the fragrance as it needs.

I think strips or pieces of dried orange peel would be perfect here!

33 responses to “How to Make a Batch of Dried Orange Peel”

  1. I am so happy that someone else is doing this. My friends told me I’m crazy when they saw my orange zest.
    But I use for a body scrub. And now you gave me more ideas.
    Thank you!

  2. Thanks Marisa,

    I enjoy your posts and find them very useful. I love the smell of citrus and have dried oranges off and on for various projects. Your way is simple and very easy to do.

    Alice G

  3. I find that its not necessary to put them in the oven, they dry fine on a plate on my kitchen counter! I love adding them to tea. I do the same for lemon, as well.

    • This is what I do, too. I set them on paper towels and leave them near the window on a bright, sunny day. If the strips are thin enough, they’re dry in a few hours. All natural!
      Thanks for these great suggestions, Militza.

  4. I really loved it, thanks for the advice of making dried in short time. Normally orange peel powder made of recipes used for face pack that gives best result for all skin types, this is most useful tips 🙂 thanks for sharing with us 🙂

  5. My husband dries the orange peel for only a day or so. They are then good for lighting our fire! I quess it must be the oils. Not only efficient but also they smell lovely. ?

    • That is the coolest idea ever Becca! It’s a bit early for this, but a citrus fire starter bundle…. I think you guys have your Christmas presents sorted!! 🙂

    • Hi Tammy! I started making this in my gas oven… so from my own experience, I’m not sure what temperature would be best. But I always set it low and slow! It can burn easily! That’s a really good idea for how to use your orange peels! Let me know how you get on.

  6. Hi Melitza
    Thanks for the method of drying citrus peel. Here is some information on how to use it to assist the body processes. Chinese Traditional Medicine uses it in combination with many different herbs. Here are the properties of dried orange/tangerine peel:
    Its called GHEN PI and is spicy, bitter, warming, aromatic!
    Used for:
    1. Nausea, bloating, stomach-ache, regulating the energy of the spleen and stomach
    2. Dries dampness in the body and dissolves phlegm. Helps with low appetite, fatigue, loose stools, diarrhoea, and when the tongue has a greasy coating and is pale pink.
    3. Assists ameliorate coughing when spleen is weak and so assists the lungs. (the spleen (PI) governs the lungs) symptoms include wheezing, chest pressure.

    take 3-9g of ground skin.

    Hope this helps …….. Michael Cole (acupuncturist)

  7. Hi
    I stumbled across your site by accident (was looking for good ways to dry peel to put in a Negroni!) ☺️ I hate wasting peel and bake a lot – often needing zest etc too so already have lots of fab ideas and the tea and body scrub sounds Delish.
    It’s such a great place! Love it!
    Cheerio
    Helen

  8. Using citrus peels, oranges, tangerines, etc., put them into a jar and fill with white vinegar. Then, using a sealing lid, put them in a dark place for a few weeks. Every now and then turn the bottle a few times and let it rest again. After a month or so, gently pour the liquid through a filter, like a coffee filter, and then put in a small plastic spray bottle, or a pour bottle. Great for all around cleaner — counters, windows, etc. 🙂

  9. How does the drying process effect the vitamin c in the rind? I am always confused about how processing effects nutrition. Thanks in advance for comments

    • Hi Carolyn! Yes, Vitamin C content will go down – I did read once that if you dip the rinds in the orange juice first before dehydrating them in the oven, it will help to retain more vitamin C….

      At the end of the day, when you dehydrate the rinds low and slow – they will be fragrant and flavourful – and add lots of benefit/flavour to your food/bath and enhance the experience! 🙂

    • You won’t believe but they are as fragrant as they were before drying and grinding. Without any added fragrance or something. Nature is surely the best!

  10. I also dry orange peel, however I do not turn the oven on, just the light. The light heats the oven to 115 F and will not burn the peel. Place prepared peel on cookie sheet and leave in oven, with door closed until curled and hard.

  11. Is there enough flavor in dried orange peel to use as a flavoring in making glazed pecans? I love cinnamon glazed pecans and I would like to make some orange glazed pecans, but I don’t want them to be sticky so I had rather use a powder flavoring rather than the liquid flavoring.

  12. Hi iam looking for an help i have to dry orange peel and pomace in large scale/5 kg which drying methods can be used?

  13. I want to dry them in the oven and use them in tea but i worry about the pesticides. How much is removed by scubbing?

  14. Hi! I want to use these for bath salts, will they stay good in a zip locked bag of bath salts for an extended amount off time?

  15. What a wonderful webpage, I will use the link in my blog. But I have one question, is it ok to leave the white skin on the peal?
    Thank you,
    Agnes

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