Don't Mind the Rinds

Don't you love it when citrus is easy to peel?  In fact, easy peel tangerines are a go-to for most busy households. Oranges and grapefruit might require a bit more focus to peel, and sometimes we feel impatient to get past that effort so we can just start eating. In other words, we mind the rinds. Out they go, into the trash or the compost bin.

But wait! Stop! Don't mind the rinds!  In 2024, we did a blog on some amazing uses for citrus rinds. Since then, we've found even more. 

Don't throw your citrus rinds away!

Window Sill (and More) Odor Busters

Perhaps the simplest and least labor intensive hack is to place your peels on windowsills around your home. The natural essential oils like limonene will be released gradually as the peels dehydrate over time, like a time-release all natural air freshener. If your window is open, the breezes will help carry the  bright, invigorating scent around your home, effectively neutralizing old, stale, and musty odors. 

Did your Aunt Bernice come over and warm up her famous onion garlic tuna casserole in your oven? No problem. This same concept can be applied to strong post-baking oven smells: place the peels on a baking sheet and set the oven to its lowest temperature. Watch in awe as crinkled up noses turn into wide open nostrils as the bright aroma of fresh citrus infuses the kitchen.

You can even save those dried peels in the oven for later use: some citrusy dessert recipes call for orange peel, and you'll have them right on hand. You can also infuse them in your tea for extra Vitamin C and antioxidant benefits.

Likewise, fresh peels can be added to dryer loads, drawers, closets, garbage cans, and anywhere else that would benefit from a steady effusion of citrus essential oil. No need to buy the expensive concentrate -- your favorite citrus fruit rinds will do the trick, and when they run out of smell, simply eat more citrus and get more rinds!

Bye-Bye Sugar Clumps

You know those little silica gel packs that come in granular and powdery foods? They keep the moisture out so that the granules or powders don't clump, giving these items a longer shelf life. Here's a twist: an orange peel in a sealed jar of brown sugar keeps the sugar from clumping by keeping the moisture in! That may seem counterintuitive until you look more closely at the chemistry of brown sugar: it contains molasses, which gives it a softer texture and its signature brown color. 

A common problem for brown sugar is that it dries out and makes hard clumps after the package is opened. Keeping a semi-dried orange peel or two in the brown sugar container alleviates this problem. Likewise, if the brown sugar has already dried out, adding the peels after the fact and heating the sugar in the microwave for about fifteen seconds will restore it to its soft, moist texture.

Broccoli, Berries, and Beans, Oh My!

Citrus rinds are rich in potassium and nitrogen, both of which help your garden grow. While composting your peels might eventually result in beneficial rind-infused soil, you can get even more benefits by throwing chopped peels directly in the dirt around acid-loving plants such as broccoli, berries, and beans.  Less is more: if you put in too many peels at a time, you might make the soil too acidic. Better to add small amounts regularly rather than a whole lot of rind at once. To boot, the peels help keep away plant-eating insects and even mammals with the munchies like rabbits and cats who like to use your garden as a botanical litter box. 

Orange rind infused-water can also be a great disinfectant for your garden tools and surfaces, effectively keeping any dangerous chemicals from leaching into the soil. Rinds also come to the odor busting rescue again in smellier parts of your garden, such as compost, fertilizer, and manure piles. While you're outside tending to odor control, go ahead and throw some rinds into your outdoor garbage cans too! Your trash pickup crew will thank you.

Muddling the Issue

Muddling is a mixology term that means to gently crush something to release its full flavor. Citrus rinds have an esteemed place in the long history of cocktail chemistry, and much is written about when muddling is apropos, when it is not, and how to not over-muddle. This issue becomes quite complex for professional mixologists. For the rest of us, the general advice is: muddle away, but don't over-muddle, or the bright fragrant flavors of the orange oils will be replaced by the bitters of the pith. Lightly crushing orange and grapefruit rinds into cocktails, mocktails, and ice cubes can be a delightful hospitality "twist" for your social gatherings.

Whether odor-busting, sugar-saving, plant-growing, or drink-making, citrus rinds are amazing finds. With all of these uses, make sure to keep eating lots of delicious fruits so you have plenty of rinds in stock. Don't mind the rinds!

