Zero waste, you know that's our how-to-save credo .Fr.
What do you do with orange peels when you eat one? Do you throw them away?
Yet the skin of fruits and vegetables is full of flavors and vitamins.
Unfortunately, it's something we leave aside when it could be useful to us.
Some people are adept at peeling, and others are skin-eating.
Followers will tell you that there are nutrients and fiber found only in the skin, others remain skeptical because of the pesticides that can be found there.
Regardless of your peeling preferences, citrus peels, potato (and other root/tuber) peelings, avocado peels, and even cheese rinds all deserve a second life!
For all these tips, we advise you to choose organic products and wash them well.
And if you don't have the time or need those peelings right now, most of them can be frozen for future use.
Without further ado, here are 20 ideas for never wasting citrus and vegetable peels again. Watch:
To degrease a dish and clean the worktop, there's no need to take the panoply of chemical products out of your cupboards!
First sprinkle the oily area with salt or baking soda. It will act like an abrasive. Then rub with half of a used lemon.
This trick also works to degrease a cutting board or to clean the microwave. On the other hand, avoid lemon on sensitive surfaces such as marble.
Rejuvenate a glass coffee maker and make it shine easily.
Add ice cubes, salt and lemon peel to the empty coffee maker. Stir everything for 2 min, then pour and rinse well.
To remove limescale that builds up in tea kettles, fill the kettle with water with a handful of lemon peel.
Then bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Throw it all away and rinse well.
Pomegranate peels are perfect for coloring fabrics.
Use a stainless steel container large enough to hold all the fabric. Fill it with hot water and add the peels. Let stand overnight. Gently stir the water and the peels the next day, then remove the peels.
Put the damp cloth in this mixture. Let simmer gently for 1 hour. Let cool overnight. Remove the fabric the next day and rinse with cold water. Remember to wash fabric dyed with like colors.
Zest citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges or grapefruit) or make twists of the bark.
Remove the white part well and let dry about 3 or 4 days for the twists, 2 days for the zests.
Put in a blender and run on medium speed to obtain a powder. Store in a clean airtight container.
Make citrus extract powder and add it to sugar to flavor it.
You can also put twists of fresh bark in an airtight jar with sugar. Let the oil from the bark flavor the sugar.
Mix lemon extract powder with fresh pepper.
If you've squeezed lemons, limes, oranges, or grapefruits, but don't need the zest immediately, you can juice them and then dry them or freeze them for future use.
The zest is a very practical product to have on hand to decorate your dishes or make pastries.
If you don't have a special grater or zester, you can also use the small side of a square grater or a paring knife.
Try scraping just the outer layer, the white layer is too bitter. Freeze the zest in an airtight container.
To dry them, spread the peels on a towel and allow to dry, then store in a clean, dry jar.
Grind citrus peel in a mortar with a pestle to squeeze out the essence. Add a little olive oil to help.
Then place everything in a pot and pour more oil to cover everything. Let stand for 6 hours. Strain through a sieve and store in a clean jar.
Infuse citrus peels (or twists) in honey or vinegar. Let the flavors infuse and flavor the liquid. Filter it and store in a clean jar.
Toss clean potato skins with enough lemon juice and olive oil to coat well.
Spread the potato skins on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees. Turn them once, until they are golden brown (about 10 min). Season as desired.
Boil potato skins, onion skins, carrot skins, leek pieces.
Also add sprigs of fresh herbs like rosemary, savory or parsley.
Cheese rinds (not the plastic wrap, huh!) can be placed in soups to give them an awesome taste. This will be your little secret to improving their flavor and texture.
Cheese crusts can also be added to braised vegetables to add flavor.
If you too regularly come across a brick when you take out your brown sugar, here is my tip.
It has hardened because it lacks moisture. For this, try adding some orange peel (with traces of white peel) to keep it moist and supple.
If using fresh vanilla, after scraping the bean, add it in sugar to make vanilla infused sugar.
Sprinkle a banana skin on the flesh side with sugar. Use the sweet peel as a gentle peeling and natural exfoliant. Gently scrub all over your body, then rinse off in the shower.
To discover: The 10 Uses of Banana Peel You Didn't Know About.
To tone your skin, rub orange or grapefruit peel on your face (avoiding the eyes), then rinse gently with lukewarm water.
Rub the fleshy part of the avocado peel on your face to deeply hydrate it.
Potato skins can reduce puffiness around the eyes. Press the wet side of the fresh peels onto your skin for 15 min.
