Buzz
Orange peel essential oil is widely used in cleaning products and cooking recipes due to its pleasant aroma and strong solubility. It is also believed to have health benefits. With just a bit of orange peel, you can easily extract orange essential oil at home for a variety of uses. You can also quickly extract the oil and mix it with regular cooking oil to create a fragrant orange-infused oil for cooking and other household purposes.
Steps
Extracting Orange Oil in a Jar
Gather Materials. To extract orange oil in a jar, you will need a glass jar, a vegetable grater, and grain alcohol. Vodka is the most suitable choice as its neutral taste will not overpower or dilute the orange fragrance in the final product.
Peel the orange. Most of the limonene (orange oil) is found in the peel, so it is essential to peel the orange before extracting the oil. You can peel it with a knife or use a vegetable grater to scrape off the peel.
- For the best results, avoid cutting into the spongy white layer underneath, as it contains very little limonene and will make the mixture bitter.
- If you don’t have a vegetable grater, a vegetable peeler will also work.
- The number of oranges you need will depend on how much oil you want to extract and how many oranges you have on hand.
Ritu Thakur, MA
Expert in Indian traditional medicine, natural therapies, and holistic health care
Expert in Indian traditional medicine, natural therapies, and holistic health care
Try drying the orange peel before grinding: If you wish to extract oil from the peel, dry the peel and then grind it into a fine powder. Soak the powdered peel in grain alcohol or vodka, then pour the mixture into a glass jar and let it sun-dry for 3-4 days, stirring occasionally. The next step is to strain the mixture through cheesecloth and let the alcohol evaporate. Once done, you will have concentrated orange oil.
Dry the orange peel. After peeling, you will need to dry the orange peel. Lay it on paper towels and place it under direct sunlight until fully dry. Depending on the humidity of your area, this process may take a few days. To speed up the drying, cut the peel into small pieces about 2.5 cm in size.
Grind the orange peel. Once the peel is dry, place it into a food processor and grind it until it becomes small, even pieces. Avoid over-drying, as this can cause some limonene to be lost.
- If you have already peeled the orange with a vegetable grater or a peeler, there’s no need to grind it further.
Warm up the cereal liquor. Pour warm water into a bowl. The water should be warm, but not overly hot (around 32°C is just right). Place the bottle of cereal liquor into the bowl and let it soak for about 20 minutes.
- Vodka works well for this purpose.
- You can use cold liquor, but warming it up will help you extract more essential oils.
Pour the warm cereal liquor over the orange peel and shake well. Place grated or finely chopped orange peel into a glass jar. Pour enough cereal liquor to fully cover the peel in the liquor. Seal the jar tightly and shake it vigorously for a few minutes.
Let the mixture infuse for 2-3 days. During this time, you may want to shake the mixture 2-3 times a day. You can also let it sit a bit longer. The more frequently you shake it and the longer you let it rest, the more essential oils you'll extract from the mixture.
Strain the mixture. Use a coffee filter or cheesecloth to strain the mixture into a shallow dish. Be sure to press the filter to extract all the liquid.
Allow the alcohol to evaporate. Cover the dish with a cloth or paper towel and let it sit for a few days to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Once the alcohol has completely evaporated, you'll have the orange essential oil left in the dish.
- Be careful not to let the cloth fall into the mixture, as it will absorb all the oil.
- When the alcohol has evaporated, you can transfer the oil into a sealed container.
Infuse the oil with orange peel.
Choose an oil. When infusing oil, it's important to pick one with a mild flavor that will absorb the essence of whatever is cooked in it. Olive oil is easy to find and absorbs well, but its flavor might be too strong. Consider using extra virgin olive oil, peanut oil, grape seed oil, or avocado oil. These oils have a more delicate flavor.
- A lighter oil will help your infused oil taste just the way you want.
Grate the orange peel. Before grating the peel, wash and dry the orange to avoid pesticides contaminating the oil. Use a vegetable grater or zester to grate the orange peel. The number of oranges you'll need depends on the amount of oil you're infusing. Generally, you'll need about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of grated orange peel for every cup of oil.
- Avoid grating the white pith underneath the peel.
Heat the oil and orange peel. Place the grated orange peel in a small saucepan and pour in the oil. Heat the saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the oil starts to bubble. Don't overheat to avoid burning the oil and orange peel, which would ruin the flavor.
- The heat will help extract the essential oils from the peel and infuse them into the oil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Allow the saucepan to cool for a few minutes. To achieve a subtle flavor, use a slotted spoon to remove the grated orange peel while the oil cools. If you prefer a stronger flavor, you can leave the peel in the oil until it cools and then strain it before pouring into a bottle.
- If you remove the peel while the oil is cooling, the oil will be lighter in color. The oil will be darker if you leave the peel in longer.
Use orange essential oil.
Mix with Castile soap. You can create an effective and eco-friendly cleaning solution by combining orange essential oil with Castile soap. Simply add 1 teaspoon of orange essential oil to a bottle of Castile soap, and you'll have a fantastic all-purpose cleaner. Castile soap is made from vegetable oils, not chemicals, making it safe for sensitive skin and biodegradable.
- Limonene is a natural grease-cutting solvent and especially effective for cleaning pots, pans, and other kitchen tools.
Ritu Thakur, MA
Expert in Ayurvedic medicine, natural therapies, and holistic health care
Expert in Ayurvedic medicine, natural therapies, and holistic health care
You can also mix orange peel oil into your moisturizer or carrier oils. Orange peel oil is rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, and vitamin C, which help fade dark spots, wrinkles, and other signs of aging on the face and neck. Mix the essential oil with your favorite cream and massage it into your skin. You can also blend it with a carrier oil such as olive oil, argan oil, or grape seed oil. However, avoid using pure orange oil on its own, as it may cause skin irritation.
Rub orange essential oil to repel insects. Insects tend to avoid limonene, and just one drop of orange essential oil can keep them at bay for hours. Simply dab a bit of the oil around your neck, arms, and other exposed areas, and you'll notice fewer insect bites. You can also spray the essential oil around your campsite to repel bugs.
- Avoid placing limonene near an open flame, as it is highly flammable. In fact, it’s flammable enough that orange peel can be used to start a fire.
Eliminate odors from nearly everything. Just a drop or two of orange essential oil can easily mask unpleasant smells. You can rub a bit of the oil inside trash cans that tend to smell strong. In fact, many commercial air fresheners contain limonene, which serves as both a cleaner and odor eliminator. You can even make your own deodorizer by mixing 30 drops of orange essential oil with 2 cups of baking soda.
Improve health. Orange essential oil is believed to help fight various types of cancer. Doctors have used limonene to break down gallstones, and there is evidence suggesting it may help lower cholesterol levels. However, orange essential oil or limonene supplements should not replace medical treatments.
- Always consult your doctor before using limonene supplements or ingesting orange oil.
Advice
- Cold pressing is another method for extracting oil from orange peels. However, this method is only effective if you're producing orange essential oil in large quantities.