Sources:

https://homemaking.com/maka/tangerine-peels-on-your-windowsills/

https://thelostherbs.com/dont-throw-away-citrus-peels-do-this-instead/

https://www.thriftyfun.com/How-to-Soften-Brown-Sugar.html

https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-use-orange-peels-in-your-garden-11915743

https://elevatingkitchen.com/do-you-muddle-orange-peel/

One Small Orange for Man, One Giant Citrus Basket for Mankind

 "Space Food." These two words can evoke ideas of freeze dried beef stroganoff or, if you're a Trekkie like me, we might think of a replicator that somehow has the ability to rearrange subatomic particles from biowaste to energy to a gourmet meal (let's not think about the "biowaste" part too much). The reality, however, is somewhere in between. Modern-day space explorers such as the Artemis II crew have certainly leveled up from freeze dried packaged foods, but they have not quite harnessed the ability to order gluten-free chocolate cake from a machine that can convert energy into matter. 

In either case, however, nutrition is an important consideration: astronauts face uniquely challenging physiological conditions and need extra vitamins, fiber, antioxidants, and hydration. When the Artemis crew took off for the moon last week, I couldn't help but wonder: Of the 189 food items offered to them, were they peeling and eating oranges, tangerines, or grapefruit 240,000 miles from the Earth's surface? 

Oranges are the Perfect Space Food! Except...

It seems like a no-brainer: a single orange or tangerine is power fuel for an astronaut, in that it supports immune function, hydration, and regularity while its powerful antioxidants reduce the oxidative stress inherent in the increased radiation and zero gravity conditions they are subject to over extended periods. Early space missions featured powdered citrusy Vitamin C powders like Tang and dried orange and grapefruit juice powders to optimize weight and space limitations, but only whole fruits can offer maximum bioavailability. Whole fruits are also crumb-less, which is an important detail in the highly controlled, zero-gravity environment. Fresh fruits and vegetables are also good for astronaut morale; they are a direct, comforting link to the very aliveness of our planet Earth versus the synthetic and sterile environment of space crafts. 

However, citrus fruits, like other fruits and vegetables, are perishable and take up space, er, while in space. Pre-loading a small spacecraft with lots of oranges, for example, would not be a workable way to include citrus on a long-term mission. Even on a relatively short mission like this one of ten days, a bit of mold can release spores into the air, and there is no way to adequately dispose of spoiled produce.  

That being said, most space missions include a fresh fruit and vegetable locker for the first few days of travel. While the specific items in the Artemis II locker have not been specified, it is certainly possible that oranges, tangerines, or other citrus fruits might have been included for all of the reasons described above.

The International Space Station, which features refrigeration and is closer to Earth's orbit to more easily receive deliveries, is already including oranges and other fresh fruits and vegetables in its regular menu. But to date, citrus fruits have not yet been specifically assigned to any moon missions.

The Future of Oranges In Space

Thanks to the International Space Station, NASA has begun to experiment with ways to grow edible plants and fruit-bearing bushes and trees in zero gravity to sustain longer missions and a potential future human presence on the moon. They have several programs to this effect, known as Veggie and the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH). So far, the results have been promising, and easy-peel tangerines have been added to the official list of trees that can be grown in space.

So, other than wearing bright orange Orion Crew Survival System suits, the Artemis II crew members most likely did not have any oranges or other types of citrus on their recent mission circumnavigating the moon. 

As space exploration advances, however, finding a way to be able to provide fresh citrus in space is becoming a priority due to its many benefits for astronauts. When that day comes, you can be sure of one thing: it will taste out of this world! 

Sources:

https://www.snexplores.org/article/could-star-trek-replicators-exist

https://people.com/what-is-the-artemis-ii-crew-eating-as-they-fly-to-the-far-side-of-the-moon-11942635

https://www.space.com/iss-cargo-delivery-fresh-fruit-video

https://floridaorange.com/blogs/news/the-role-of-florida-oranges-in-the-space-program-how-nasa-has-used-citrus-to-support-astronaut-nutrition?srsltid=AfmBOoqbmKaM2xc6nzyKcgcI4nO8K5yF1TbXKU62CUMlv06IduAdp0_7

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/astronauts-eating-nasa-artemis-ii-204154661.html?

https://www.nasa.gov/exploration-research-and-technology/growing-plants-in-space/