Last week we had to defrost our freezer. Over the months, I have been collecting grapefruit skins since I adore my grapefruit /orange peel vinegar for cleaning. It seemed silly to put this huge bag back in the freezer. So the grapefruit peels stared back at me and said, “what’s it going to be-compost or use us.”
Well, of course use them. That would be the logical choice, Spock. And it doesn’t hurt that I have become the queen of upcycling my food. Here are some of my ideas of how to use your orange and grapefruit peels. Be sure to add your ideas in the comments.
1. Make Citrus Peel Vinegar:
A year ago, my kids were eating at least two oranges a day! Hubs was eating several grapefruits a day. I was literally rolling in citrus peels. How could I simply compost these amazing smelling peels? So, I made orange and grapefruit vinegar for cleaning.
2. Make Grapefruit Zest
Often times, recipes will call for lemon or orange zest, which is the peel grounded up. I use a microplane zester, which is one of my favorite kitchen tools, to make citrus zest to add to my recipes. I add it to jams, ice creams such as raspberry or strawberry, or poultry dishes to make the food have a puckery delicious taste.
The taste of grapefruit zest on the other hand isn’t as strong as its cousins. Some say it is more bitter and you might want to blanch it before using. Here are some recipes where they used grapefruit zest blanched and unblanched.
3. Scour Your Sink
Great finds happen by accident. Grapefruit zest can easily be used to make scouring powder. Check out Crunchy Betty’s recipe. Scour away. I bet the smell is divine.
4. Face Mask
Adding to the list of grapefruit peel uses, is making a face mask using the rind. See a recipe here.
5. Salt Scrub
Why not use grapefruit peel to help scrub away all that dead skin on your body. Don’t forget your hands and feet. See here for a recipe.
6. A Tea for Coughs
On one of the forum boards, a poster mentioned using the rind to help with coughs. Basically, it is pouring boiled water over the peels. See here for the recipe.
7. Citrus Peel Candy
How many of you receive citrus peel candy for the holidays? I am not a big fan of it but it is a great way to use your peels. See here for a recipe.
For more wonderful grapefruit rind ideas, see Local Kitchen blog article.
Join the Conversation:
How do you use your grapefruit peels?
Kristina (The Greening Of Westford) says
I’ve only ever used my grapefruit peels for infusing vinegar. These look interesting! And I Love the smell of grapefruits.
Anna@Green Talk says
Grapefruit peel vinegar is wonderful. Let me know if you try any of my suggestions. Anna
Marion says
can you use powdered grapefrut peels in homemade laundry soap? Can anybody help me with this question?
Anna@Green Talk says
Marion, I don’ think they will dissolve. You can try. Honestly, I would use orange peels instead since it has a stronger smell. Try it and let me know what happens.
MARION says
Thanks for your reply . Why do you think orange peels would work better ? And also sould you use lemon powder as well as powdered orange peels Thanks Marion and happy new year
Anna@Green Talk says
Marion, the orange peels have a much stronger smell. The grapefruit doesn’t but you should try it. Anna
Marty Miller says
Wonderful ideas, thank you Anna. I was just finishing up this pink Florida grapefruit and I was reminded, “this is not “trash.”
I do recall that grapefruit surprised some scent scientist when it was blindly chosen as the number one favorite smell amongst men and women. Tearing the peel and rubbing it on skin makes for a nice deodorant. I have noticed that the inside of the peel can remove dirt and oil from the skin while leaving that wonderfully refreshing scent. (it seems to dry out the skin a bit, so I recommend having a little lotion on hand after rubbing the peels against skin.
I am praying that The Lord Jesus will help all people not to waste, and to have wisdom that helps us to delight in his creation. amen
Anna says
Marty, thanks so much for this wonderful comment!