Homemade Dried Lemon Peel Powder

Step 1

Wash and peel your lemons. If using thin-skinned sweet lemons (like Meyer lemons) peel them whole like an orange. For thicker-skinned lemons (such as Eureka lemons) use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer part of the rind, leaving behind most of the white bitter pith.

Step 2

Lay out the lemon peels in a single layer on your food dehydrator racks (or on a baking sheet, if drying in the oven).

Step 3

Dry the lemon peels in the dehydrator at 95-105°F, or in the oven on the lowest heat setting possible.

Step 4

The time it takes for them to fully dry will vary depending on your individual machine and the thickness of the peels, which may be several hours to a couple of days.

Step 5

Dehydrate the lemon peels until they are completely dry. The lemon peels are finished drying when they easily crack and snap in half, rather than bending.

Step 6

Use a blender, food processor, or coffee grinder to churn the dried lemon peels into powder.

Step 7

Optional: Pour the ground lemon powder through a fine mesh strainer poised over a bowl and sift it. Take the collected leftover hard bits and run them back through the Vitamix/blender another time to pulverize them into powder.

Step 8

Store the finished lemon powder in a glass air-tight container, such as in a mason jar with tight-fitting lid.

Step 9

Keep the container in a dry, cool place - such as the pantry. When properly dried and stored, your homemade lemon peel powder should last for over a year.