The first thing we do after tasting the wonderful citrus fruit that is clementine is to get rid of its skins. But it turns out that these barks can have a plethora of uses that will make your daily life easier. Let’s find them.
Whether in cooking, cleaning or beauty, clementine zest offers unsuspected and useful everyday uses that it would be a shame not to take advantage of. Here are some of the most practical.
Mandarin – Source: spm
8 Ingenious Ways to Use Clementine Zest
Candied rind – Source: spm
With clementine zest, you can make delicious sweets that can be eaten as a snack or toppings for desserts and cocktails. For example, you can make a succade consisting of candied citrus peels which, of course, you can prepare with orange, lemon, and lime zest.
To prepare your candied clementine peel, start by removing the skin from 2 or 3 clementines, including their pith, then cut them into thin strips. Meanwhile, bring a mixture of 3 cups water and 3 cups sugar to a boil in a pot. Then add the clementine strips and, over low heat, bring to the boil again, simmer for 45 minutes. Once the shells are soft, take them out and dip them in sugar. Finally, leave them on a bed of parchment paper for 24 to 48 hours.
- Prepare a clementine essential oil
Citrus fruits like clementine work to prepare essential oils. To use them in this way, remove the husks without neglecting the marrow and then let them dry for a few hours. Cut them into small pieces and then place them in a jar filled with alcohol.
Leave the ingredients in the container for 3 days and be sure to stir it regularly. Also leave the jar open to let the alcohol evaporate. You get a liquid in the form of an essential oil that you can pour into a diffuser and use in different ways to perfume the ambient air or even add it to the bath water.
You can also use clementine zest infused with cooking oil to enhance the flavor of your dishes. Hence the interest in having citrus zest on hand. To do this, make a mixture of three tablespoons of zest and a cooking oil to pour into a glass bowl. Allow 2 weeks to pass during which it is best to shake the glass from time to time before straining the zest. You will get an excellent oil for salads or to enjoy with gingerbread.
- making sugar or clementine salt
For your baking, clementine sugar can be a good alternative to regular sugar, whether it’s for making your favorite pies, cookies, or muffins. To prepare it, simply mix a tablespoon of clementine zest into the equivalent of one cup of sugar. Pour everything into a bowl, mix well with your hands until you get a homogeneous whole and oil begins to come out of the skins.
As for the salt, pat the zests dry, then mix them with the same amount of salt. You get an interesting additive for your vegetable dishes, pastas or even for your soups and stews.
Simmer the clementine peel in a pot of water, keeping an eye on the container, then pour the solution into a diffuser. You get an air freshener that’s just as effective as salt and lemon.
- Enhances the flavor of spirits
Clementine and green tea peels – Source: spm
For your teas and cocktails, zest is an excellent additive that will enhance the flavor of your drinks with a subtle aroma. To do this, remove as much of the marrow as possible, and then dry the shells before storing. A simple and practical trick to enhance your favorite cocktails.
- Add scent to your natural cleaning products
If you are used to cleaning with white vinegar and want to add a pleasant smell, mix the clementine zest with vinegar and a week later, add an equal part of water. All you have to do is pour everything into a spray bottle to enjoy both the cleanse and the fragrance.
Recognized in cosmetics, the vitamin C contained in clementine zest is good for the skin. These peels will be used to make effective exfoliants. To do this, simply mix salt and clementine zest to create your homemade body scrub solution.
For delicious preparations, seasoning is a key element of gastronomy. You can make your own seasoning by mixing pepper with finely ground clementine zest and then adding a little salt.
So many tricks that prove that clementine has more than one trick up its sleeve. From now on, you have to think before you throw them away. Same for lemon peels.