How To Make Dried Mandarin Peel Powder
Dried Mandarin Peel Powder is one of the easiest zero waste ingredients you can make at home. That peel you’d normally throw out, easily becomes a concentrated citrus powder that works anywhere you’d use fresh zest. Best of all, it costs nothing extra to make, it keeps for months, and can be made in the oven, a dehydrator, or an air fryer.
It’s adds a burst of citrus flavor to this Honey And Sesame Candy, these Lemon Curd Muffins or this Flourless Almond And Raspberry Cake and adds plenty of color to these Raw Doughnuts too.
Recipe Overview: Dried Mandarin Peel
Naturopath’s Notes
Mandarin peel is one of those things most people throw away without a second thought. However, once dried and powdered, it becomes a surprisingly useful kitchen ingredient that works anywhere you’d use citrus zest, without needing to buy or zest fresh fruit every time. It’s a simple way to get more out of something you’d otherwise toss in the compost.
Key Ingredients
Mandarins are at their best in winter, which makes it the perfect season for this recipe. If you’re already eating your way through a bowl of them, you’ll have plenty of peel on hand to work with for this recipe.
- Mandarins, tangerines or mandarin oranges, depending on your location, are the only ingredient needed.
There are several varieties of mandarins to choose from. My favorite for eating is Honey Murcott because they’re so sweet, and that’s generally the peels I use. Any kind you have is fine though.
Substitutions And Variations
Any citrus fruit will work well with this process. Tangerine peel, lemon peel or orange peel are great substitutes for mandarin if preferred. Keep in mind that drying times may vary, as other citrus has thicker skin.
For a more traditional drying method try making sun-dried mandarin peel instead. Place the peel on trays or baskets in direct sun and leave to dry for several days. Just like the other methods, the peel will snap when it’s fully dried. Bamboo trays with net covers are perfect for this task. They let the sun dry the peel while keeping insects out.
Instead of pulverizing all the peel when it’s dried leave some whole. The dried peels make an excellent mandarin peel tea. Add a few pieces of the mandarin peel and a small cinnamon stick to a mug and cover with hot water. Leave to steep for a few minutes then discard the peel and cinnamon before drinking.
How To Make Dried Mandarin Peel
You can either make this powder with purpose – by buying mandarins specifically – or just make it every time you find yourself with enough leftover peel. For small batches, I recommend the oven or air fryer methods. You can store fresh mandarin peels in the refrigerator for a few days if needed too, which will give you a larger batch to work with.
- Step 1: Wash the entire surface of the mandarin peel thoroughly to remove any dirt or residue. Thoroughly dry the surface then peel the fruit.
- Step 2: Remove the bitter white pith from the inside of the skin by scraping it with a teaspoon or knife.
- Step 3: Cut or rip the peels into smaller pieces – approximately 1-inch/2.5cm for faster drying. Place on dehydrator trays, oven trays, or air fryer trays pith side down with space between the peels so the air can circulate.
- Step 4: Once the peel is fully dried add it to a small blender and blend until completely pulverized. Store the powder in a jar or another airtight container in the pantry or refrigerator.
See the following sections for instructions on drying the peel in each appliance.
How To Dry Mandarin Peel In The Oven
This is a great option if you want to make the powder in a shorter timeframe.
- Preheat the oven to 212ºF/100ºC.
- Place the trays with peel on them in the preheated oven and bake for 1-1.5 hours. Check on the peels after one hour, they’re ready if they snap in half. If they don’t, keep baking, and checking every 30 minutes until they do. Let the peels cool completely then blend into a fine powder.
How To Dry Mandarin Peel In The Dehydrator
- Set the dehydrator to 135ºF/57°C and dehydrate for approximately 6 – 8 hours. Timing may vary depending on your dehydrator, but what you’re looking for is the skin to snap when you try and bend it.
- Once completely dehydrated, let the peels cool then blend into a fine powder.
