Don't Throw Out Citrus Peels — Do This Instead

While they are available to enjoy year round in American grocery stores, most citruses are at their peak in the winter. The bright, sweet, and acidic notes of blood oranges and tangerines are exactly what most of us need during the doldrums of winter, while lemons and grapefruits are quintessentially summer. One of the best things you can do to make the most out of your citrus haul, be it winter or any other time of year, is to use the peels on their own. Our favorite way to use leftover citrus peels is to candy them, turning a sour rind into a tart, sweet treat.

Candied citrus peels can be a deliciously sharp and sweet snack that's firm but chewy with a wonderful tang. They make a great garnish for a wide range of applications. Candy lime peels to top a key lime pie with a graham cracker crust, or use candied lemon peels to garnish homemade lemon bars for an elevated presentation. Candied orange peels are a perfect addition to other baked goods, like cranberry orange scones or muffins, and you can use them as a garnish or even chop them up and fold them into your batter for added texture and chewiness. The process of candying citrus peels is simple, and can be used for almost any type of citrus. Recipes vary, but most involve boiling and blanching the peels, followed by a long bath in a sugar syrup. 

Take your leftover citrus peels and trim away as much of the white, bitter pith from the inside as possible. Once you're left with only the fragrant outer rind, slice into thin strips. From there, blanch the rinds in boiling water a few times to remove their astringency and soften the peels. Then, the peels are simmered in sugar and water for about an hour. The candied peels can be stored directly in their sugar syrup, but most recipes will have you air dry the sugar-soaked peels for a day or two on a rack, before tossing them in sugar to coat and keep them separated. From there, the sugar-coated peels can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

Other than candying, there are a plethora of options tor those leftover citrus peels. They can be turned into a fancy cocktail garnish in two steps, or can be used to make infusions with other alcohols like a yuzu vodka or tangerine whiskey. Not all citrus-related beverages need to revolve around alcohol, however, including this decorative way to add citrus peels to iced tea. You can add dehydrate leftover lemon peels to add to salad dressings, and you can even make dried citrus peel powder, instead of throwing out citrus rinds, which you can then use in place of fresh lemon zest. Larger citruses like grapefruit or pomelos have a much bigger surface area, and therefore even more flavorful peel to put to good use, such as with these 11 ways to use leftover grapefruit peels.