How to Make Orange Zest
Don't let all that orange peel go waste! Here's how to make orange zest from scratch with just a few minutes of hands-on kitchen time.
Use it to garnish your favorite desserts, add it to your simple salad dressing or to make a nice orange infused honey to use as a topping for your breakfast pancakes or waffles- the uses are endless!
When it comes to adding flavor to food, orange zest has to be one of the most underrated ingredient- in my opinion. Not only is it a powerhouse of vitamin C (even more than the fruit itself), but it also has a strong, citrusy aroma that can jazz up pretty much anything.
I've used it to add flavor to my homemade Chai concentrate and even to make my citrus Kosho- an addictive spicy and tangy condiment. This time, I got my hands on quite a lot of fresh oranges which I used to make my fruit Pico de Gallo. And what could be better than using up the peel to make some orange zest from scratch?
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 5 minutes.
- ⏲️Cook time: 10-20 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 10.
- 📋Main ingredients: Oranges.
- ♨️Cooking method: Clean oranges 🡢 zest 🡢 dehydrate in an oven 🡢 use immediately or store for later.
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Add a pinch or two of homemade orange zest to your honey fermented cranberries for an extra citrusy zing.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- No more waste! All that leftover orange peel gets used up for something that's actually incredible.
- It's so versatile. You can add the dried orange zest to your spiced Christmas jam, spiced pear butter and even into your homemade gingerbread syrup.
Recipe Ingredients
Oranges: The only ingredient you'll need! Use good quality, ripe oranges and make sure you wash and pat dry them before you use them for the recipe.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Orange Zest
Step 1: Wash the oranges thoroughly and pat dry them.
Step 2: Use a microplane to gently zest the oranges.
Step 3: Spread them in a thin, single layer on a lined baking sheet.
Step 4: Bake in a preheated oven for 10-20 minutes or until they turn brownish.
💭Top Tip
Got a lot of oranges? Use the peel to make homemade orange marmalade and reserve some to make orange zest.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Set your oven at its lowest temperature and make sure you preheat the oven before you add in the orange zest. This will keep the zest from accidentally burning. I realized this when I made my homemade dried parsley.
- Keep an eye on the zest at the 10 minute mark. If you start to see them darken slightly and they curl up a little bit, it's time to get them out. Remember that they will dry up even more as they cool.
- Use a good zester to zest the oranges. Avoid getting any white portion of the peel- it can taste quite bitter.
- If you don't have a zester or a microplane, you can use a box grater too. Use the portion with the smallest holes to grate the orange peel for best results.
- Got some more orange peel leftover? Also try my candied citrus peel recipe if this is something you like doing.
How to Use Orange Zest
This tangy and refreshing orange zest can be used in a ton of ways! I like adding it to my simple salad dressings, especially my lemon poppy seed dressing for a bit of extra zing.
You can also add it to your meat marinades for an extra citrusy flavor. I love adding it to my homemade lemon pepper seasoning and also to make my citrus infused salt. Another splendid idea is to blitz some of the orange zest with sugar to make a nice fruit sugar- I made my strawberry sugar the same way!
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Transfer your leftover homemade orange zest to an airtight container and refrigerate or store at room temperature. Without moisture, it can stay good for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can freeze the leftover orange zest in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 6 months.
More Essentials
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this homemade orange zest recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
How to Make Orange Zest
Ingredients
- 3 oranges
Instructions
- Wash the oranges thoroughly and pat dry them.
- Use a microplane to gently zest the oranges.
- Spread them in a thin, single layer on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 10-20 minutes or until they turn brownish.
Notes
- Set your oven at its lowest temperature and make sure you preheat the oven before you add in the orange zest. This will keep the zest from accidentally burning.
- Keep an eye on the zest at the 10 minute mark. If you start to see them darken slightly and they curl up a little bit, it's time to get them out. Remember that they will dry up even more as they cool.
- If you don't have a zester or a microplane, you can use a box grater too. Use the portion with the smallest holes to grate the orange peel for best results.
