Dried Mandarin Peel Powder

A small jar of mandarin peel powder with a spoon dipped into it is sitting on a white table top.

A delicious citrusy flavour infusion that can be used in baking, stews, soups or anywhere you'd like to add a bit of zing. This makes a great replacement for orange zest in recipes too!

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Preserved Food

Keyword: Mandarin peel, Preserved Food, Preserves

Prep Time: 10

Dehydrating time: 1 30

Total Time: 1 40

Servings: Tsp

Calories: 19kcal

Author: Gabby Campbell

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 pulverise into a powder. This should take just a few seconds.
Store in a glass jar in the pantry or the fridge (See note 3). You can now add this to cakes, biscuits, soups, or any recipe that calls for citrus zest.

Video

Notes

Note 1: To make the dried peel in a dehydrator - once the peel is on the trays (pith side down) place in the dehydrator, set to 135ºF/57°C and dehydrate for approximately 6 – 8 hours. Timing may vary depending on your dehydrator.

To make the dried peel in an air fryer with a dehydrate function - Set the air fryer to dehydrate (this is usually 160ºF/70ºC) and dry for approximately 2-3 hours. Rotate the trays as the peel dehydrates to ensure it dries evenly.

Note 2: If you think the peel is fully dried, but it won’t snap. Take a small handful of peel from the oven/dehydrator/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 is a good test.

Note 3: The powder will lose it's colour and aroma more quickly if kept in the pantry. So while it can be kept there, I think it's best stored in the fridge.

Nutrition