Menu
eMediHealth Logo
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
eMediHealth Logo
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result

Home > Nutrition > 10 Surprising Uses of Leftover Fruit and Vegetable Peels

10 Surprising Uses of Leftover Fruit and Vegetable Peels

September 12, 2022 - Updated on September 19, 2022
8 min read
By Shiza Khan, M.Sc. – Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics | Dietitian/Nutritionist

In this article:

  • Uses of Fruit and Vegetable Peels
  • Precautions to Consider
  • Most-Asked Questions
  • Final Word

Fruit and vegetable peels form a large part of not only household waste but also industrial waste. Production of fruit products such as jams, jellies, juices, and other desserts leads to the production of an immense amount of waste that is not discarded carefully, causing an increasing burden to the environment.

surprising uses for leftover fruit and vegetable peels

Several ways to utilize fruit and vegetable peels are being studied in order to be more sustainable and to gain maximum benefit from them.

Peels of fruits and vegetables hold plenty of antioxidants and active biochemical compounds. They are also great sources of fiber. (1)

Uses of Fruit and Vegetable Peels

While industries are seeking novel methods to utilize peel waste, there are some innovative and easy ways you can use your fruit and vegetable peel at home to minimize waste and be more sustainable.

Advertisements

1. Vegetable stock

Common and everyday ingredients such as onions, garlic, ginger, carrots, and potatoes can be used to make a delicious and enriching vegetable stock.

You can collect your food peels and refrigerate them in a Ziploc bag for a few days. Once a sufficient amount is collected, boil the peels in 2–3 liters of water and simmer until it reduces to half its quantity. Season with salt and pepper, strain, and store the stock in the fridge.

This stock can be used for soups, broths, gravies, and sauces and even to make rice.

Ginger, garlic, and onion peels have a great antioxidant capacity and are able to rid the body of free radicals that can cause damage and illnesses. (1)

2. Antioxidant-rich supplements

fruit and vegetable peels can be used as an antioxidant supplement

Fruit peels can be cleaned, washed, and dried in the oven at a low temperature. They then can be powdered and stored to be used in drinks, smoothies, and baked goods for an antioxidant boost.

Apple, pear, peach, carrot, beetroot, tomato, and papaya peels have a lot of beneficial polyphenols that can be easily lost. (1) Drying them at a low temperature will ensure the necessary nutrients are retained and the product lasts longer without spoiling.

Advertisements

3. Kebabs or side dishes

Several South Asian recipes utilize vegetable peels from ridge gourd, bottle gourd, and even watermelon to make delicious side dishes and kebabs.

Bottle gourd peels have high vitamin B content, some amount of vitamin C, and high polyphenol content. (2)

Utilizing peels for kebabs and side dishes is an economic and easy way to reduce waste and ensure necessary nutrients are consumed.

4. Homemade vegetable chips

Root vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, and beetroot have high phenolic content. They are rich in starch and can easily be made into crispy and healthy versions of commercially available chips.

Exploiting the rich nutrient profile, starch content, and fiber content of vegetable peels by making them into chips is an efficient way to add energy-dense foods into the diet of children. (3)

Wash the peels well, drizzle vegetable oil, salt, and pepper on them, and bake them until it turns brown and crispy.

Advertisements

5. Infused water

infusing fruit and vegetable peels with water can help provide nutrients

Infusing drinking water with fruit and vegetable peels will allow water-soluble nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin B6, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B12, and pantothenic acid to be dissolved into the water. (4)

This is an easy and effective way to fight nutrient deficiencies, as well as to stay well hydrated.

6. Homemade jams

Apples, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, plums, and guava contain a gel-like substance called pectin. (5) It is a soluble fiber that is essential in the jam-making process.

Recently, mango waste including peels has been found to be rich in pectin, which is useful in the fight against colon cancer according to some studies. (5)

Wash fruit peels well and cook them along with 1 cup of water, sugar, and lemon juice. Once the mixture begins to thicken, turn off the heat and allow it to cool. This is a healthy and preservative-free homemade jam suitable for children.

7. Aromatherapy

Using citrus peels for aromatherapy is a great way to make your home smell wonderful.

Advertisements

Boiling citrus peels in water over a low flame releases the oils from the rind. The aroma is known to reduce anxiety and stress. (6)

8. Face masks

Some fruits exhibit antiaging effects by removing free radicals from the body and restoring collagen and elasticity in the skin.

Apple, bananas, watermelon, strawberries, peaches, cantaloupe, pears, papaya, and pineapples have skin-beneficial nutrients that are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and also anticarcinogenic. (7)

Advertisements

Simply rub the peel on your skin, or blend it with some water to make a nourishing face mask.

9. Household cleaners

certain vegetable and fruit peels can be used as a household cleaner

Chemical substances found in household cleaners including scents, surfactants, stabilizers, and other acids have been found to be harmful not only to humans but also to the environment, (8) but homemade cleaners using citrus are not.

Put citrus peels obtained from lemons, oranges, and grapefruit in a glass bottle with water and seal it. The natural sugars and bacteria will ferment the peels to produce acids that are called eco-enzymes useful in cleaning surfaces of homes.

This solution is not only safe for humans but also for the environment.

Eco-enzymes derived from pineapple and orange have antimicrobial effects, whereas those from unripe papaya show significant antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis. (9)

10. Fertilizer for plants

Using fruit and vegetable peels as compost or fertilizer for your garden or house plants is not only a great way to reduce waste, but it also improves the health and quality of soil by returning essential nutrients back to the ground.

