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Last Updated on December 28 , 2024

Looking for clever ways to use stinker peels and reduce waste ? Come larn how to make dried lemon powder ! It ’s easy to do in either afood dehydrator or the oven , and results in a uniquely delicious , honeyed and piquant homemade seasoning gunpowder .

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Lemon Sir Robert Peel powder is dilute with smack , vitamin C , and can be used in a wide variety of sweet or savory dishes including baked trade good , spice blends , snag , tea , or even homemade trunk care product likeDIY bathing tub salts . See a full list of ideas at the ending of this post !

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The understory of a lemon tree is shown, it is loaded with dark golden fruit. Below the tree is a wooden sawhorse and two chickens are resting peacefully on it.

Citrus acquire plentiful here in California , so we ’re always looking for ways to use our homegrown lemons . In addition to homemade lemon gunpowder , we also enjoy makingpreserved lemons , naturallemon vinegar cleaner , andfreezing lemon succus cubes . We also do it todry orange slicesto make beautiful holiday ornaments , use in tea , or to make adried orange garland !

Instructions

1) Collect Lemon Peels

It ’s dependable to useorganiclemonsto make lemon pulverisation , as non - organic lemons have nasty chemical substance embed in the rind . Also , it is best to usefresh lemon peelsto make homemade gamboge powder . Therefore , the ideal time to make lemon powder is when you ’re already using a big quantity of lemons!For example , if you ’re juicing lemon to keep the juice in ice square block trays , bake Citrus limon bars , construct lemonade , or something else deliciously - lemony .

However , you do n’t necessarily involve tocollect your lemon peelsall in one mean solar day . One option is to save the rind for up to a week in the refrigerator in an gentle wind - tight container . well yet , peel a bunch of lemons at once to use throughout the week ( store in the electric refrigerator ) , and then you ’ll have all your rinds ready at one clip .

Or , instead of collecting and drying a large batch of lemon Peel at one time , you could also dehydrate a few in small pot – albeit less effective .

A white ceramic mixing bowl that has a copper colored rim and handles is shown. It is full of bright gold, smooth skinned lemons that are glistening in the light.

A billet on freezing lemon rinds : Though I have n’t try it , I assume it ’s possible to save take in lemon rinds in the deep freezer over a longer time period of time if require – and then dehydrate them later after defrost . However , I have a feeling the colour will be a bite off and darker orangeness to brownness . At least that is what go on when I used slightly older softened maize rinds to make lemon powder one time . If you do try the freezing option , be sure to report back and let us know how it go !

2) Prepare Lemon Peels

This step will vary depending on the character of lemon you are using .

We are golden to have a tree diagram full of sweet , thin - skinned Meyer lemons at our electric pig . If using Meyer lemon ( or similar ) , you do n’t need to fuss with remove the white pith , as it is ordinarily very minimum compare to the sweet tender rind . Therefore , when I desire to make homemade lemon powder , I simplypeel Meyer lemon yellow whole – as I would an orangeness !

For otherthicker - struggle lemon motley , such as Eureka Citrus limon , you will require toremove most of the bitter white pithfrom the interior of the Sir Robert Peel . One way is to peel just the outer layer of the lemon rind using a vegetable peeler – make fragile ribbons of zest . Alternatively , you could peel the lemon whole ( like an orange ) and then use a spoon or knife to cautiously genuflect away the white pith .

A half gallon mason jar full of lemon peels is sitting next to a white ceramic bowl full of lemons that have been peeled. A lemon that has been sliced in half along its equator is on display if front of the jar and bowl.

3) Dehydrate Lemon Peels

How to dry lemon peels using a food dehydrator:

How to dry lemon peels in the oven:

This method will work intimately for thin , zest - like peels of lemon rind . Spread the lemon uncase out on a cooky plane or baking pan . Preheat the oven to thelowest temperature setting possible . Because ovens do n’t have uber - gloomy temperature options like dehydrators do , the finished lemon rind will be darker in coloring material and possibly a different flavor ( more roasted ) than those dried in a dehydrator .

broil the lemon rinds on humbled heat until they arecompletely dry out , crisp , and easily snarl in one-half . This may take several hours to a full twenty-four hour period to dry out in the oven . If your climate is very arid and strong , you could allow the slight Citrus limon zest ribbon to part air - dry at room temperature for a span sidereal day before baking , reducing the time needed in the oven .

