"In the kitchen, don't throw anything away" is the first rule to follow when cooking: there are so many things we consider waste that, instead, can be given a second life, both in cooking and in other areas of daily life. Lemon is the perfect example of this principle: how many times have you used the fragrant citrus fruit in your recipes and thrown away the zest because you only needed the pulp? Don't do it again, because lemon peel is one of the easiest waste products to reuse.
The peel, just like the rest of the fruit, contains a whole host of nutrients that are extremely useful for both nutrition and for personal and household care. Remember, when reusing lemons in the kitchen, to use only organic, untreated lemon peels to avoid them becoming impregnated with substances that cannot be removed by washing. If your lemons meet this requirement, here are the best ideas for recycling their peel, both in the kitchen and away from the stove.
1. Candied Lemon Peel
The simplest and most popular way to recycle leftover lemon peel is to turn it into delicious and flavorful candied fruit, just like orange peel. Candying the peels takes very little: after washing them and removing the whitest, most bitter part (albedo), leave them to soak in cold water overnight. After this time, boil the peels for two minutes, drain, and dry. At the same time, heat the sugar in a small saucepan of water. Once it has completely dissolved, add the lemon peels and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the water has turned into syrup. Once cooled , the candied lemon peels can be stored in a glass jar, ready to use. Stored this way, they will keep for about 1–2 months (provided they are kept in a cool, dry place, away from light). Alternatively, you can put the jar in the refrigerator where they will last for 3–4 months, especially if they have been covered in sugar or syrup.
Finally, when frozen they last several months (even up to a year): just separate them with baking paper or sugar to prevent them from sticking together.
2. Lemon Powder
Lemon powder is a very useful aromatic powder to have on hand, ideal for flavoring cream mixtures, cakes, and desserts of all kinds, but also for adding flavor and a boost to meat or fish dishes. A teaspoon of lemon powder, in fact, is equivalent to a small lemon. How is it prepared? With the lemon peel itself. All you have to do is dry the peels (use only the yellow part; discard the white part, which is too bitter and pungent). Place them in the oven and let them rest for two hours at 80°C (176°F), or expose them to sunlight, leaving them on a sheet of absorbent paper for a week. Once they're crispy, blend the dried peels in a blender or coffee grinder, and you'll have your lemon powder. Store in a glass jar, away from heat sources.
3. Flavored Ice Cubes
Ever thought of spicing up cocktails and drinks, even the plain water you drink throughout the day, with flavored ice cubes? And how about recycling lemon peels? All you have to do is grate the lemon zest and place it in special ice cube trays before filling them with water and putting them in the freezer. Simple, useful, and incredibly clever.
4. Flavored Water and Oil
You can also use lemon peel to flavor water and oil. In the first case, if you don't have the ice cubes we just mentioned, you can flavor the water directly: place the peels (always organic lemons, mind you!) in a jar filled with water and leave them to rest overnight in the refrigerator; in just a few hours, you'll have an incredibly thirst-quenching drink, with a tangy flavor and rich in vitamins, ideal especially in the hottest months of the year. To prepare a flavored oil, however, the resting time will be longer: the lemon peels will need to macerate for 2 weeks in the oil, in a well-sealed glass bottle, in a cool, dry place.
5. Prepare Limoncello
Limoncello is the quintessential drink made with lemon peel, a typical liqueur from Campania, now so iconic that it's spread throughout the world. It's made with lemon peels macerated in ethyl alcohol and a syrup of water and sugar. According to tradition, this lemon must be the iconic Sfusato Amalfitano. You can easily make limoncello at home with any type of lemon whose peel you have leftover; you just need a little patience: the maceration phase of the peels lasts from seven days to a month, depending on the intensity of flavor you want to achieve, while the bottled liqueur must rest for about 30 days before being served. The resulting liqueur is a deep yellow in color, with an alcohol content between 20% and 32% vol., excellent as a digestif after a meal or to flavor cakes and desserts, such as Delizia al Limone.
6. Face and Body Scrub
Let's leave culinary uses aside and move to everyday life: one of the most useful and enjoyable ways to use lemon peel is in cosmetics, because the citrus fruit is a true blessing for the skin. Make a natural face and body scrub using the finely grated peels of two lemons, which you'll mix with 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, depending on the desired consistency and viscosity. Let the oil and lemon peel solution sit for 10 minutes before rubbing it on your face and body, preferably after showering and drying your skin. Once the scrub is complete, rinse with warm water and apply a good moisturizer.
7. Air Fresheners
There's nothing better, more intense, and fresher than the pungent scent of lemon, so why not use the leftover peel to create completely natural air fresheners? Freshen up your home or closet in just a few simple steps: simply dry the peels using a dehydrator or bake them in the oven for 20 minutes at a low temperature (about 70°C), then let them cool and place them in a cotton bag.
8. Anti-Limescale Spray
Lemons have powerful degreasing properties, so a great way to recycle leftover peels is to make a homemade all-purpose cleaner and make your stovetop shine completely naturally. Of course, we're not talking about disinfection, but rather a thorough cleaning using natural methods.
To make a cleaning spray, simply soak the peels of three lemons in 750 ml of previously boiled white vinegar in a glass jar. Once the peels are added, close the jar and let it steep for two weeks. After this time, strain the vinegar and peel solution and pour it into a small bottle, adding a glass of water.
9. Fight Bad Dishwasher Odors
Lemon peels can also be reused to eliminate unpleasant odors from the dishwasher and make your dishes shine. The citric acid in lemon peels helps prevent stains and streaks from forming on dishes, leaving them sparkling. It also helps combat limescale buildup inside the dishwasher and releases a fresh, pleasant scent that eliminates unpleasant odors. Simply add the peels to the dishwasher rack, such as the cutlery basket, and then run a normal wash cycle.
10. Keep Ants Away
Is your kitchen, terrace, or garden infested with ants? If you don't like the idea of using chemical and industrial products, you'll be happy to know that lemon peels are an excellent natural repellent. Cut the lemon peel into small strips and place them in the cracks and crevices where you see the insects emerging: the pungent odor is bothersome to ants, and in a few days you'll be able to regain full possession of the space they've invaded.
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