How to Make Dried Lemon Peel (Dehydrator, Oven, Air Fryer)

10 tablespoons
21 hr

Learn how to make dried lemon peel powder to use for baking or enjoy in herbal teas. This homemade lemon zest is easy to make using a dehydrator, oven, or air fryer.

Last summer, as I was making lemonade, I looked at a big bowl of spent lemon peels and thought I should probably reuse them rather than just compost them.


I use a lot of dried lemon zest for teas and cooking, so I decided to them into lemon powder.



There is a difference between dried lemon peel vs lemon zest. The zest is only the thinner outer layer of the skin. Then there is the rind, which is the zest plus a small bit of the white underlayer.


The peel, then, is the whole thing, all of the outer layer and none of the actual fruit. Each part has its own purpose and different flavors.

You can use just the zest or use the entire peel like I did. Just know that the white part of the lemon peel can taste bitter. If you are using it as a substitute for baking, then you will just want the yellow part and not the white part.




There are a few ways that you can dry lemon peels without using a dehydrator. For instance, you can use an oven or microwave. Further, you can even make use of an air fryer to dry lemon peels.

Learn more about how to dehydrate in air fryer.

Following are a few ways to dry citrus peels using different machines so that you can start prepping for all of your dried lemon peel uses.

How Do You Dry Citrus Peels In The Air Fryer?

After washing your lemons, slice them into quarter-inch slices. Then, layer them onto the basket of your air fryer without letting them overlap.

If your air fryer doesn't have a dehydrate setting, then use the lowest setting. For best results, do not use heat over 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

Set your air fryer to fruit or dehydrate and let it run for about an hour. Once they are to your liking, transfer them into a sealed container and store so they are ready for any and all dried lemon peel uses you may want to make.

As a tip, save your lemon peels after you get done using them to juice for water, lemonade,, or other such recipes. You can leave them in the fridge in a covered container for about a week before they begin to ferment or mold.

Further, make sure you wash your lemons so as to remove wax and sprays. I recommend using vinegar water or a biodegradable cleaner, and always be sure to rinse well.

You can grate your peels or blend them into a powder for use in baking, candies, puddings, or even smoothies and other such drinks. This adds a bit of flavor as well as some great vitamins.

Homemade powders do not have any type of anti-caking agent, however, so be sure to only use the powder when needed. For an extra zip, add a half cup of fruit powder for every cup of flour when baking.


How to Make Dried Lemon Peel (Dehydrator, Oven, Air Fryer)
Recipe details
  • 10  tablespoons
  • Prep time: 15 Hours Cook time: 6 Hours Total time: 21 hr
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Ingredients

  • 10 lemons
  • vegetable peeler
Instructions

Slice your lemon peels into uniform little pieces so as to ensure that they dry evenly.
Dry them in a dehydrator set 135 degrees F until the pieces are crisp and hard. This should take around six hours or longer, depending on humidity. You can also use an air fryer on the lowest setting for about an hour or use the oven at 200 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Allow the pieces to cool on a rack before transferring them into sealed containers. I recommend using sealable jars or vacuum sealed mason jars if you plan on storing the lemon zest long term.
Cari @ Homesteading in Ohio
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