While the aromatic flesh of an orange is appreciated and loved, the peel just comes off and goes away. That's a shame, because it also has the fresh scent of the south. Read how to dry it for tea and baking here.

Only the skins of organic oranges should be used for consumption

Must be organic

Conventionally grown fruit carries a lot of residue from pesticides and other chemicals used in agriculture on its skin. If only the inside of the orange is eaten, that may still be acceptable. They have no place on bowls that are used in the kitchen.

Pieces, zest or grated?

The peel can be cut to the desired size or grated before drying.

  • small pieces of peel look decorative in the tea
  • grated peels are ready for baking
  • Long orange zests are ideal for a fragrance potpourri

The three ways to a successful drying

There are three possible alternatives for drying orange peel:

  • Air drying
  • Drying in the oven
  • Drying in the dehydrator

Orange peels can also be dried in the microwave. Since this type of drying does not deal particularly gently with the delicate orange aroma, it should only be used as an exception.

Air drying

Spread the shells out on a wooden board and place in a warm but dry place. Turn the shells from time to time. After a few days they are completely dry.

tips

You can also cut out motifs from orange peels, e.g. B. stars or hearts. To prevent them from curling when drying, they should be placed between two layers of kitchen paper and weighed down with another wooden board.

Drying in the oven

Larger pieces dry faster in an oven.

  1. Preheat the oven to 50°C.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Scatter the orange peel evenly on top.
  4. Place the sheet in the center of the oven for 2-3 hours.
  5. Leave the door ajar to allow moisture to escape.

Drying in the dehydrator

The washed, dried and chopped peel is distributed evenly in the dehydrator. There it dries at 50 °C for about 2-3 hours. If you can crumble the shell with your fingers, it has reached the optimal degree of drying.

durability and storage

Dry orange peels retain their flavor for at least two months in a tightly sealed jar.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden