My dehydrator has been working overtime lately! I bought a crap ton of discounted fruits at the store and I had to use them before they go bad. I got 7 bunches of bananas, 2 bags of lemons, a bag of apples and some mushy strawberries and blueberries...all for like $12.00!!!! Problem is, what to do with them??
Well most of it I dehydrate so that the only waste I have are the stickers I pull off of them & I plan on doing some dehydrating posts after harvest is over. For now we're gonna concentrate on the lemons, but any citrus fruit will work. Here's what you'll need:
Citrus fruit (I'm using lemons for this tutorial)
Knife
Peeler (optional, I use a knife and my fingers)
Cutting board (optional but helpful)
Large glass jar
White Vinegar
Water. You can use distilled, boiled, filtered, bottled (yuck!) ot just plain old water like I use
Cheesecloth, Strainer, Muslin, etc
Glass Jar with spray nozzle (not necessary but very helpful) I got mine off of Etsy from a store called YoungeverLLC and it was the assorted pack of clear and Amber spray bottles.
Essential Oils (optional)
Herbs (optional)
So let's get started!
Wash your fruit and pat dry.
Peel the skins. Now you can do this by hand or with a knife. I prefer to cut the end off and use my nails. I also try to take as much of the pith (The pith is the spongy white substance that's between the peel and the fruit in oranges and other citrus fruits.) off as I can. I slice up and dehydrate the lemons to use in my teas so I prefer to have the least amount as possible on the part I will eat (on a lemon it's kinda bland).
Shove them in a jar. Fill the jar with white vinegar, make sure the peels are submerged. I like the Amber jars but any old jar will do.
If you want you can throw in some herbs. Rosemary, Cloves, Lavender, Mint, Eucalyptus, etc.
Put in a dark place and forget about it. I usually put mine in the back of a cabinet behind everything. I don't have to worry about sunlight hitting mine, if you do put it somewhere dark where it won't get too hot, too cold, grabbed by little ones or pets.
Wait a few weeks. Most people say around 2 but, honestly, I've forgotten about mine for a long time. Well over a year once and it was fine.
After a few weeks, months or years have gone by strain the peels and dilute with a 50/50 mix of water is ideal but I rarely ever measure anything so just eyeball it. This is where you can add your essential oil (if you want to). Some people don't like the vinegar smell, I think I'm mostly immune and now I kinda like it. You can't use vinegar on marble, limestone, travertine, stone floors or hardwood floors (unfinished), eggs or on your iron, but other than that you can use it on anything. It's kids safe, pet safe, food safe, etc. Now that being said here's the legal shit:
**If you add herbs, essential oils, additives, colorants, alcohol, spit, piss (piss and vinegar...get it?), whatever it will change the recipe and may make it UNsafe. If your essential oils are not pet safe don't use this on or near your pets. If your essential oils are not safe for internal consumption than don't drink the shit.**
8. You can use other citrus fruits. I also have an orange cleaner, a lemon/lime cleaner, an orange/lemon cleaner, etc. Other fruits can add sugar so stick with your citrus fruits. I've also used less water for a stronger cleaner but it was definitely a much stronger vinegar smell.
To use just spray like you would any other cleaner & wipe off. No need to rinse afterwards unless you want to. You can add dried herbs or flowers to make look pretty or put a label on it but I don't. I live alone so once made I just put in the cabinet along with my other DIY cleaners. They also make a great gift for anyone that needs an introduction into going chemical free and reducing waste!
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