How To Dry Mandarin Peel In The Air Fryer
Many air fryers also have a dehydrate function. Much like the oven method, this is a great way to get the peels dried quickly.
- Set the air fryer to dehydrate (this is usually 160ºF/70ºC), place the trays in and dry for approximately 2-3 hours. Rotate the trays each hour as the peel dehydrates to ensure it dries evenly and doesn’t burn.
- Just like the other methods, the skin will snap when it’s dry. If it doesn’t, keep dehydrating in 30-minute increments.
- Let the peels cool completely then blend into a fine powder.
How To Use Dried Mandarin Peel
Mandarin peel powder makes a great substitute in recipes calling for orange zest. Stir it through soups like this Barley And Lentil Soup, add it to baked goods like these Baked Oats For One, or toss it through salads. It works particularly well in this Fall Harvest Salad.
If a recipe calls for citrus zest, use ½ to 1 teaspoon of this powder in its place.
Expert Tips
- Ensure the peel is fully dried before grinding it into a powder, otherwise, you’ll end up with a paste. It may also go moldy over the coming weeks.
- Leaving excess pith on the peel will make your powder bitter, so remove as much of it as possible without tearing the skin.
- If you think the peel is fully dried, but it won’t snap, take a small handful of peel from the oven, dehydrator, or air fryer and set it aside for a few minutes. Once completely cool try and snap them again. The moist air from the fan in the oven and dehydrator can give the false impression they’re not ready, so this will help you be certain.
Storing
Store the mandarin peel powder in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid or any airtight container in the pantry for 6 months, or refrigerator for up to a year. To ensure the powder retains that bright, fresh aroma, I recommend the refrigerator.
Did you make this recipe?
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!
Dried Mandarin Peel Powder
Equipment
- Dehydrator, oven or an air fryer with a dehydrate function.
Ingredients
- 10 Mandarins – enjoy the fruit and keep the peel! (any amount you want to dry is fine)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 212ºF/100ºC (see note 1 if you'd like to make this in a dehydrator or an air fryer with a dehydrate function).
- Wash the entire surface of the mandarin peel thoroughly to remove any dirt or residue then dry them completely. I do this before peeling them to make it easier.
- Remove the bitter white pith from the inside of the skin by gently scraping it with a teaspoon or knife. Leaving excess pith on the peel will give the powder a very bitter taste.
- Cut or rip the peels into smaller pieces – approximately 1-inch/2.5cm for faster drying. Place on oven trays, dehydrator trays, or air fryer trays pith side down and ensure there is plenty of space between each piece of peel to allow for better airflow.
- Place the trays in the preheated oven and bake for 1-1.5 hours. Check on the peels after one hour, they’re ready if they snap in half (see note 2). If they don’t, keep baking, and checking every 30 minutes until they do.
- Remove the peels from the oven and let them cool completely. Once cooled, transfer to a blender and pulverize into a powder. This should take just a few seconds.
- Store in a glass jar in the pantry or the refrigerator (see note 3). You can now add this to cakes, biscuits, soups, or any recipe that calls for citrus zest.
Thanks for this recipe and many options to dry and use. He gave me encouragement to not waste my Mandarin feelings, and I started using them in teas, and then Mediterranean tomato stew that I asked for skins of orange.
Ps: there’s a conversion mistake at the early paragraph on oven drying. 100 C is NOT 40 F, but 212F Fahrenheit.
Hi Alex, thank you! I don’t know how I ended up writing 40º there, but the post has now been amended to show the correct temperature. I’m glad you’re putting the powder to such good use too!
Thanks for the “know how”, I have a tree full of mandarins… I suppose I will use the peel as a future meat rub, at least I can use it. I usually just pile it up next to our fire pit, it apparently helps to keep the mozzies away when you burn it.
My pleasure Jade. It’s just great to be able to use it in the kitchen in some way, but in the fire also sounds really lovely. I’ll bet it smells divine!