The Simple Way To Use Orange Peels To Have Your Home Smelling Fresh

A perfectly ripe orange at its seasonal peak can be as sweetly delicious as any dessert. Peeling the fruit to get to those juicy sections inside only adds to the experience, as the essential oils in the skin release their bright fragrance. But the rinds get thrown out once they're taken off, wasting all of their aromatic power. You can harness their citrus scent and use it to keep your home smelling fresh by drying them instead, one of the no-waste tips to make the most of citrus peels, and turning them into powder for sachets.

Remove as much of the pith as possible from the peels with a knife before drying. If you've juiced the oranges, perhaps as a key to making delicious scrambled eggs or a refreshing upgrade for margaritas, take out the empty section skins as well. You could also use a peeler to remove strips from whole oranges, and then use the inside however you'd like. In warm weather, drying the skins in the sun for a few days is an option, spread out on a paper bag or newspaper. The quicker route is dehydrating them in the oven on low heat. Although you'll find different temperature directions, the best bet may be using the oven's lowest setting for the least chance of burning them. You'll know they're done when they break easily, which will take a few hours. Once they've cooled, use a blender or food processor to turn the dried peels into powder.

Make sachets by putting some of the powder into small fabric pouches. They'll not only give off their fragrant aroma wherever you place them in your home, such as closets or drawers, but they will also absorb odors.

Orange peel powder can freshen the scents in your home in other ways as well. Combine it with potpourri, mixing the peel with dried flower petals, fragrant herbs, and other aromatic components, and place it in different rooms in small bowls. The peels of other citrus, like lemons, limes, and tangerines, can be dried and turned into powder in the same way. Blending them would create sachets or potpourri with a combined citrus aroma, like orange and tangerine — or lemon and lime. Another option is to mix the powder with baking soda to make a deodorizer that you can sprinkle on your carpet before vacuuming, or put down the garbage disposal.

This eco-friendly way of repurposing orange rinds is useful in the kitchen as well. The powder brings bright flavor to baked goods like cakes, cookies, and tea breads, and to frosting and dessert sauces. It can be part of dry rubs and marinades, or perk up a smoothie or salad dressing. If you plan to cook with the powder, you may want to buy organic oranges and make sure to wash them before drying the skin. It's also a good idea to sift it to remove any bigger pieces that didn't break down well. While it's best when used within three months, you can store the powder in an airtight container for up to six months, or freeze it for up to a year.