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Home » Recipes » Condiments

How to Make and Use Dried Lemon Peels

Published: Sep 29, 2020 · Modified: Feb 1, 2023 by Ginny · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Making your own lemon powder can’t be simpler if you know the couple of easy tricks as it is a great way to make homemade lemon powder for seasonings, dressings and as a lemon zest replacement. You will never be at a loss again if lemon zest is called for in a recipe simply by using 3 methods to peel/grate and 3 different ways to dry the lemon peels.

decorative jar and wooden scoop with dried lemon powder in both.
Store With Your Spices. You’ll use this a lot!
Contents hide
1 Why This Recipe Works
2 🍋 Ingredients
3 🌸 Detailed Instructions
4 ♨️ Three Ways to Dry
5 Turn it into Powder
6 📌 How to Store
7 🍋 How to Use
8 Recipe FAQs
9 How to Peel and Dry Lemon Peels

This all started because I hate waste. There, I said it. It is a big pet peeve! I recently had a recipe call for the juice of a whole lemon and I caught myself getting ready to throw the squeezed lemon away.  Yikes!  Fortunately, I didn’t put it in the trash, so I salvaged it to make dried lemon peels.

I will show the quick, easy steps to peel and dry a lemon and turn it into a fine dried lemon powder.  I will also go over the many uses for this versatile kitchen staple. 

Following these instructions, you will never have to run to the store again to grab a fresh lemon, just for a teaspoon of lemon zest!

Why This Recipe Works

Three Options to Grate or Zest This is one of those great recipes that give you different options to reach the same finish line. No matter if you use the grater, a zester or simply peeling, you will end up with the same lemon powder at the end. There is no need to buy any new kitchen tools. Use the grater in your drawer if that is all you have.

Three Option to Dry This is pretty much the same concept as the grating above. You can dry these in your oven if you don’t have a dehydrator or Air Fryer with a dehydrating function. The only difference is the lemons turn darker in the oven, but that’s it. If you are new to dehydrating, use the oven technique first so you know if you will incorporate this into your cooking.

Zero Waste Once you have grated/zested/peeled your lemons, you are left with the center and these are perfect to wrap up for the freezer and next time a recipe calls for “lemon juice” simply microwave it for 20 seconds and squeeze. You will be shocked how much more lemon juice you will get and then you have zero waste!

🍋 Ingredients 

bowl of organic lemons labeled.
Use Organic Lemons to Avoid Chemicals in the Skin

Organic Lemon – Because I like to use lemon peels to eliminate waste, I tend to buy organic. You can scrub and scrub the outside of the lemons to make sure you get the excess chemicals off, but just in case, I prefer to buy organic and know I’m not ingesting potentially harmful chemicals. 

You should also look for a relatively firm lemon and one without blemishes so you know it hasn’t gone bad inside. Pick it up, gently press your palm on the lemon and see how it feels. If it feels firm, move it around in your palm looking for blemishes. If it is clean, place it in your bag. 

🌸 Detailed Instructions

process shots showing peeling the lemons, drying, and turning into powder.
Simple Steps For a Homemade Kitchen Staple
  1. Peel or zest the lemon
  2. Lay them on drying trays
  3. Dry using one of three techniques
  4. Gather the dried peels
  5. Add them to a food processor
  6. Pulse until it turns into powder

This is such an easy method that you are going to knock yourself on the head that you didn’t do it earlier! As an added benefit, I love it when I peel them as it makes your house smell amazing! 

Peel or Zest

showing three different techniques to collect the lemon peel or zest.
Three Different Ways to Collect the Peel or Zest

Wash the lemon with warm soapy water to clean it. 

Use a peeler or a paring knife to remove the topmost layer of lemon peel from the rind. Make sure you scrape just the yellow layer and not the bitter white layer. The benefit of using a peeler is that you will get larger slices which makes them easier to handle.  

Optionally, you can just grate the lemon with a box grater or a microplane.

Use a Box Grater

Use your cheese grater. Use the side with the fine holes to make the lemon zest. Just don’t go too far and get too much of the white pith. 

Use a Micro Plane

This is a great option and I love using my micro plane. It gets the ends of the lemon better and it does a great job not taking off too much.

You won’t get the white pith at all with this tool. 

♨️ Three Ways to Dry

Now that you know how to pick out great lemons and you have peeled or grated them, let’s move right into drying. You are going to love it! 

three ways to dry lemon peel in the oven, dehydrator and air fryer.
Three Options for Drying

Use the Oven

Heat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay the lemon peels on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, making sure they do not touch.  

Heat in the oven for about 20-30 minutes. I check on them about 15 minutes in to see how they are doing. They are done when the lemon peels will SNAP when you try to bend them. 

