Zero Waste Post #2: Citrus!

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     Here in Phoenix it is the time of year when everyone who has citrus trees in their yards  are trying to give away as much of it as they can.  I don't understand why the grocery store still charges 50 cents or more per lemon when people have lemons falling off of their trees unused, begging people to come and take the fruit off of their hands.  
     I do not have a citrus tree at my house.  But, I have been the grateful recipient year after year of wonderful oranges, lemons and grapefruit from  other people's yards, sometimes to the point that I have had to search for ways to use them all!  
      As you know, I hate food waste.  To see oranges and lemons left to fall off, rot, attract roof rats and other rodents just kills me! I know it can be overwhelming to deal with it all, so I'm going to share the ways I've learned to process that citrus into usable food storage that you will be glad that you have as the year progresses! 

Let's begin with the obvious: 

     I love fresh squeezed orange juice!  Pictured above are 2 ways to squeeze it, or you can use a centrifugal juicer.  How ever you do it, it will be delicious!  Of course, don't just stop with Orange Juice!  All of the juices from citrus like grapefruit, lime and lemon are terrific! 

     However, fresh OJ only lasts so long, and one option is to freeze it and thaw it when needed.  I don't know about you, but for me a tree full of orange juice would take up more freezer space than I have.  But, freezing some of it is a wise thing to do.  

     Other freezer options are to freeze the juice in small one serving containers and eat them like sherbet later on!  I can't even tell you how delicious this is, plus healthy!  No sugar or dairy, just pure orange juice and it is so satisfying!  
         I freeze mine in containers like these and when I take them out, I let them sit  briefly before I start eating this stuff with a spoon.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it! 

Or, these containers would work great! 

      Before juicing the fruit, I use a zester and remove the peel very finely, (called the zest), and put that in the freezer as well!  Then, when  a recipe calls for some sort of citrus zest, I have it ready to go!   I use a zester like this one. 

        Another good idea is to freeze lemon juice in ice cube trays and then store them in freezer bags for use in many recipes and beverages.  I wrote about making ​lemonade bombs on this post! 

      Dehydrating is another way I store citrus.  There are a lot of uses for dehydrated citrus.  And, one of the great thing about dehydrated citrus is the long shelf life.  Dehydrators are not super expensive and can be used for so many fruits and vegetables.  A simple one like this is under $50. 

        If you don't have a dehydrator, you can dehydrate in your oven at a low heat, or in your air fryer! Click that link for instructions.

        I just dehydrated oranges over the last few days.        

     I find that when I prepare the fruit to go into the dehydrator that if I sharpen my knife first so that it it will glide right through the fruit, I can get thinner slices.  Then, the results will be crispy, sweet and tangy slices that are so good to snack on or to dip in fruit dip or a fruit salsa.  I wrote about using them in cranberry salsa here. Or, you can dip them chocolate! 
       Other ways to use dehydrated citrus?  

• Crafts, like a wreath or garland
• decorating cakes or charcuterie boards
• Potpourri blends
• To flavor beverages like herbal tea or Hot Orange Punch. 

      As you can see, I used my Food Saver Jar attachment to store my dehydrated oranges in jars. I'm thinking of switching to Food Saver bags in the future because I need jars for other purposes and the bags are easy to stack and store in less space. 
      It is important to keep the air out of your dehydrated food because any moisture will take away the crispness of the food and possibly lead to spoilage.   If you don't have a food saver, you can order oxygen absorbing packets  on Amazon. 

Freeze Drying is a wonderful option for citrus if you have access to a freeze dryer! 

Fermenting Lemons with salt is another option that my friend Rhonda told me about and gave me a sample of.  You can find directions for how to do that here.  Fermented lemons will keep from 6 months to a year.

Canning is a Favorite Process of mine for preserving anything!   Here are some canned citrus recipes from the blog:

• Orange Raspberry Jam
• Lemon Blackberry Marmalade
• Strawberry Lemonade Marmalade​

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     Or, from the web, you can even can lemon or lime curd! 
     Find orange and grapefruit curd recipes on this site! 

      You an also can your fresh squeezed orange juice in  a water bath canner!  Since it is highly acidic, it can be processed in the canner for 15 minutes.  You must first warm the juice up to 165 degrees F before putting into the quart jars.  

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      Whatever you do to preserve your citrus, don't just throw away ​those peels.  That is where the main flavor is contained and as I mentioned above, many recipes call for the zest of lemons or oranges or limes.  You may not have the fresh fruit on hand, but you can have the zest if you freeze it or dehydrate it.  
     I gave you a tutorial for making your own greens powder last week.   Now here is an idea for making a vitamin C powder using orange peels!  You can dehydrate them or let them dry naturally according to the blog,  Zero Waste California.
       Use the peels to make orange or lemon peel vinegar for cleaning!  Check that idea out here! 
      One other thing to do with the citrus peel is to candy it!  
     Years ago, my 4 year old son used to get up early and watch Bob Ross and then a cooking show.  One morning I came out and he told me that we needed to make candied orange peel.  So, I watched that episode with him again and learned how to do it and we made Candied Orange Peel!  I don't think it was what he was expecting, but I'll always remember that day.  I haven't made it a lot over the years, but Candied Orange Peel does appeal to many who like sweet and sour blended together.  Not to mention that it looks pretty on a platter during the holidays.  I designed a recipe card for you to use if you would like to give it a try with your own oranges!  I'm sure this recipe would work well with lemon, lime or grapefruit, too!    PS, you can cut the peels into narrower strips than I did this time.

Just click on the recipe for a printable copy.

      Finally, there are lots of recipes that you can make with citrus that you can eat right away, or freeze for later!   Here are some of our recommendations

• Zucchini Orange Cake
• Orange Pecan Cheesecake Bites
• Vanilla Orange French Toast
• Fantastic Orange Chiffon Cake
• Honey Orange Cupcakes

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• Blackberry Lemon Bars
• Lemon Bundt Cake
• Lemon Garlic Chicken and Shrimp Fettucine
• Gluten Free Lemon Curd Tart

• Key Lime Chiffon Pie
• Cranberry Lime Bars
• Creamy Cherry Limeade

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      I hope this helps inspire you to not let all of that citrus go to waste!  It is such a bright and helpful addition to everyone's pantry.  Packed with vitamin C!  If you have any ideas to add to ours, please drop us a note in the comments!