There are many different uses for raw orange peel. It is used to season both hot and cold dishes. Orange peel adds a nice flavor to pastries, sauces, and drinks. Dried orange peels can be used to make tea, and chewing on orange peel helps eliminate bad breath.
General information:
From Wikipedia: “The orange (specifically, the sweet orange) is the fruit of the citrus species Citrus × sinensis in the family Rutaceae. The fruit of the Citrus × sinensis is considered a sweet orange, whereas the fruit of the Citrus × aurantium is considered a bitter orange. The sweet orange reproduces asexually (apomixis through nucellar embryony); varieties of sweet orange arise through mutations.”
“Numerous oil glands are found in the fruit’s peel, and these release a fragrant aroma. The peel and orange segments grow together, and oranges are therefore more difficult to peel and separate than other citrus fruits.*”
Further information about oranges can be found under the following link:
Conventional oranges:
“Conventional oragnes are often waxed and treated with preservatives such as thiabendazole (E 233), orthophenyl phenol (E 231), Sodium orthophenyl phenol (E 232), biphenyl (E 230, no longer permitted in the EU), and enilconazole.*” It is therefore best to use only organic orange peel.
Juice and other products:
“Oranges, whose flavor may vary from sweet to sour, are commonly peeled and eaten fresh or squeezed for juice. The thick bitter rind is usually discarded, but can be processed into animal feed by desiccation, using pressure and heat. It also is used in certain recipes as a food flavoring or garnish. The outermost layer of the rind can be thinly grated with a zester to produce orange zest. Zest is popular in cooking because it contains oils and has a strong flavor similar to that of the orange pulp. The white part of the rind, including the pith, is a source of pectin and has nearly the same amount of vitamin C as the flesh and other nutrients.
Although not as juicy or tasty as the flesh, orange peel is edible and has significant contents of vitamin C, dietary fiber, total polyphenols, carotenoids, limonene and dietary minerals, such as potassium and magnesium.”
Note (italics): * = Translation from a German Wikipedia entry
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