How To Make Easy Lemon Powder with Leftover Lemons
Do you go through a lot of lemons in your household and feel guilty throwing the rinds away? Well, there are quite a few ways you can use these nutrient packed leftover lemon rinds once they’re transformed into a powder, and it’s easy to do!
If you are just getting started with these types of DIY projects, you should check out our latest blog post on a step by step guide with getting started with DIY. Now on to this project…
How To Make Easy Lemon Powder with Leftover Lemons in 5 steps:
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Wash your lemons!
It is important before starting this project to make sure your lemons are clean! Normally, when just using the flesh of a lemon this step isn’t necessary, but lemon powder can be enjoyed many ways so it is best to wash the rinds beforehand to make sure the powder is clean and safe to eat.
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Peeling the lemons!
You can peel your lemons carefully with a knife, or with a peeler. The main goal is to remove the peel off the outside of the lemon with as little of the white pith attached as possible. Some lemons have thicker peels than others, so you may or may not have to remove extra pith from them.
Don’t stress over removing every bit of pith! Just note that the white pith can add bitterness to the powder so the outer, yellow part of the peel is what we are aiming for! You may peel all of your lemons at once, or you may collect them over time in a sealed container.
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Dry the peels!
Now that your lemon peels are collected, cleaned and ready to go, it is time to dry them out! There are a few ways you can dehydrate the peels and today we will discuss two of them. The first method is using the oven. Spread out your lemon peels on a baking sheet and set the oven to the lowest setting.
Bake time will depend on the size and thickness of your lemon peels and how big your batch is, but you can know when they are done by testing their texture. When the peels break or snap in half, they are done!
The second way to dry your lemons is by air drying them. If you live in a warm climate or if the season allows, you may leave your lemon peels out in the sun until they are crisp. Air drying the lemons first before using either of these methods to further dry them will help speed up the process.
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Make the powder!
The next step is transforming the peels into powder! Once your peels are brittle to the touch, it is time to grind them up. This can be done using a food processor or a blender. Simply add the dried peels into the machine and grind them up!
If your powder has a few lumps in it from bigger pieces of peels, feel free to sift or strain the powder and re-grind the bigger pieces until they turn into powder. Repeat as necessary to achieve the desired texture of the powder.
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Enjoy!
Lemon Peel Powder can be used in a number of ways and will stay good for about a year if stored properly in an airtight container! The first and most obvious way to use it is on food. The powder can be used on everything ranging from vegetables, side dishes, main proteins and even sprinkled on some desserts.
It can also be used to add an extra kick to a cup of tea, a cocktail or any other drink that would benefit from a touch of lemon. Lemon Peel Powder is also a great addition to salad dressings, sauces and spices and the fun doesn’t stop in the kitchen.
Feel free to add your powder to DIY beauty treatments such as hair and face masks or body scrubs. And just when you think that’s all it can do, try sprinkling some in the soil of your succulent plants to make the soil more acidic.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post on how to make easy lemon powder with leftover lemons. Happy crafting!
