My interest today is on, primarily, the veggies and fruits that have peels, skins, or rinds although I make one comment related to meat. Each layer on the veggies or fruit, may or may not be eaten or used as key ingredients for a particular dish. This post looks at those food items from a cook’s perspective, not as a botanist or biologist.
Peels + Rinds
Large Peel + Rind Variety
When I think of my normal, everyday fruit peels and rinds, I think of: bumpy citrus and cantaloupe; smooth watermelon and apples; fuzzy kiwi and peaches; and leathery mangos and bananas.
When I think of veggie peels and rinds, often my mind turns to the rough and earthy potatoes and celeriac.
But then when I think about various countries’ cuisines, I also think of cheese rinds and animal skins.
The basic terms of those parts of veggies and fruits I use all the time, are the skin, zest, pith, flesh or pulp and juice.
Cooking Terms: Skin
Again, using common cooking terms, fruits have an outer skin which protects the interior of the fruit. There are fuzzy skins (which I do not consume), bumpy skins, smooth skins, edible and non-edible skins (pineapples).
A Note on Citrus: Zest + Pith
A part of many citrus skins, especially unwaxed organic citrus, I cook with their zest; the very tip top of the oil containing cells that are the colored, bumpy part of citrus skins. Below is a list of what I consider citrus:
- Oranges: Blood orange, kumquat, navel, cara cara
- Mandarins: Clementine, tangerine, tangelo, calamondin
- Limes: Key lime, Persian, kaffir
- Grapefruit: White, ruby red, oroblanco
- Lemons: Meyer, eureka
- Other kinds: Citron, yuzu, ugli, Rangpur, pomelo, Buddha’s hand, kinnow
On citrus, under the outer skin, is the pith, that is often whitish and bitter (think large-pith Eureka lemons). Pith is rarely used, but as a part of preserved lemons it is cut up and cooked in tagines.
Cooking Terms: Flesh, Pulp and Juice
Then there is the flesh or pulp of the fruit, followed by the juice that the pulp contains.
Peels Vs Rinds
“Peels” and ”rinds” are different terms to name what is essentially the same thing, the outer protective layer for fruits or veggies. Sometimes people also use the term “skin”.
- My rule of thumb is that if I can peel it with my hand it is a peel.
- But if I have to cut it with a knife then it is a rind.
Some of these outer fruit layers are edible and very nutritious, as well as useful in cooking. Actually, in cooking we may be able to use the whole plant, from peels, juice, flesh to zest. So lets explore the uses for “peels” and “rinds” that are used in food and cooking.
Highlights on Peels
For fruit, many times I either eat the fruit peels raw as a part of the fruit, or I cook with the peel like when I make plum jam. For veggie peels I will make them into crispy toppings, but often I prepare veggies with their peels intact.
- Peels are used in many areas of the world as dyes.
- A fruit peel may be used in alcoholic drinks, twisted to express its oil, or to infuse.
- Examples are Vodka with a lemon twist, or an Old Fashioned with an orange twist.
- For infusion think Sangria (uses the juice, may use peels or zest, and uses slices.
- Zest from citrus peels are great in and on various dishes to influence the taste or to bring a brightness to a dish.
- I use peels to create extracts (see photo above).
- Apple peels can make Apple Cider Vinegar.
- I crisp peels, like potatoes, to use as a topping to a dish.
Other fruit or veggie peels are just hard to chew or are indigestible. Although banana skins are edible and packed with nutrients I will not eat them, for they are a bit too much of a gooey texture. I also personally do not like fuzzy peels, which are on peaches and kiwi fruit. Veggie skins I would not eat include: celeriac, and the paper-covering veggies (onions + garlic), although they are great for making veggie stocks.
Highlights on Rinds
Fruit Rinds
I love eating fruit, fresh or dried. I regularly make Apple Chips using the whole fruit. But this can be done with fruit that have rinds as well.
- Rind Snacks is a company that features “rind on” dried fruit.
- Fruit rinds, on average, contain three to four times the fiber content compared to a serving of the flesh alone. Fiber not only makes a snack more satisfying, but high fiber diets are linked to less heart disease, improved gut health, lower cholesterol and lower obesity rates. As a result of retaining the fruit skin, one 3oz bag of RIND contains as much as 14g of dietary fiber, representing 50% of an individual’s recommended daily allowance.* In addition to fiber, rinds also contain greater vitamin and antioxidant concentration than an equivalent serving of a fruit’s flesh.
Fruit that have rinds are watermelon, cantaloupe, and coconuts. Some fruit rinds I cannot eat, like pineapple, but others are often used in some cuisines but I find them too bitter (melons).
Cheese Rinds
Hard Cheeses
Never throw away rinds from hard cheeses, like Parmesan or Pecorino. They bring umami and will soften to flavor a broth or soup. Just wash them off and freeze, or just toss them into the brewing hot liquid, and remove when ready to serve.
Soft Cheeses
HuffPost writes that Cheeses with soft rinds like Brie, Camembert and certain goats ― often referred to as bloomy rinds ― are more than edible. Some would even say that the rind adds a flavor that makes the cheese great.
The only exception to eating cheese rinds, other than your preference, is a note that Gouda and Edam have plastic coverings and that obviously is not edible. (Although my dogs may think so.)
Meat Rinds + Vegan Versions
Pork rinds is the American name for fried or roasted skins of pigs, also known as cracklings, which may also include geese or other animals.
- There exists a “pig rind” snack that is completely vegan!
Cooking With Peels + Rinds
Flavor + Texture
Some outer layers are neutral in taste (grapes and apples), some are very bitter (papaya), and some turn sweet when ripe (guava, kiwifruit, kumquat), and some, to me, taste how they smell (oranges and lemons).
