#WhyWasteFoodWednesday

Can We Reuse Leftover Orange Peels?

Most of us have probably eaten an orange for a quick snack and thrown away the peel without giving it much thought. But, this action contributes to a bigger problem… our growing landfill epidemic. Fun fact: A shocking 3.8 million tons of orange peels go to waste each year! That’s a huge amount of fruit peels making it to our landfills annually. So, how can we help? Try reusing your leftover citrus peels to make a fun snack! This #WhyWasteWednesday, check out our delicious candied orange peel recipe.

unpeeled orange with peels left to be discarded
Unpeeled naval orange with peels left to be discarded.
candied orange peels
Candied Orange Peels

Candied Orange Peel Ingredients

  • 1 large naval orange
  • ¾ cup of sugar
  • ½ cup of water
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Source: Food Network

THE STEP BY STEP RECIPE:

Step 1: Prep the orange peels.

Cut orange peels.

For this recipe, you will need to first cut your orange peels strategically to make the most of the fruit scraps. Make about ¾ –1 inch cuts from the orange part of the peel to the green stem. You will need to continue doing so until the peel is completely used. While it might make things easier to use a vegetable peeler, you can also do so by just eye balling it!

Step 2: Boil water and add your peels.

Next, bring half a cup of water to a boil in a saucepan. Once the water is boiled, add in the orange peels you’ve just cut! You will want to cook them for about 1 minute. (Try not to go over this time or else they will be too hard.) After doing so, drain water used and run cold water over the peels. Quick Tip: Repeat this step with fresh water for maximum flavor!

Person boiling water over a stove.

Step 3: Stir sugar and simmer over medium heat.

Woman pouring sugar.

Now it’s time to add the sugar! Stir in the amount needed and wait for it to dissolve. For this step, you will need to put another half cup of water into the saucepan. Make sure to stir until there are no remaining traces of sugar left in the pan. Simmer peels for about 15 minutes or until tender.

Step 4: Transfer to baking sheet and leave to cool.

Candied orange peels left to dry

Make sure to line a pan with parchment paper to place your peels on. You will want to use tongs (or a fork will do the trick) to transfer your peels to parchment paper. After doing so, leave to dry for about 1 hour.

Step 5: Melt chocolate and drizzle on peels.

Melted chocolate in bowl.

Lastly, add the finishing touch…chocolate! You will need melted chocolate for this next portion. Put chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and warm them for about 30 seconds. Then, you can drizzle the chocolate on your orange peels! You will need to leave them on the parchment paper to set, which should take about 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

Hope you enjoyed this recipe! Be sure to let us know how your candied orange peels came out.

If you have any other repurposed recipes, please send them to us at marketing@foodfinders.org !

Make an impact on reducing food waste and eliminating hunger by donating food to our Summer to End Hunger Food Drive.