How to make orange peel powder and its uses

Bright orange color, divine scent, and nutritional value are the main characteristics of homemade orange peel powder. 

Learn how to make orange peel powder at home and use this versatile substance in both the culinary and cosmetic industries.

In the kitchen, you can find orange peel powder as a flavoring agent and nutritional supplement. In the cosmetic industry, orange peel powder is mostly present in beauty products to enhance skin and hair and add a fresh scent. 

Eating powdered orange peel doesn’t seem to be very tasty or appealing. Most of us eat just orange fruits tossing the orange peels away. 

When I discovered its benefits I tried to eat the peel together with oranges but I couldn’t get used to the thickness and texture of a hard peel.  

I tried to experiment and since I already succeeded in implementing beets in our daily diet by making beetroot powder,  I thought that making orange peel powder at home could be a solution. 

What is orange peel?

Orange peel consists of two parts. 

Exocarp is the outer orange layer of orange rind while albedo is the inner and soft white skin of the orange pulp located between the orange fruit and the outer skin.  

Some people prefer to discard the white part under the peel as has a bitter taste however albedo appears to be the most nutritious part of the whole orange fruit.

When making orange peel powder we will use both inner (white) and outer (orange) layers of orange peel. 

What is orange peel powder?

Brightly orange powdered orange peel is made of dehydrated orange peel. Sliced and thoroughly dehydrated orange peel is finely ground into a powder.

The color of orange peel powder varies from shades of orange to red depending on the color of the oranges. The final orange peel powder has a typical refreshing orange scent.  

Orange peel powder benefits

Powdered orange peel is distinguished by its vibrant color, bitter taste, acidity, and the presence of nutrients such as vitamin C, as well as the flavonoids hesperidin studied for its potential anticancer effect may also be effective in lowering cholesterol.  

It’s well known that oranges are packed with vitamin C however orange peel contains nearly 3 times more vitamin C than fruit. For that reason, I love to make it into orange peel tea. 

Orange peel, albedo in particular is one of the richest sources of pectin, a carbohydrate known by most for its use in the preparation of jams, jellies, and candied fruit. In fact, it is 4 times more than the inner fruit.  Pectin also eases and regulates intestinal function and blood sugar thus keeping low bad cholesterol in the blood.

The wonderful aroma that you smell when you peel an orange comes from the essential oil limonene, in the peel, which has anti-inflammatory benefits.

Orange peel contains a high amount of provitamin A, folate, riboflavin, vitamin B6, thiamine, and calcium which are very beneficial for skin and hair. 

Dried orange peel powder uses

Orange zest powder is a versatile ingredient with a specific color, taste, and scent that can enhance your plate, try this orange rice.

Nutritional supplement

The consistency of the orange powder allows for easy use in cooking or baking, enhancing both the taste and nutritional value of the food, as seen in these orange muffins. Dried orange rinds maintain all their minerals, vitamins and nutrients so that is why people like to add it to the coffee, syrups, gremolata or marmalades.

I like to add it to the smoothies or sprinkle it on yogurt, salad or morning oatmeal. 

Another popular way is to turn your orange peel powder into capsules and take your daily dose of vitamins in a capsule rather than in a teaspoon. 

Natural colorant

You can give a nice pop of orange color and flavor to the ice cream, yogurt, cupcakes, or cocktails.

Orange rinds contain carotenoids that can serve as a natural dye for fabric, food, or skincare products instead of using artificial colorants. 

Garbage Refresher

This easy-to-make garbage refresher comes in handy and all you need is just lemon or orange peel powder and vinegar. Place one tablespoon of orange peel powder into an ice cube tray and fill it with vinegar. Freeze it and use it every time you feel your garbage needs it. 

Orange peel powder for skin

orange peel powder became one of the most popular ingredients in skincare products. Rich in vitamins and skin-boosting nutrients orange peel powder can be used in face masks, Lavender orange bath salts, scrubs or facial cleansers. It may help to rid of acne, blackheads, pigmentation or discoloration.

Orange peel powder for hair

Orange peel powder is packed with antioxidants and vitamins that together with coconut oil help improve the health of your hair.

a conditioner

Just mix one tablespoon of coconut oil with 1 tablespoon of orange powder and apply after washing your hair with a shampoo as a conditioner from mid section to the ends of your hair. Wash it with lukewarm water after a few minutes of application

a hair mask

Especially if your hair is dry and brittle

 Rub the mixture of coconut oil and orange powder through your hair and let it sit for a few hours (or even overnight) before washing it out.

a scalp treatment.

Powdered orange peel together with coconut oil may help to rejuvenate your dry scalp

Massage a small amount of the mixture into your scalp before going to sleep and leave it overnight. Wash it off with shampoo in the morning.

Other nutritious powders you might want to try: 

rosehip powder 

nettle powder

Elderberry powder

Aloe vera powder

How to make orange peel powder

First step

Wash the oranges thoroughly under hot water to get rid of all the pesticides they may be exposed to. 

This study shows that while the inner fruit of oranges has a very low level of pesticides the peels contain a higher amount. For that reason, I always use oranges of organic quality, ideally locally produced.

Second step

Use a sharp knife, your fingers, or this orange peeler to peel them off. As explained above, try to include the while albedo layer as that is the most nutritious part of the orange peel.

Third step

Cut the peels into thin slices allowing faster the drying process

Fourth step

Select the drying method. You can choose at this stage whether you prefer the air drying method which takes several days or you want to speed up the drying process with the oven or dehydrator.

1. Air drying method – spread them on a tray or drying net and place them somewhere out of direct sunlight. If it is outside use a net or cloth to prevent insect or dust contamination. It took me 4 days to dry them completely in nice weather. 

2. Using the oven – to faster the drying process you can use the oven on low heat. However be careful not to burn your orange peel Depending on your oven, it takes around 1-2 hours at 35°C (95°F) with shuffling in between to ensure uniformity. Leave the oven door slightly open to allow escape the moisture.
3. The third method is to use a food dehydrator to dry the orange peel pieces.

Make sure it is completely dry as the moisture can spoil the whole grinding process. So just check if you take a piece between your fingers, it should be easy to break into two pieces, and it shouldn’t bend.

Fifth step

Once dried transfer the orange zest pieces into a grinder, blender, or food processor to grind them into a powder. 

Depending on the power of your grinder you might want to stop and start again to prevent overheating. 

Sixth step

Once you reach your desired consistency of the powder (You can decide whether you want coarse or fine powder) just transfer the orange peel powder into a dark airtight container out of moisture to keep its color and scent at the longest.

Seventh step

Use a large sieve to sift the mixture

TIP:  I was using Vitamix to grind the orange peel into a powder. When I finished I noticed that cloudy film that appeared on the plastic container. With a little bit of research, I figured that it happens when you blend mineral-rich fruits which as orange peel. But no worries if it happened here is a quick fix. Just pour one cup of white vinegar into the container and Fill the container half-full with warm water. Let the container soak in an upright, standing position for several hours or even overnight. It became transparent again after this exercise. 

Recipes using dried orange peel

sweet recipes

Orange creamsicle cupcakes

Chocolate Orange Cake

Savory dishes

Pork chops with vegetable

Black Orange Chicken breasts

Turkey with Orange Mint marinade