
Citrus peels can be used for many purposes. They are especially useful in cooking, but there are many more uses for citrus peels. The citrus family includes lemons, limes, oranges, mandarins, tangerines, tangelos and grapefruit. The multiple uses for citrus peels include using peels for flavoring foods, making candy, creating extracts and liqueurs, cleaning, deodorizing and deterring insects and animals.
Zesting is used in cooking to flavor dishes. By using a microplane zester slivers of citrus fruit peel is yielded. These slivers hold tons of flavor and easily share that flavor with the dish being prepared. Create your own lemon pepper seasoning by adding lemon zest to freshly milled pepper. Flavor your olive oil with lemon zest. Place lemon zest in olive oil, allowing it to stand for two weeks. Afterwards strain it to remove the zest and your olive oil will have that fresh lemony flavor. Infuse your tea with lemon zest for an extra flare. Just add lemon zest before you boil your water, strain the hot water and dip your tea bag or ball as usual in the lemony water.
Candied citrus peels are a pleasant treat and they are very easy to make. After peeling your citrus fruit, remove any pith and membrane adhering to the peel. After blanching the peel repeatedly, the next step is to cook the peels in sugar water. When they are nearly translucent they are done. Dip them in sugar and allow them to dry on a wire rack.
Another great use for citrus peels is in making citrus extract. It can come in handy when fresh fruit isn’t available. By using citrus peels, vodka and time you can create your own citrus extracts. These extracts store well and can be use much later for use. You can also make your own citrus liqueurs using grain alcohol and some spices. Again, you need a lot of patience for this process to complete, but when it does, you’ll have a tasty liqueur.
You can also use citrus fruits to clean when combined with white vinegar. Citrus peels can also freshen up the sink drains and garbage cans as well as the garbage disposal. Citrus peels can even be used as deterrents for ants, roaches and fleas. The scent even makes cats shy away from areas yielding the strong fresh odor of citrus peels.
Uses for citrus peels are numerous. The great thing about them is where ever they wind up the food that’s cooked with the zest and the areas where the peels are distributed always smell nice.
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