Before the squeezed lemon halves go in the trash, consider the peels. Lemon peel uses around the house start in the kitchen: simmer them in water for a fresh scent, dry them for a drawer sachet, use them in a microwave cleaning bowl, or add a small amount to the compost. They’re cheap, easy and worth a second look.
The short answer: the most straightforward use for lemon peels is a simmer pot for a temporary kitchen scent. Properly dried peels can also go in a drawer sachet, a cooled batch of peel water can give surfaces a light wipe, and small amounts can go in the compost. Lemon peel water is not a disinfectant, and it should not go on natural stone or any finish whose maker advises against acidic cleaners. We are sticking to household uses here, not health claims.
Six lemon peel uses around the house
1Simmer them for a fresh kitchen scent
Verdict: the best use. Put the peels from one or two lemons in a small pot, cover them with water and keep it at a low simmer. Add a bay leaf or a cinnamon stick if you like, as in our bay leaf uses and our guide to stovetop potpourri. Our cozy cafe kitchen tips have more ideas. The catch is that it’s a pot on a burner. NFPA says the leading cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking, and its tip for anything simmering is to check it regularly, stay in the home and use a timer as a reminder. Top up the water before it boils dry, and turn the burner off before you leave the kitchen for long. Keeping the pot out of reach of kids and pets is our practical advice.
2Dry the peels for sachets and simmer mixes
Verdict: worth doing, if you dry them properly. Colorado State University’s PreserveSmart guide covers drying citrus peel for food use. It says to scrub the fruit well under cool running water, peel only the thin outer layer (about 1/16 to 1/8 inch) and avoid the white, bitter pith. Dry the peels at 140°F in an oven or dehydrator, which takes 8 to 12 hours in a dehydrator and may take up to twice as long in a conventional oven, until they are crisp. It says to store them in airtight, moisture-proof containers in a cool, dry, dark place, the refrigerator or the freezer, where they keep six to 12 months, and to discard any with an off smell or mold. Using the dried peels in a cloth sachet for a drawer or in a simmer mix is our own application, and it gives a light scent, not a deodorizer. If a peel is soft or damp, skip the sachet.
3Loosen microwave splatters
Verdict: it works as a loosener, but use the tested recipe. University of Illinois Extension says to loosen caked-on food by heating 1/2 cup of lemon juice with 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe dish until it boils, then leaving the door closed until it cools before you wipe. That recipe uses juice, not peels, and we haven’t found a source for peel water alone, so treat peels as an add-in at most. Be careful with the heat. Washington State University’s superheating warning says water can heat past boiling without appearing to boil, and a
