Roasted Lemon Peel Powder
This is a great way to use those lemon peels instead of just throwing them away.
This is great to use on seafood, grilled corn on the cob, pasta salad, any lemon dessert, just about anywhere your imagination can go! This is also a great way to help eliminate some of the salt from your diet by adding more sodium-free spices to your food.
I originally posted this back in July 2010, but since there were two recipes on that same post (the other is for candied lemon peel), I thought I’d break it out and make 2 so it’s easier to find each one. One of these days I’ll go back and take new photos of this as well.
Lemon Peeled with a vegetable peeler trying to get only the yellow and leaving the bitter white part behind
The fragrance of this roasted lemon peel is so wonderful and heady that it may just be something that I have to make on a regular basis. The flavor is a bit more mellow than fresh lemon peel, but the powder has a toasty quality that gives it depth. This idea came from the wonderful Zucchini and Chocolate Blog.
I used three lemons, and ended up with about a tablespoon of powder, so it doesn’t make a lot of powder. But, making it didn’t take much time or much work. Please see pictures below the recipe for details of the work.
The lemon Peel has begun to dry after sitting out for a day
The peel turns golden brown after being roasted in the oven
Roasted Lemon Peel Powder Recipe
Roasted Lemon Peel Powder
Ingredients
- lemons, using as many as you'd like
Instructions
- Peel the lemon with a vegetable peeler making ribbons with as little pith (the bitter white part of the peel) on them as possible. Leave the peel out to air dry on the counter for a day or two.
- Then, roast the peel in a low oven for about 15 minutes, or until they start to turn golden. (I left mine in the oven while the oven cooled after I had baked something else.)
- Allow the peel to cool, and grind the peel in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Store the powder in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes
The Roasted Lemon Peel Powder can be added to almost anything that you would add lemon zest to: scones, gelato, granola, cookies, lemon syrup for beverages, my neighbor even thought it would taste lovely over roasted corn.
Janette | Culinary Ginger says
This is genius. When I zest a lemon I always wish I could have it in a dried form and now I can. I’m trying this soon.
Debra C. says
What a great way to add flavor and keeping it healthy too. I can see how this will really be a nice addition to the spice cabinet. Definitely giving this a try!
Kavey Favelle says
Really like this idea, a great little flavour bomb sprinkle that’s essentially making use of what you’d usually throw away!
A Kitchen Hoor says
I thought I was the only one that saved citrus peels. Thank you!! They’re perfect in spice mixes, mulling spices for wine, or even ground and dusted in chicken. Definitely something I’ll be trying.