⚠️ Take note: The peels will darken if you use the oven.  They will stay more vibrant yellow if you use the dehydrator. The darker color does not affect the taste. 

Use the Dehydrator 

Using the dehydrator is perfect for drying the peels. This is completely hands-off once you turn it on. 

Lay out the lemon peels on the trays, being careful not to have them touch each other. 

Turn the dehydrator to 95 degrees for 8-10 hours. Check at the eight hour mark as everyone’s dehydrator is different. 

You are looking for the peels to *SNAP* between your fingers as the indicator they are done. This is my preferred method as the lemon peels retain their bright yellow color after they are dried. It has no impact on the taste, but the color wins me over!

Use the Air Fryer

If you have an Air Fryer with the Dehydrator function, definitely give it a try.   

Lay out the lemon peels on the dehydrator trays, making sure they don’t touch each other. 

Turn on the Air Fryer to 95 degrees on the DEHYDRATOR setting for two hours. 

Every air fryer is slightly different, so monitor the time until yours snap as the indicator they are done. 

Turn it into Powder

simple steps to chop the lemon peels into a fine powder in a food processor.
Pulse in a Food Processor to Turn it into Powder

Add the dried peels to a small Cuisinart and pulse it several times for a course grind as shown in the photo above. Pulse it longer for a fine grind.

📌 How to Store

Once you have them dried, you have a few options for storing them. 

  1. Keep them in decorative jars. 
  2. Store them in sealed Ziploc bags. 
  3. Freeze them and remove from freezer bags when ready to use. 

My favorite is to use the jar. I keep them in the dried peel form as it is easy to see how much I have left at any time.  Alternatively, use a spice grinder or food processor to grind the peels into a fine powder.  

I love to look up in my spice cabinet and see the gorgeous lemon peels or powder that is ready to use in my baking. 

What to do with Rest of the Lemon?

wrapping the lemon in saran and then storing in a freezer safe ziploc bag.
Wrap the Inside of the Lemon in Press-N-Seal and Store in the Freezer

Like I said at the beginning, I hate waste! After I peeled the lemon, I wrapped it in Press-N-Seal and added it to a freezer safe Ziploc Bag. I keep these frozen for recipes that require fresh squeezed lemons.

After freezing, it is much easier to squeeze, and I am able to get a lot more juice from it.

I will also add slices to my drinks to add a fun lemony flavor!

🍋 How to Use

There are so many things you can do with dried lemon peels and powder! 

  1. Incorporate them into your body scrubs. 
  2. Use the dried lemon to make your own salad dressing.
  3. Make citrus salt or citrus sugar. For Citrus Salt, simply combine one tablespoon of dried lemon zest with one tablespoon of kosher salt. Use this on fish, chicken or even in fun liquor drinks.
  4. Add it into your own homemade potpourri. 
  5. Don’t forget to use it in your baking! Add dried lemon peels/zest to Lemon Lavender Scones or Cranberry Bliss Thumbprint Cookies!  
  6. Use it in making your own homemade rubs for grilling. It worked perfectly in this grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken.  Add ½ cup of peppercorns, ½ cup of dried lemon peel and one tablespoon of kosher salt to a small food processor and grind to a fine consistency for a delicious rub.

You get the idea – lemon zest is used EVERYWHERE in cooking! Here’s hoping you start making your own Dried Lemon Peels and using them in your recipes!

Recipe FAQs

How long does dried lemon peel last?

These will last more than a year if they are thoroughly dried and stored in an air tight container.

What is the difference between lemon peel and zest

The peel refers to the entire outer skin of the lemon, while the zest is just the bright yellow surface layer of the peel.

Are lemon peels healthy?

The peel is high in potassium. Make sure to use only organic lemons to minimize exposure to insecticides and other chemicals used in the orchards.

finely processed lemon peels into powder in a small decorative jar.
Nothing Beats Homemade Dried Lemon Zest

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decorative jar and wooden scoop with dried lemon powder in both

How to Peel and Dry Lemon Peels

Three different methods to peel and dry lemon peels.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Drying Time: 4 hours hours
Total Time: 4 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 9kcal
Author: Ginny

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • Dehydrator
  • Vegetable Peeler

Ingredients

  • 6 Lemons organic

Instructions

Peeling the Lemons

  • Peel Lemon using a vegetable peeler or knife. Make sure not to cut into the white pith too much.
  • Optional: If you prefer, use a box grater or microplane to create a zest instead of peels. The zest will dry faster, but I find it easier to handle the peels throughout the drying process.

