Oranges, other than being a delicious fruit that we typically enjoy during the winter time, have an extremely useful peel. Unlike bananas, orange peels can be used for a long time after you’ve peeled the fruit. Here are six amazing uses for orange peels, that you didn’t know about.
6. Potpourri
You can use orange peels to make a fantastic potpourri. It doesn’t have to be one of those super fancy potpourris that you see in stores, either. Get a bunch of orange peels, put them in an aluminum pot for a couple of hours, and let them simmer. Your home is going to have a wonderful, citrus smell to it, by the time you’re done.
5. Cat Repellent
Are stray cats constantly invading your property? You’re not the only one that’s been having this problem. They dig into your garbage, use your garden as their personal litter box, and sometimes they’ll cause problems with your pets, too. The citrus scent of orange peels, for whatever reason, really irritates cats. Put orange peels up around your property, and those pesky stray cats won’t come near your place.
4. Mosquito Repellent
As a child, I was always told that mosquitos would bite me because my “blood was sweet”. Apparently mosquitos don’t like blood that smells like oranges, though. If you rub the outside of an orange peel all over your skin, mosquitos won’t swarm you like they normally do. The oil and scent of the orange will repel mosquitos away, for a while. Don’t buy those pricy spray repellents. Eat an orange and use the peel, instead.
3. Kindling
Next time you go camping, instead of scouring the area for kindling, you can use your orange peels. Eat a bunch of oranges, dry out the peels and you can use them to start your fire. The oil of the orange peel makes it extremely flammable, and the peels will burn for much longer than sticks and twigs. They smell nice when they burn, too.
2. Deodorize Your Refrigerator
A lot of people use baking soda to do this, but you can use your orange peels if you don’t have baking soda at your disposal. Remove the fruit from half of the peel, put some salt it the peel, then put the peel in a bowl. Once you put the bowl in your fridge it will smell good, and stay fresh.
1. Compost
Orange peels have a ton of vitamins and nutrients that would make them valuable in a compost pile. Instead of throwing them away, you can put them in your compost and you’ll have healthy, fertile soil.
These are just six of the many ways that you can use your orange peels. These are some of the most versatile fruit skins out there. Think outside the box. Find some new ways to use your orange peels. You’ll get to eat a ton of oranges (which is never a bad thing), plus you’ll be finding new, creative ways to save money. You are going to have a lot of fun with all of your new orange peel adventures, too.
Lee Flynn is a freelance writer interested in helping others develop self reliance through food storage.
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