3 uses of orange peel. I'm sure you didn't know the last one.

The orange peel is almost 20% of the fruit and is a part that we usually throw away without knowing all the uses it has.

In the past, it was used for its medicinal benefits in infusions and extracts of essential oils, but it has also been used, like other citrus fruits, as a repellent, since it contains a substance (limonene) that insects quite dislike.

Of course, there are other ways to use orange peels, but we want to show you some peculiar uses.

Remember that it is very important that you use oranges direct from the farmer that are of the best quality without any chemical residue . At Campos Del Abuelo we have the Global GAP certificate and our fruit is completely zero waste . It is a certificate that very few have, since it guarantees very demanding quality standards.

What makes orange peel so good?

The composition of orange peel is basically 25% pectins, 23% sugar, 22% cellulose and 11% hemicellulose and other low molecular weight compounds such as limonene.

According to the NIH , industrially, the main uses of orange peel are: livestock feeding, the extraction of essential oil and/or limonene, as well as the extraction of pectin (natural thickener).

But we are going to show you other uses that you can give to the orange peel that you have at home to make the most of our fruit.

Go for it!

Where can we use orange peel ?

Orange peel, in addition to its usual uses such as baking, essential oils or as a repellent, can also be used as a cleaner or as a natural lighter.

But there is also another little-known use that will surprise you. Stay until the end to find out.

Natural all-purpose cleaner

A very easy way to use orange peels, but also the peel of other citrus fruits, is with this multipurpose cleaner.

It will help you remove grease and embedded dirt from kitchen faucets, although it can also be used to clean the bathroom.

Do you want to know how it's done? Too easy.

In a glass container, add the citrus peels that you have left in your house. You can add them with pulp or clean it and use only the peel. When you have the capacity of the jar full, you must add half of the white vinegar and the other half of the water.

You should store this container without covering it completely, in a cool place without direct light for approximately one month. When this time passes, strain it and you will have your natural multipurpose cleaner.

All that remains is to bottle it in a sprayer and it is ready to use.

Light barbecue or fireplace

We present you the ideal substitute for barbecue pills. We will be able to light both the fireplace and the barbecue without chemicals, while at the same time we take advantage of the orange peel, which would have ended up in the trash.

Do you want to learn how to do it? You'll see how easy it is.

Let us begin!

First of all, we must obtain the orange peel. To do this we must peel the oranges, avoiding the white part as much as possible.

You can use a peeler to obtain the skin in strips and with less albedo (white part of the orange).

Secondly, we have to dry the orange peel. You can do it by leaving them in the sun for 3-7 days depending on the weather, but if you don't have enough sun or a storm catches you right now, don't worry, you can also do it in the oven.

Put the orange peels on the tray at the lowest temperature your oven has (90 degrees is typical) for about an hour, but this all depends on your oven. Check them constantly. Let them cool before using them.

You can now use them.

You can make “skewers” ​​of shells by putting together about 4 or 5 pieces so that their effect lasts longer and the flame ignites well. You should make them right when you take them out of the oven, then the shell hardens and they will break.

Natural bird feeder.

And last but not least, we have a little-known option to use orange peels is to make a biodegradable bird feeder.

It is very versatile, you can put it on any branch and you can enjoy the visit of different types of birds and it can last up to 2 weeks.

Over time the shell begins to decompose. At that time you can change the shell, using the same skewer sticks and the same rope, so we reuse the materials for a long time.

To make the feeder you need:

-An orange from Campos Del Abuelo.

-2 Skewer sticks

-Rope

-Bird food

ELABORATION

Cut the orange in half.

Remove the pulp from the fruit and leave only the peel, completely clean.

Insert a skewer stick through the orange from side to side. Do the same with the other stick creating a cross. Make sure it is not too far along the edge to avoid breaking the skin.

Cut two pieces of rope approximately 30 cm long and tie them to the ends of the same stick.

Add the bird food and you're done.

You can hang it in the place you like best.

And here are today's ideas. Surely you didn't know this one, right? We hope you found this information useful.

Do you want to buy freshly picked Valencian oranges?

If you know other ways to use orange peel and want to share them with us, you can write to us in the comments.