Studies have shown soils enriched with compost waste had higher nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content. (10)

Precautions to Consider

When using fruit and vegetable peels for various purposes, keep these precautions in mind:

  • Some fruits and vegetables might be allergens and their peels are likely to have the same effect.
  • When using fruit or vegetable peels as a face mask, conduct a patch test by applying the face mask to an area of skin (preferably on the inside of the elbows) 12–24 hours before the treatment. If no rashes or skin issues occur, the product is safe for application.
  • Fruit and vegetable peels might contain residues of the fertilizers and pesticides used during their growing process. Before using them, wash them thoroughly and soak them in cold water to remove any residue.

Most-Asked Questions

Are some peels harmful to health?

can some peels be harmful to health?

Peels of fruits are generally safe to consume. They add fiber to the diet and house several antioxidants useful for human health. However, you should avoid using peels of the foods you are allergic to.

Can I feed fruit and vegetable peels to my pet?

Common pets such as cats and dogs should not be given fruit and vegetable peels as the biochemical compounds present in them can be harmful to them.

Final Word

It is a common practice to peel some fruits and vegetables before consumption to make them more palatable and increase their visual appeal. This can often lead to large quantities of waste that ultimately damage the environment.

Several industries are coming up with new and innovative ways to use peels for pharmaceutical, therapeutic, and cosmetic purposes.

If you do not feel comfortable consuming peels or anything derived from it, there are plenty of other ways to reap their goodness, including using them as face masks, household cleaners, fertilizers, aromatherapy, etc. Ultimately, the goal is to reduce waste and at the same time enjoy the full benefit nature and its bounty has to offer.

References
  1. Bhardwaj K, Najda A, Sharma R, et al. Fruit and Vegetable Peel-Enriched Functional Foods: Potential Avenues and Health Perspectives. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022;2022:8543881. Published 2022 Jul 4. doi:10.1155/2022/8543881.
  2. Sadef Y, Javed T, Javed R, et al. Nutritional status, antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of different fruits and vegetables’ peels. PLoS One. 2022;17(5):e0265566. Published 2022 May 12. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0265566.
  3. Chandrasekara A, Josheph Kumar T. Roots and Tuber Crops as Functional Foods: A Review on Phytochemical Constituents and Their Potential Health Benefits. Int J Food Sci. 2016;2016:3631647. doi:10.1155/2016/3631647.
  4. National Research Council (US) Committee on Diet and Health. Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1989. 12, Water-Soluble Vitamins. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218756/.
  5. Lara-Espinoza C, Carvajal-Millán E, Balandrán-Quintana R, López-Franco Y, Rascón-Chu A. Pectin and Pectin-Based Composite Materials: Beyond Food Texture. Molecules. 2018;23(4):942. Published 2018 Apr 18. doi:10.3390/molecules23040942.
  6. Jafarzadeh M, Arman S, Pour FF. Effect of aromatherapy with orange essential oil on salivary cortisol and pulse rate in children during dental treatment: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Adv Biomed Res. 2013;2:10. Published 2013 Mar 6. doi:10.4103/2277-9175.107968.
  7. Mintie CA, Singh CK, Ahmad N. Whole Fruit Phytochemicals Combating Skin Damage and Carcinogenesis. Transl Oncol. 2020;13(2):146-156. doi:10.1016/j.tranon.2019.10.014.
  8. Gerster FM, Vernez D, Wild PP, Hopf NB. Hazardous substances in frequently used professional cleaning products. Int J Occup Environ Health. 2014;20(1):46-60. doi:10.1179/2049396713Y.0000000052.
  9. Mavani HAK, Tew IM, Wong L, et al. Antimicrobial Efficacy of Fruit Peels Eco-Enzyme against Enterococcus Faecalis: An In Vitro Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(14):5107. Published 2020 Jul 15. doi:10.3390/ijerph17145107.
  10. Choy SY, Wang K, Qi W, Wang B, Chen CL, Wang JY. Co-composting of horticultural waste with fruit peels, food waste, and soybean residues. Environ Technol. 2015;36(9-12):1448-1456. doi:10.1080/09593330.2014.993728.
  • Was this article helpful?
  • YES, THANKS!NOT REALLY
Spread the Love❤️
Advertisements
Advertisements
Advertisements
Advertisements

Newsletter

Get our BEST updates delivered to your inbox:



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Categories

  • Nutrition
  • Wellness
  • Oral Care
  • Eye Care
  • Heart Health
  • Skin & Beauty
  • Women’s Health
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
  • Respiratory Health

Links

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Advertising Policy
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
eMediHealth

This site provides content for informational purposes only. The information provided is not intended for use as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. In case of a medical concern or emergency, please consult your healthcare provider.

This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation.

Our Network: Little Extra

© 2019 eMediHealth. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Nutrition
  • Skin & Beauty
  • Wellness
  • Yoga & Meditation
  • Women’s Health
  • Heart Health
  • Allergy & Immunology
  • Bones & Joints
  • Child Health
  • Digestive
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
  • Eye Care
  • Glands & Hormones
  • Health News
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Mental Health
  • Nervous System
  • Oral Care
  • Pain Management
  • Respiratory Health
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Urological Health

© 2019 eMediHealth. All rights reserved.