How to Make Your Own Dried Citrus Peel at Home
Try this recipe for making your own dried citrus peel at home.
Try this recipe for making your own dried citrus peel at home.
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (0g)
- Sodium 0 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Use a fine-bladed paring knife or vegetable peeler to trim away just the colored part of the skin, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Not only does the white part have a bitter flavor, the peels will take much longer to dry if the spongey white pith is still attached.
- No-cook, hands-off method: Lay the strips on a plate (with the inside of the peels facing upwards) and let them dry at room temperature for 3-4 days, until they have shriveled and are no longer moist.
- Speed method: If you are short on time, you can also dry them in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven, spread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, for about 25-30 minutes. The peels will curl up and turn stiff when they're dry.
- Store the dried peel in a dark place, in a clean, airtight jar.
Substituting grapefruit for standard oranges changes the final aromatic profile completely, yielding a sharper, more intensely bitter edge that transforms spice rubs and heavy winter stews. Historically, preserving citrus rind emerged from the necessity of capturing seasonal harvests before refrigeration existed, turning ephemeral orchard surpluses into stable pantry staples used across centuries of European and Middle Eastern baking. Cooks frequently ruin this ingredient by leaving too much white pith attached, which introduces an unpleasantly bitter taste rather than the clean, essential oil-driven fragrance of the colored skin.
Removing only the outermost layer requires a very sharp, fine-bladed paring knife or a precise vegetable peeler. Leaving the spongy white interior behind traps moisture and drastically extends dehydration times. Two distinct paths exist for removing that moisture. Air-drying takes three to four days on an open plate with the inner side facing upward. Alternatively, spreading the strips on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven completes the process in twenty-five to thirty minutes.
Proper storage dictates placing the stiff, curled pieces into a clean, airtight jar kept in a dark cupboard. Stored correctly, the dried rind remains viable for months, ready to be ground into powders or simmered directly in liquids.
