Wait!! Don't throw away that orange peel!

Ok, so this is gonna be quick! Simply put.....Don't throw away your orange peel! Yep. That's pretty much it. I know, I know, what's the use of orange peel after  you've eaten the flesh? It's kinda like holding on to chewing gum long after you've chewed out all the sugar! Right? 

But, did you know that you can add dried orange peel to your after dinner tea. The bitterness of the peel may actually aid in digestion. Or, how about brightening up your morning oatmeal with dried orange peel and pure maple syrup for some added texture and sweetness. Or, may want to try naturally flavoring your plain old water bottle for no extra calories! 

No matter how you decide to enjoy it, orange peel is choked full of goodness such as, vitamins A & C, fiber, flavonoids and calcium just to name a few. In addition to all of this good-for-you nutrition, you are utilizing the whole fruit! Now doesn't that make you feel healthy and chic? Ok, so let's get to work!

Step 1. Find yourself a good ole orange. Preferably organic. If not, make sure to give it a good wash before hand. (Also, I placed some parchment paper underneath the orange....uh, that wasn't a good idea because it eventually tore from all the chopping. So, don't do that! Lesson learned.)

Step 2. Now closely peel the orange. It's ok if you get some of the pith. However, try not to get too much of the flesh because it will make it take longer to dry out.

Step 3. Cut out as much of the flesh as you can to make drying easier.

Step 4. I like to cut the peels in narrow strips. This makes it easier to dice them uniformly.

Step 5. Yep, that's uniform alright! Now let it dry on a table somewhere and give a little stir every couple days. The peel should be completely dry in a about 4 or 5 days.

Step 6. Now place in a cute little air tight jar and pat yourself on the back! Enjoy!!