There are a number of fruits out there that can be enjoyed with or without the skin. There are also fruits, like oranges, that need to be peeled before you can dig in. So, when you have some fruit peels leftover, what do you do with them? Most of us toss them in the garbage or they are added to the garden compost heap. There are, however, plenty of other great uses for fruit skins.
At home
Clean up greasy messes with a dash of salt or baking soda and some lemon halves. If you have sensitive skin, make sure that you wear gloves. You can also use lemon rinds, salt, and ice to shine your coffee pot. Just swirl the mixture around for a couple of minutes, dump everything out, and rinse well. Clean your tea kettle with filling it with water and adding a handful of lemon peels. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Allow it to stand for about an hour before draining and rinsing.Pomegranate peels can be used to colour fabrics. You should use a stainless steel pot and fill with hot water and the peels. Allow to sit overnight and then simmer the next day before removing the peels. Add the wet fabric and simmer gently for an hour. Then allow to cool overnight, remove the fabric the next day and rinse in cool water.
In the kitchen
You can use citrus peels to make extract powder. Good examples include oranges, limes, lemons, and grapefruit. Dry them out and grind them up for future use. Citrus sugar can be made using citrus extract powder by adding it to sugar. Alternatively you can add fresh twists to your sugar pot. Lemon zest is a popular ingredient in many recipes. You can collect the zest from any lemons you use and place it in small bags in the freezer. When you need a little bit of zest, just take out a bag without having to defrost the entire batch. You can also infuse honey or vinegar by adding twists and letting their flavours steep.
Beauty
Banana sugar scrubs can be made using the fresh side of the banana peel sprinkled with sugar. Rub gently over your body like a loofa and then rinse off in the shower. You can also use orange or grapefruit skins to make a refreshing skin tonic. Avocado peel can be used on your face as a deep and rich moisturizer.