How to Use Up Apple Peels.
We’re a waste not, want not family. Which means we’re always trying to find second uses for things before we throw them out! When we had a big garden we used to have a compost pile that took care of most of our produce scraps. But we don’t have that anymore, which means I’m now trying to find ways to use up leftover bits of food. With two little kids that love to snack on apples, but aren’t so into peels, we often have excess apple peels. So I went looking for ways to use those up, and decided to share these 10 Clever Ways to Use Apple Peels with you!
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Whether you have extra apple peels left over from your kids’ snack or from making homemade apple sauce or apple butter, these frugal ways to reuse apple peels will help you not waste them!
Of course, the best way to deal with apple peels is simply to eat them when they’re still on the apple! Some people don’t like their texture, and others are worried about pesticides, but remember that there’s a lot of nutrition in those apple peels. And there are ways to reduce the potential pesticides left on your apples, if you wash them right. But if you still aren’t so into peels, don’t feel guilty! There are several ways to make those peels useful so you won’t be wasting any food!
And if you’re often peeling a lot of apples (maybe you make apple pie or applesauce in bulk), then you can save time (and your hands!) with a spiralizer. We have a KitchenAid spiralizer attachment that I like to use when peeling a lot of apples, but if you don’t have a KitchenAid, then you should try a hand crank apple peeler.
10 Clever Ways to Use Apple Peels
1. Make Homemade Apple Tea- Leftover apple skins are far from useless! In fact, you can very easily turn those extra peels into homemade cinnamon apple peel tea! Doesn’t that sound like the perfect fall drink? Callum and Emma on Snapguide have a handy recipe on how to make your own apple peel tea.
2.Make Homemade Pancake Syrup-Want to give your breakfast of homemade apple pancakes even more apple flavor? Then you need to make Little House Living’s homemade apple peel pancake syrup! It’s a great way to use apple peels that you have leftover, plus sounds so delicious!
3. Make Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar- Making homemade apple cider vinegar is a wonderful way to use up excess apple peels! It takes a lot of peels, and the end result is very useful! Use it to cook, make a hair rinse, make a facial toner, or just drink it for the health benefits. Some people even make DIY cleaners with it (though I prefer to use distilled white vinegar, as apple cider vinegar can leave a sticky residue). To make your own, check out our post on how to make DIY apple cider vinegar!
4. Add Them to Your Smoothie- If your blender can shop up fruits and berries, then it’ll have no trouble with apple skins (we us a Vitamix and never have any trouble chopping foods up)! To get that apple peel nutrition I mentioned, add your apple peels to your next smoothie (keep them in the fridge or freezer to keep them fresh in-between smoothies). For a recipe to try, check out this apple peel orange smoothie recipe from Blender Recipe Reviews!
5. Dog Treats- Apple peels are a healthy treat for dogs (in moderation, of course)! So if you have some peels left over, consider giving them to your furbaby. You can either give them as-is, or dried by the oven or dehydrator. I would just cut up the pieces so they’re bite size and not a choke hazard (especially for smaller dogs). You could also add them to other homemade dog treat recipes, if you cut the peels up small enough.
6. Apple Crisps- Of course, why should dogs have all the crispy apple fun! You can also dehydrate the peels for your family to enjoy. Or follow this recipe by The Kitchn on how to make roasted cinnamon sugar apple peels.
7. Make Homemade Jelly- There are so many smart ways to use apple peels! This resourceful apple scrap jelly recipe from Fireflies and Mudpies would be a wonderful way to use up lots of apple peels (plus, it sounds delicious)!
8. Make DIY Pectin- Who knew there were so many frugal ways to use apple peels! This clever idea from The Survival Mom turns your leftover apple peels into pectin that you can use to make homemade jelly! And I bet homemade apple pectin could be used to make the apple scrap jelly from #7. That’s probably the closest to 100% apple jelly that you can get!
9. Make Homemade Apple Juice- If you have leftover apple peels because you have kids, then you’ll love this idea- make homemade apple juice with your leftover apple peels! The Frugal Cottage has a great homemade apple juice recipe that only requires a few ingredients and uses apple peels. Plus, you get to control how sweet it is! So it’s frugal and healthy!
10. Make Homemade Potpourri- Making your own DIY potpourri is easy, and apples can give your potpourri a lovely fall scent! For a fun-smelling way to use up your extra apple peels, check out Scratch Mommy’s simmering apple potpourri recipes!
I was so happy to find so many great ways to use apple peels! Now that I know how to repurpose my apple peels, my family can further reduce our food waste (and save money)!
Which of these ideas surprised you the most? And do you already have a clever way that you reuse apple peels?
You might also be interested in: 13 Amazing Uses for Orange Peels
