If you have been successful growing citrus, you may find that you’re inundated with so much you’re not sure what to do with it. Thankfully, there are numerous ways you can store citrus; one of them is by dehydrating it to make it last even longer than the season. Orange trees only produce once a year, but there is no reason you can’t grab the extra flavor and aroma every day if you have dried citrus around.
Dehydrating Citrus
* In the Oven – It’s super-simple to dehydrate citrus fruit in the oven, with no special equipment needed. Just slice your citrus thinly, arrange in a single layer on an oven-safe wire rack, then place in a 200-degree oven for about 4 to 4 1/2 hours for oranges and about 3 hours for lemons depending on their size.
* In a Dehydrator – The best thing to do is to follow your dehydrator’s instructions. Generally, you’ll want to slice your citrus thinly, place it on the mats provided by your dehydrator, and then keep it in there several hours if not overnight.
* Outside – Sundried citrus peel is lovely to use in teas, recipes, and even for cleaning and odor control. You simply take the peels on a drying rack made of steel mesh so air can go through in all areas. Ensure your fruit is in direct sunlight for three days. You can put some foil under the drying rack to attract more sunshine. You can only do this if you have lower (under 60 percent) humidity and at least 86 degrees F.
Using and Storing Dehydrated Citrus
* Uses of Dehydrated Citrus – You can add dehydrated citrus to beverages, in cakes, pies, and other baking for flavor, and you can also use it to keep your home smelling great by adding it to a satchel and placing in various places around the house.
* Storing Dehydrated Citrus – To store your dried citrus, you’ll want to get airtight containers that you can keep in a cool, dry place. Glass canning jars are excellent choices for this job as they won’t transfer plastic to your citrus.
You can use dried citrus in a variety of ways that will brighten up any recipe or cleaning regime. They make wonderful garnishes, snacks, and you can also grind dried citrus into a powder to flavor your other food like baked goods to add more citrus punch. You can even use dried citrus in your decor such as in tablescapes, wreaths, and water features.