Some fruit have a pith area that is bitter between the peel and flesh (grapefruit). Some peels are edible but have an unpleasant mouthfeel (bananas). So I suggest you give a small taste to the zest, pith and flesh to better understand the particular fruit you want to use.
Preserved Peels + Rinds
The picture above shows some preserved lemons I keep in my fridge. They are made from a Moroccan recipe and are easy to make.
Recently I followed the same recipe but did it with limes that are growing in my yard, in abundance! Some people wrote that you should only use the flesh from preserved limes because the skin and pith can soak up too much salt.
I also dried the whole lime by slicing thinly and drying in the oven. This allows me to preserve the whole fruit for use in flavored spa waters, Sangria, or foods.
Prepping Peels
Select fresh, organic, unwaxed fruit without cuts, bruises, etc. Wash them well to remove any surface contaminants. I have a special brush I reserve just for this and actually scrub the peel a bit, not so hard as to break skin, but enough to get stuff off.
- Some folks recommend placing fruit in a bowl of salt water for 30min to get rid of any pesticides and insects. Then just drain, rinse and gently pat dry. But I generally do not do this unless the food is not organic.
- Insects do not bother me, for we live on a planet full of life that all need to eat. So inadvertently consuming additional protein trying to eat the same food does not bother me.
- Unless I can see it, then ugh! Finding half a worm in an apple I just bit is not very pleasant. But microscopic worms on strawberries are no problem.
The Environmental Working Group says the following fruit must absolutely be washed well before eating due to pesticide concerns: strawberries, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, and tomatoes.
They also report the following as the cleanest fruits, but still recommend washing them: avocados, pineapples, papayas, kiwis, cantaloupes, and honeydew melons. (I have never washed a pineapple, but do rinse it before cutting.)
Eating Peels
Citrus: You can create candy citrus peels and infused simple syrups from lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit. While the pith of citrus can be mild to extremely bitter, the peels are full of the citrus oils that bring its flavor to the foreground. That is why we use citrus zest in so many recipes.
Stone Fruit: We just eat the whole fruit in my family. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums, mangoes, and cherries. I leave the skin on for jams, marmalades, and include them in salsas. (Except for fuzzy peaches.)
- Caution: Generically the pits should not in any way be eaten, chipped or sucked on due to the poisonous chemicals some of them contain or create.
Watermelon: The rinds can be pickled after peeling by soaking them in a pickle brine. Great to nibble on or add to a salad.
I never eat the peels of pomegranates and pineapples. (Or the peel of green potatoes for that matter.)
ReCap: Cooking with Peels or Rinds
- Eat them raw or cooked, dried or pickled.
- Make citrus candy.
- Add peels or zest to smoothies or cocktails.
- Make Apple Cider Vinegar with apple peels.
- Boil peels with tea for an infused drink.
- Consider making jam with the peels.
- Make homemade extracts or infused simple syrups (mango syrup?).
- Make spa drinks, or cocktails.
- Leave the peels on for dried apples, or dried citrus.
- Use orange peels to stop brown sugar from hardening.
- Make preserved lemons, and then cut the whole thing up to add to a dish.
- Combine lemon peels, lemon zest + peppercorns to make lemon pepper.
- Mix lemon peels, zest, with kosher salt to make a citrus salt.
- Make a bread loaf with peels and zest, like “orange loaf.”
- Use zest in cookies, including meringue cookies, for additional flavor.
- Use citrus peels + juice in stir fry, i.e., orange or lemon chicken stir fry.
- Make watermelon rind pickles use the rinds in a chutney, or in gazpacho.
- Crispy fry veggie peels for toppings or snacks.
- Use carrot peels in fritters.
- Use peels in salads (carrot, cucumber, etc.)
- Deodorize your disposal with citrus peels.
- Dehydrate tomato peels and smash into a tomato powder.
- Veggie peels for making veggie stock.
- Orange peel potpourri.
Nutritional Benefits + Cautions
The outer layers of many foods are usually very rich in essential oils which lend the fruit its aroma. The oils of citrus fruit are especially strong and are packed with VitC, calcium, anti-inflammatory + antioxidant bioflavonoids, potassium, fiber, and limonene. Blueberries, grapes, guava, kumquat peels contains higher antioxidants than the actual pulp. (1)
The peels are usually a rich source of dietary fiber which aids digestion and keeps the gut healthy. Fiber functions to bind toxic chemicals from the food you eat, and helps eliminate them. Overall this process may help control cholesterol levels. (2)
CAUTION (3): Some rinds also contain oxalates which can interfere with calcium absorption. So if you have calcium issues speak with your doctor on how much is safe for you to consume. If you are on an oxalate free diet be sure to know which fruits and vegetables to avoid.
CAUTION (4): Make sure you are eating ripe peels or rinds as some unripe fruit (like Mango) can contain compounds that can make some people sick.
CAUTION: You really need to get organic foods if you are going to eat peels and rinds. Clean the outsides well, for you want to get rid of all the stuff that has accumulated there, including insect eggs and cysts that are on fruit surfaces, as well as pesticides.
CAUTION GRAPEFRUIT (5): Grapefruit can interfere with absorption of some medications. Check with your doctor to make sure you can safely eat this fruit.
–Patty
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Words Matter: Where does “lb” come from? The word ‘pound’ as a measure of weight originated from the ancient Roman term ‘libra pondo’. The Latin word ‘libra’ translated as ‘balance’ or ‘scales’. This is also the reason that the zodiac sign ‘Libra’, which corresponds to the dates September 23 – October 22, is represented by a pair of scales. But, as part of the term ‘libra pondo’, this came to mean ‘a pound by weight’. The abbreviation ‘lb’ is borrowed from the ‘libra’ part of ‘libra pondo’.