4) Grind into Lemon Powder

Once the gamboge peels are totally ironic , it is time to turn them into powder ! apply a blender , food central processing unit , or coffee sub to moil the dried lemon yellow peels into gunpowder . Our Vitamixdoes a starring occupation at creating a mulct , fluffy lemon powder !

backsheesh : Even using a Vitamix , I find out that some bombastic hard number are leave behind after the initial blend . Therefore , I like to pour the ground lemon powder through a fine mesh strainer poise over a trough andsift it . Then , I take the amass leftover hard moment and run them back through the Vitamix another clock time to powderise them into powder . Repeat if necessary . Then use a rubber scraper to gather all of the lemon tree powder amaze inside your blender or car . That is worthful stuff !

Storage

eventually , transplant the homemade lemon powder in anair - tight ice container , such as in a Alfred Edward Woodley Mason jar with blind drunk - fitting palpebra . Acanning funnelreally comes in handy to transfer the power into a jar without spill !

Store lemon powder in a juiceless , saturnine , coolheaded location . We store ours in the larder . When in good order dried and stored , your homemade dried gamboge peel pulverisation should last for over a year . That is , if you do n’t use it all up before then !

13 Ways to Use Dried Lemon Peel Powder

Dried Citrus limon gunpowder is insanely delicious . To be fair , I was shocked at how unspoiled ( and versatile ! ) it was when we made our first spate many years ago . It can be used in meal , potable , cleaning products , or even in constitutive body upkeep ! arrest out the ideas below .

Lemon powder is easy to make , and even gentle to bump ways to apply it ! I desire you have it off your homemade lemon powder as much as we do . Please finger free to ask any interrogation , describe back with a followup , and divvy up this article !

If you are into desiccate solid food , check out the tutorial below – they ’re some of our favorites !

A lemon sits atop a washed concrete surface, it has been partially peeled with a household peeler and the lemon peels are laying around the perimeter of the lemon and its now mostly pithy white exterior. The lemon peels will be soon turned into lemon powder.

Homemade Dried Lemon Peel Powder

Equipment

Ingredients

Lemon peels are covering the surface of stainless steel drying racks. The lemon peels aren’t overlapping to allow even drying.

An Excalibur Dehydrator is shown while three of its treys have been pulled out in stair step fashion. The treys are lined with lemon peels that are arranged in a way to maximize airflow for even drying.  In 24 hours they will be dry enough to be turned into lemon powder.

A clear glass bowl is shown from a birds eye view, it contains many dried lemon peels, dried to a crispy perfection. They are slightly darker in color than when fresh, a bit more of a burnt golden orange in color. The back drop is a dark barn wood surface.

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A four way image collage, the first image shows a blender dumping the lemon powder into a fine mesh metal strainer that is sitting atop a glass bowl. The second image shows a spatula reaching into the blender to scrape away any excess powder that has built up into the crevices of the blender. The bowl is visible just below the blender and it is partially full of sifted lemon powder, some of the powder is still sitting in the strainer that is still atop the bowl. The third image shows the bottom of the blender and the smaller hard bits that have been separated from the powder through the sifting process. These will be re-blended until they reach a fine powder. The fourth image shows the fine lemon powder after it has been sifted into the glass bowl. The powder is reminiscent of golden corn meal.

A hand is holding a pint mason jar up to display the golden orange lemon powder that resides within. The jar is two thirds of the way full and the jar is marked “lemon” with a wine glass marker.

A close up image of two slices of rustic homemade sourdough bread that are covered in pesto and topped with slices of avocado, sliced radish, and a sprinkle of lemon powder on top of it all.

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