Oranges

If you are having an orange, do you do anything with the peel, the pith or the pips?

Zest

If I am just having an orange to eat, I’ll often zest it into a small container that I keep in the freezer for the purpose. That zest can then be used for all kinds of things. Or sometimes, now, I pop the entire peel in the freezer

Peel

Well, I’ve found the peel from an orange is valuable resource! When you eat an orange, keep the peel. Pop it into the freezer until you have enough to use for something, or until you have enough time to use it.

Orange Sugar

Finely mix 4 tblsps sugar with orange peel in a blender. Then use this to sprinkle on pancakes, ice cream and other puddings

Candied Orange Peels

Or you can use the peel to make candied orange peels

The second life of an orange: candied orange peels, the Italian way

Infused Olive Oil

Make an AMAZING infused olive oil

Orange Bread

If you have a whole cup of zest accumulated in the freezer, use your leftover citrus to make this wonderful Orange Bread

Dried Orange Peel

Dried orange peel makes a delicious, piquant addition to a wide variety of both savory and sweet dishes. It’s very easy to make your own at home and it has much more flavor than the bought variety.

Pot Pourri

Or how about an Autumn Pot Pourri using your leftover orange peels?

Orange Oil Extract

Would you like to know how to make an orange oil extract?

Orange Cleaning Spray

Or how about an orange cleaning spray? I soaked some orange carcasses in white vinegar for a month, shaking it every day or so. Then strained out the peel and put in a spray bottle

Whole Orange Cake

If you have a whole orange to use, this gorgeous whole orange cake is the business

Lemons

I have discovered that there is absolutely no part of a lemon that need go to waste – zest, peel, flesh, pith and even the pips can be used. Well perhaps the flower stalk on the end, even that goes in the compost, so is not completely wasted!

Puréed Citrus Carcass

I discovered the amazing versatility of citrus peels simmered in water until tender and then whizzed up into a puree. See Lemons below. I’ve since done the same using just leftover orange peels, no orange flesh at all, and it’s amazing stuff! Full of flavour, can be stored in the freezer in leftover Indian takeaway raita containers, or other very small pots and used to

• Freeze in tablespoon portions for livening up curry and Moroccan dishes
• Add a little of the purée into a rhubarb crumble
• Add to scones – see below
• enjoy on toast, I spread the toast with soft cheese, then a little purée, and sprinkled with a little sugar
• add a little to carrot soup
• use to flavour home made ice cream

Recently, I had some wrinkled clementines, hard lemons and a lemon carcass. I decided to simmer them in some water, like you do for the lovely gluten free cake made with ground almonds. I make Nigella’s recipe when I make it for my coeliac brother.  I didn’t want to make that cake, but pureed the mixture in the same way as if I was. You just need to remove the pips and drain off the cooking liquor first.

I threw the cooking liquor away when I did this, I know now that that liquor is jam packed full of pectin. I’m going to need another freezer!

Citrus Scones

I used some of the puree to make some delicious scones, without using an egg, so would be vegan. Recipe on the FB post.

Citrus Greek Yogurt

Then added some to thick Greek yogurt, which was very yum. I used 1 tblsp puree to 100g yogurt, with 1 tsp sugar.

Marmalade

Then the last of it was used to make a pot of marmalade. I put 180g of puree in a thick based saucepan, added 180g granulated sugar and brought to the boil. I let it blip for a couple of minutes then put it into a sterilised jam jar. Made exactly 1 jam jar. Tastes delicious, not exactly like marmalade from the shop as it is made differently, but very good

Leftover Lemon Peel

Leftover lemon peels, those from lemons you’ve zested and juiced, can be used to make a fresh and zingy lemon syrup.

Or if you’ve juiced a lemon, make preserved lemons with them. An incredibly useful condiment to have in the larder.

If you are using a fresh lemon for juice, make sure to zest it first. Keep the zest in a small freezer box, ready for all those times a little zest would be good

If you’re using a fresh lemon just for the zest (and you don’t have any stashed in the freezer) make sure to juice the lemon and freeze the juice for when you need it. Also freeze the carcass for later use.

Once a lemon has been zested and juiced, pop the carcass into the freezer to use later. Keep all your squeezed carcasses together.

With all these little bits and pieces potentially being frozen – don’t forget the label! We’ve all taken something out of the freezer thinking it was one thing when it was quite another.

Pith

This Greek recipe for Spoon Fruit uses just the pith from lemons

Or you can make your own pectin using the pith

Pips

The pips from a lemon can be used very simply to make pectin for your preserves. You can put them in a saucer in a little water overnight when they will form a gel that can be used in your preserves. Or use them direct in the preserving pan, tied in a little muslin

I had no idea lemon pips could be used this way, indeed in any way other than planting in a little pot! Which admittedly is fun. You get a pretty little plant, which if you are really lucky, may even grow you a lemon

When you use a lemon, pop the pips into a small freezer container kept specially for the purpose, so they are there when you want them

Pectin

Pectin is actually a healthful thing to consume,  reducing blood LDL cholesterol levels.

If you want to, you can use the Pith to make your own Pectin

Limes

I’ll write something about limes later – so, to come

Grapefruits

Grapefruit peel too can be used to make pectin. Or you could dry the skin and grind it up to sprinkle on your morning yogurt

Grapefruit pith is very rich in antioxidants and nutrients and also soluble fiber which is going to help you feel fuller and impact your glucose reactions,” says Delbridge.

So, lots of ideas on what to do with peelings, pith and pips. I was throwing away all these things until I started writing this – although I was simmering the carcasses and finding the resulting pulp extremely useful!