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What to do with the peels?

This may sound silly, but I was wondering about the peels. I know we add grated citrus rind, but what about cucumber skins. When I make a green smoothie, am I supposed to throw away the skins? Is there nutrients in them that we need? Any input?

Comments

  • Hi Auntsissy … if you’re using organic I would have no hesitation of eating cucumber peels along with the rest. But if they are not I would try not to eat them. If you do, wash them very well with a little soap. I have heard that the skins do have lots of vitamins.

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    I think one of Boutenko’s green smoothie recipes calls for entire lemon w/ peel. I haven’t tried it though.

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    Hi auntsissy, If you are using hot house (English, the long type) cucs, the skin is usable, nutritious, and tasty. I would peel the other type of cucs even if they are organic. I’m not sure if organic cucs are waxed…

    Hi germin8, I tried a whole lemon in a smoothie the other morning. I found the smoothie had a bitter taste that I know came from the pith (white part) of the skin. I’m going to try zesting and then peeling a lemon. Recently, I learned that lemon zest (yellow part of the skin) is a good antioxidant. Hi auntsissy, If you are using hot house (English, the long types) cucs, the skin is usable, nutritious, and tasty.

    Hi germin8, I tried a whole lemon in a smoothie the other morning. I found the smoothie had a bitter taste that I know came from the pith (white part) of the skin. I’m not interested in that taste. I’m going to try zesting and then peeling a lemon and using the insides one of these times. Recently, I learned that lemon zest (yellow part of the skin) is a good antioxidant.

  • I just tried my first green smoothie. I put kale, apples, 1/4 lemon w/rind, dates and water. It will have to grow on me. It has a good taste, but the texture is what I need to get used to. Was I supposed to also put the apple peel?

  • newbienewbie Raw Newbie

    I use the whole apple – quartered, minus the seeds. You can try using juice (orange, apple, coconut milk) instead of water to thin the consistency.

  • I always blend the peels of cucumbers with my recipes. They have wonderful silica and silicon content. Citrus rinds can be used to clean your house. Use them like furniture polish.

  • rawmamarawmama Raw Newbie

    If organic, I use the outside of the cukes, otherwise put them in the compost outside. The juiceman says: lemons and limes can be used whole (rind and all), but oranges and grapefruits should have the rind cut off (only the colored part, thin outside color). The pithy part is the most nutritious part of all citrus, use that, and tastes wonderful if juiced, but more bitter if blended we think. We garbage disposal some to make the kitchen smell nice, compost others, or zest it and dehydrate it and use in small amounts on foods. Also, did you see the forum discussion on lemons making great deodorant?

    Cool idea about furniture polish!

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    furniture polish? great! I use my lemon rinds for bath tub cleaning.

  • So many good ideas. I would’ve never thought to clean house with them. Rawmama, I did use the whole grapefruit and orange peel in my juicer, bad mistake. That was awful. I do like a little lemon rind though in my smoothie. Thanks for all the ideas everyone.

  • MeditatingMeditating Raw Newbie

    Yes, fresh lemon is great deodorant. I use it every day since reading the thread on that. I keep a deodorant lemon in the fridge where the eggs go. On days when my skin feels a little sensitive, I pat on some cornstarch after applying the lemon and it stops any irritation.

  • rawmamarawmama Raw Newbie

    Good tip on the cornstarch, and cleaning the bath tub too :) Who would have known how simple things can be?! :)

    We used to put our peels into a pot of water with cinnamon sticks on the stove and let it simmer, the house smelled great! I know that a lot of people let them dry out and then put them into little sachets in their drawers, or into bowls sitting around the house as potpourri too.

  • coconuttycoconutty Raw Newbie

    I always keep my citrus peels! I throw them in the sink with the dishwater when washing dishes… I actually hate using the dishwasher cause it never completely cleans my dishes, plus it leaves those darn water spots. So anyway I throw them in the dishwater and it honestly makes a huge difference in how easily the dishes clean up. No more water spots either. And the dishwasher makes for a nice huge drain rack ;-)

  • You can take the leftover cucumber peels and sit back and relax for a few minutes with them under your eyes.Suppose to be very good for dark circles under the eyes

  • If cucumber peels are organic…USE Them!!! They have I believe silicon in them (or perhaps selenium, I get those mixed up) amd anyway, are super good for you. Apparently the nutrients in cukes are really close to the skin as with many other organic veggies/fruit.

    If stuff is organic I try to use as much of it as possible! If not for vitamins, the peels are great for fibre intake.

    As for apple seeds, they are toxic if eaten alone, but when you eat them WITH apples they actually are a powerful cancer fighter!!! Everytime I eat apples I chew down the seeds with it.

     

  • RawVoiceRawVoice Raw Newbie

    This is a great thread! Has anyone mentioned dehydrating lemon and orange peels and grinding them for zest. I suppose you could also do that with lime and grapefruit.

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