Wait! Don’t throw away those mandarin peels! Dried mandarin peel sells for $30 to $50 a pound and has been used for hundreds of years in Chinese cooking and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Mandarin peels are a popular ingredient in many Chinese tonics and is considered a valuable medicinal herb.
Mandarin peel can be used fresh or dried. Add fresh peels to soups and stews or slow cook them with chicken or duck. Grate fresh mandarin peel into cookies and breads to add a zesty flavor.
You can also add mandarin peel to your foods throughout the year by drying them. Peel the mandarin and break the peel into quarter sized pieces. Let them sit out at room temperature until they are crispy. If it is damp where you live, put the peels on a cookie sheet in the oven on the lowest setting until the peels are dry. Be careful to not to burn them. Once they are dry, store them in a jar with a lid and to keep in your spice rack for adding to soup and
chicken dishes.
Mandarin peel not only adds a nice flavor to your food but it makes a very good tasting tea. Mandarin peel tea is traditionally used for coughs and asthma that are due to excessive phlegm in the lungs.
It is a good tea to drink if you have lots of mucus, chronic chest congestion or a wet cough. It doesn’t
help much if you have a dry cough.
Mandarin peel regulates digestion and is very effective for treating gas, bloating and nausea. It is a perfect food for this time of year, chasing away mucus and warding off colds and flu with its antibacterial, antifungal and
antiviral properties.
The white pith on the peel contains bioflavonoids. Bioflavonoids strengthen your blood
capillaries enhancing their ability to deliver blood, oxygen and nutrients to your tissue and organs.
Bioflavonoids provide tonic support for the entire cardio vascular system. The high content
of bioflavonoids in mandarin peel contributes to their anti-bacterial, anti-viral and
anti-inflammatory properties.
Mandarin peel tea stimulates blood circulation and lymph system flow, helping to eliminate excess fluid in the body. Mandarin peel also helps to soothe the nervous system and is a popular remedy for nervous tension, stress and depression. There are no known contraindications to cooking with and
drinking mandarin peel.
Kami McBride, Herbalist (see Kami's bio below)
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