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Add pungent citrus flavor to any number of dishes with dried orange zest – just follow these easy instructions to make your own.
Dried orange peel makes a delicious, piquant addition to a wide variety of both savory and sweet dishes. It’s very easy to make your own at home and it has much more flavor than the storebought variety.
Make Your Own Dried Orange Peel In 4 Easy Steps
If at all possible, use organic navel oranges. Their thick peels make them the easiest to work with and you don’t need to worry about any pesticide residue.
- Using a good, sharp vegetable peeler, get just under the surface of the peel and cut away strips from top to bottom. Be sure not to dig into the peel too deeply, you want to leave all of the spongey, white pith on the orange because it won’t dry properly and it has a bitter flavor.
- Stack a few strips together at a time and slice them crosswise into thin (about 1/8-inch) pieces.
- Spread the orange peel in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 200°F oven until they curl and harden slightly – 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Note: You can use the same method for lemons, tangerines and limes.
You say to leave the white pith on the orange but that is bitter. So don’t you need to take that off
Hi Signe,
Yes, you would want to peel the rest of the orange as normal before eating.
I have been looking for how to make the tiny bits of orange peel that you use in baking cookies and sprinkleing it on top. It is extremely hard to find it anymore. However, I did find it in a grocery store but it was almost expired and it didn’t have any orange taste to it. Does anyone know how to make it??
Hi Mary,
I think you can follow our instructions, and once the orange peel is completely dried, chop it into small bits by pulsing it in a food processor.
Why do you have to refrigerate if they are dried?
Hi Janel,
I suppose you don’t have to, but since there are no preservatives, we do it for safety’s sake.
I freeze my orange and apple peels and add cinnamon and cloves at holidays. Just boil on the stovetop. Will try this.
Hello! I want to bake a Christmas cake and have no orange peel… I wonder if it’s will be possible to make dry orange peel and use it instead of cristalized peel?
Hi Natalia,
Crystallized (or candied) orange peel is sugar-coated, so our dried orange peel really wouldn’t be an appropriate substitute. Here’s a link to Alton Brown’s instructions on how to make it:
https://altonbrown.com/candied-orange-peel-recipe/
the problem with using the oven to dry the peel!, is it just takes to along! but the good news is that its flavor is more intense, when you dry it out in the oven ! your friend till the end ! VIVA! ITALA!!!
CHEF FRANKIE C,
It does take a while to dry, but you’re right, the flavor is great. I always keep some on hand!