Creative uses for citrus peel (that aren’t marmalade)

We don’t like food waste here at Australian Farmers, so we’ve found four creative uses for citrus peel you might not know about! Yes, whipping up a batch of marmalade or grating the zest for an orange cake are great ideas, but we think you might like these.

Homemade cleaner

Want an effective, natural cleaner that also smells good? Fill a jar with citrus peel and cover with vinegar. Put the lid on and leave in a dark place for a couple of weeks before straining into a spray bottle.

Deter cats

Do you have an extra friendly neighbourhood cat that strays into your yard leaving behind unpleasant “presents”?Cats don’t like the smell of citrus, so placing fresh peel in your yard is an easy way to get them to move on.

Fire starters

Winter is has arrived and if you’re going to warm up by a fire, try using dried citrus as the fire starters. The flammable oil in the peel helps fuel the fire. You’ll still need other kindling but it’s a great option instead of paper.

Orange peel tea

If you’re after a zest to your daily tea, try using some orange peel. There’s lots of combinations to try, but the simplest is to boil water with orange peels and add black tea leaves. You can also add a pinch of cardamom. Besides a flavour hit, the peel contains pectin which also helps with digestion.

If you’ve got an interesting use for orange peel, comment below!