My article about using dehydrated orange peels in my tea, for the vitamin C,( Went to Town, Came Back with Germs), got me looking for other uses for citrus peels. They smell great, but I don't like wasting them in a garbage disposal, and though I do have a mulch pile for composting, it has become more and more rare that I put kitchen scraps in it.
Not only can can you dehydrate almost any fruit scraps for tea, but vegetable scraps can be used in soups and stocks, and some can be regrown (see Growing Celery From Scraps).
The article excerpt below is from wikihow.com, and has several links to recipes and how-to's for candied peels, brandy, etc...
Citrus peels can be used in myriad ways instead of simply tossing them out or composting them. In a household that consumes many oranges, lemons, grapefruit,tangelo, and other citrus, making use of the peels can save you money and produce some wonderful results. This article presents a few suggestions to get you started.
Always wash the peel extremely well before use. If possible, prefer organic sources rather than those which have been sprayed, especially for any food or internal use. If you can't get organic fruit, use a very good fruit and vegetable scrub to remove chemical traces.
There are many types of citrus, including orange, mandarin, kumquat, grapefruit, lemon, lime, pummelo, citron (citrus apple), tangerines, etc.
LEMON - There are so many potential lemon peel uses that entire chapters in books have been devoted to it.
- Peel a lemon and use it to bathe yourself in the shower. It leaves your body and hair smelling fresh and clean.
- Citrus peels such as peel of lemon work well for roasting chicken. Put peel into the chicken and roast. You will find a great smelling and good tasting chicken.
ORANGE - •-Use the peel to keep your brown sugar soft by putting it in the packaging with the brown sugar.
•-Make candied orange peel.
•-Make preserved orange peel.
(Of course my contribution here is to dehydrate them and use in medicinal teas)
OTHER USES FOR CITRUS PEELS:
•-Use to flavor water. Add any citrus peels to a pitcher of water and put in the refrigerator. Now you can enjoy the taste of water even more.
•-Use any type of citrus peel and candy it. It is very sweet and a great snack for the kids.
•-Make marmalade, chutney, jam, and savory sauces using citrus peel.
-Add a slice of citrus peel to brown sugar to stop the sugar from going hard.
Read the entire article here...http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Citrus-Fruit-Peels-in-the-Home-and-Garden