Saving the Planet One Peel at a Time

orange peal
When you want to start being more ecologically responsible and when you are looking to make sure that all of the food in your kitchen gets some use, you'll find that you are going to start looking in askance at your orange peels. Whether you love your fresh squeezed orange juice or you simply love eating slices of fresh orange, you may be wondering what to do with the peels after you are done with them. Don't just throw them away! There are plenty of great uses for orange peels that you may simply not be aware of!

First, were you aware that you can use orange peels to clean your fingernails? Simply turn the peel over to explore the soft white side and dig your fingernails into it. This can get any grime or debris out from under your fingernails as well as making your nails smell pleasantly of citrus.

Another place for your orange peels is a stock box. One great way to get vegetable broth at home is to have a stock box. To get one started, just get a plastic bin and start filling it with organic materials. Leave the bin in the freezer and add any sorts of vegetable or fruit odds and ends to it. When the box is full, dump the frozen mass into a large soup pot with some water to cover it and just start boiling it down. No matter what you toss in, it makes great vegetable stock and you can use it as a soup base or in pilaf.

When you are looking around for a use for your orange peels, remember that the peels themselves are imbued with highly flammable oil. If they are still fresh, you can take them camping with you to help start fires. This is a great way to get some more use out of them and to make sure that your campsite smells great as well!

If you have cats, orange peels can keep your cats away from areas where you do not want them. Thanks to the citric acid in the peels and the orange oil, cats tend to shy away from orange peels. Leave them in your closets or any other place you don't want your kitties to get.

If you are someone who loves the smell if citrus, you can simply dry it and make yourself sachets to leave around the home. If you also make soap, you'll find that shreds of dried orange peel can make a lovely gentle abrasive as well as giving your soap a great orange smell.

At the end of the day, don't forget that your orange peel can also go into a compost heap or a worm box. There are lots of ways to use that peel, so take a look around before you pitch it!