In my house, we have been going through oranges like crazy. The stores have them all on sale, especially naval oranges and clementine oranges. The kids absolutely love them. I have been picking them up at buy one get one free specials, and two boxes or bags only last the week. Lemons have also been on sale, and I have been incorporating them into meals and making them into vitamin-C packed lemonade.
One down side of all of this citrus is that is is certainly generating a lot of peels. My garbage can sure smells nice, but I started wondering if there was anything else that can be done with them beside throwing them away. Here is what I came up with.
Turn them into candied peels and use them as garnish for deserts or in cannoli and puddings. Check in at the Food Blog or with the Food blogger to learn more about candied peels.
Use them in the the kitchen sink disposal to both clean and freshen it.
Use the peels to kill aphids in your garden. The aphids love the scent and are attracted to the peels, but it kills them.
Add the peels and some water to a blender or food processor and blend or pulse. Pour the resulting mixture in an ants nest early in the morning. The oils over-stimulate the nervous system of the insects to cause their demise.
Use the peels to fresher your car, lunch bag or any enclosed area that contains foul odors. Just remove the peels when they are completely desiccated and no longer smell sweetly.
Use the peels to make a home made natural flea spray for your pets. Boil the peels and then blend them with the water to form a thick pulp. Strain it over a large bowl and then pour the water into a spray bottle.
Do you have any more ideas for citrus peels?
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
Related Articles:
15 Creative Uses for Muffin Pans