Drying in the Oven

  • Place in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit on a lined sheet pan. Make sure peels are separated and not sticking together. Cook for up to two hours.
  • Once the peels SNAP, they are dry enough to come out of oven. Peels will be a darker color when they come out. It does not affect the taste at all.

Drying in the Dehydrator

  • Set the dehydrator at 95 degrees and place the lemon peels on the trays making sure they are separated. This will take 4-7 hours. Once the peels SNAP, they are dry enough to come out of the oven. Peels will be light in color when they come out.

Drying in the Air Fryer (that has dehydrator function)

  • Set the Air Fryer to the Dehydrate function on 95 degrees and place the peels on the little tray, making sure they are not sticking together. This may take 3-4 hours. Please note: Not ever Air Fryer has a Dehydrate Function.
  • Once the peels SNAP, they are dry enough to come out of the oven. Peels will be light in color when the come out.

Turn the Dried Lemon Peels to Powder

  • Place the dried lemon peels in a food processor.
  • Pulse the food processor until the lemon has turned into a fine powder.
  • Store the powder in an air tight jar, Ziploc bag, or freeze until needed.

Notes

Store in airtight containers to keep fresh for up to 1 year.
Don’t throw away the inside of the lemons.  I cut them in half, wrapped them up and froze them until I needed lemon juice. Defrost in microwave for 20-30 seconds and squeeze out juice. You will get a TON more juice than you expected. 
Don’t peel or grate too close to the meat of the lemon and not get the white inner part, called the pith as the taste can be unpleasant. 
You can dehydrate in the oven, dehydrator or Air Fryer. If you are going to dry the zest from the microplane or grater, they will take a fraction of the time to dry as the peel. Check often. 
Use this method to make Lemon Pepper Seasoning for gifts using the recipe above. 

Nutrition

Calories: 9kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @savorandsavvy or tag #savorandsavvy!
Ginny
Ginny

Hi!

Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.

savorandsavvy.com/about-me/
How to Make and Use Dried Lemon Peels
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About Ginny

Hi!

Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bindi U says

    December 11, 2023 at 1:32 pm

    5 stars
    I was able to repurpose my lemons

    Reply
  2. Kristi says

    November 30, 2023 at 4:25 pm

    If I were to use the dried lemon powder in a recipe instead of fresh lemon zest, would you adjust the amount used? And if so, what would the ratio be?
    For example, your Lemon Lavendar Scones require 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest…so would you use 1 full Tbsp of fresh or dried?

    Reply
  3. Elke says

    February 23, 2023 at 9:32 am

    Hard to find organic Lemons around here ! Is there something to wash them with to get the chemicals off

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      March 01, 2023 at 2:03 pm

      Hi there! Great question! Create a mixture of 1 tsp of baking soda and 2 cups of water and soak for about 15-20 minutes. Rinse well. Another idea is to soak in 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Rinse well. Hope this works for you! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Jonathan says

    March 14, 2022 at 11:45 pm

    Want to use in place of salt…thus drop the sea salt mix. How will this play out?

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      March 16, 2022 at 12:28 pm

      Hi Jonathan! If you have whole lemons you want to preserve, you can freeze the ENTIRE lemon in freezer safe zip lock bags. When you want to use zest, remove it from the freezer and zap it in the microwave for a few seconds. Then go ahead and zest it. Alternatively, zest the lemons and store in a sealed container in the freezer and remove when you want fresh zest. Both of these require no salt at all. Cheers! Ginny

      Reply
  5. Leigh says

    March 04, 2022 at 9:54 pm

    Is it 200 Celsius or Fahrenheit? My first lot burnt.

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      March 06, 2022 at 5:50 pm

      Fahrenheit! Great question! I’ll add that in to make it more clear! Thanks so much! Ginny

      Reply
  6. Stanley says

    October 28, 2021 at 4:44 am

    5 stars
    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      October 30, 2021 at 9:15 am

      Thanks for stopping by, Stanley!

      Reply
  7. Vanessa says

    July 15, 2020 at 3:26 pm

    Thanks for sharing! How long do do they keep?

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      July 17, 2020 at 1:48 pm

      Once they are dried, you can keep them in a sealed container for up to 12 months, just like a dried herb in your pantry! 🙂 Just make sure they are fully dried or they will create mold.

      Reply
  8. Suzanne says

    July 15, 2020 at 3:24 pm

    This is a great idea! What a great way to preserve lemon before it goes bad! You could make lemonade with the juice too!

    Reply
    • Ginny says

      July 17, 2020 at 1:47 pm

      So true!!! I can’t get enough of lemons this year!

      Reply
5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Family Photo Hi! I'm Ginny and for over 30 years, I've been creating simple and easy recipes without sacrificing on taste for our family on the go. I can't wait to show you how to do the same for your family. Read More...

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