So I want to plant a little idea in your head. I’m just going to leave it there and let it germinate for a bit…

You can make your own vitamin-rich superfood powders. For cheap. Even, basically, for free.

Yep, it’s true. Let me explain. This vitamin C powder is made from something you were just going to throw out or compost anyway, orange peels. That’s right, those peels are quite valuable. In fact, there’s more vitamin C found in an orange peel than in the juice from the orange itself (almost double the amount). This vitamin C powder is so easy to make, and there’s so many uses for it! The obvious one, is to supplement your diet.

Since I’m not a scientist, I don’t have the means to test the powder and tell you exactly how much vitamin C you can get per teaspoon, for example. Some sources say one teaspoon is enough to fulfill your daily need of vitamin C, but I like to think of this as a boost, and rely mostly on whole foods to reach my recommended intake of nutrients. The nice thing about this homemade vitamin C powder is that it’s made from real food, meaning that although it doesn’t boast 2,000% of your RDI of vitamin C (like some synthetic powders), you’re actually going to get more bioavailable vitamin C than if you take a supplement or even just eat the fruit only.

Just a few awesome factoids about Vitamin C:

Is a potent antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals to protect from age related diseases

Helps detoxify our bodies and promote faster healing

Has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties

Supports healthy gut bacteria

Supports a healthy immune system

Uses for Homemade Vitamin C Powder

The best way to use this powder, in my opinion, is to mix a teaspoon into your smoothie. You could also stir it into water, but just be aware that it isn’t going to dissolve. It could also be added to a cup of tea for an orange flavor, but I think it’s best if using it as a vitamin boost to stay away from heating it, since you run the risk of destroying some of the nutrients. It can be added to recipes that call for orange zest, and save you a bit of time. It will add a nice bright orange flavor to desserts, dairy-free yogurt, salad dressings, and sauces. I would love to try adding this to a nice cold pressed oil, to make a orange flavored oil for use in salads and other dishes.

This vitamin C powder also makes a great addition to your homemade beauty products. I simply mixed a little ground oats, vitamin C powder, and a little water and apple cider vinegar to make a thick paste. Spread over your clean face and allow to sit for a few minutes and rinse. This simple mask made my skin so smooth and soft! I’ve also made the mask using some of the almond and coconut pulp leftover from making homemade coconut and almond milk. Talk about getting the most out of your food! Some claim that using orange peel powder on the skin can help eliminate acne, blackheads, wrinkles, and can brighten and tone the skin. I can attest to the fact that after using my simple mask, my skin was soft and smooth, plumped, and the pores on my nose had all but disappeared. I will definitely be using this on a regular basis.

In addition to giving your body and beauty a healthy boost, you can also use dried orange peels to make natural house cleaning products, deodorize trash receptacles and refrigerators, use as a natural air freshener to make your house smell lovely, and also as a natural bug and pest deterrent.

You don’t need a dehydrator to make this powder, you can just let your orange peels sit out for about a week, or dry them out in your oven on the lowest setting. Then simply grind them up in blender or food processor until you’ve created a fine powder. Easy!

I have more ideas sprouting in my noggin for other superfood and vitamin boosting powders, and maybe I’ve got the seed planted in your head as well!

Homemade All-Natural Vitamin C Powder

• Orange peels – use organic peels ONLY (I saved mine for about a week in a plastic bag in the fridge, from maybe about 8 oranges or so) you could also use peels from other citrus fruits as well
• a good blender, food processor, or even a coffee grinder to grind up the dried peels

Instructions:

Dry your peels. Leave the pith intact, this is full of vitamin C as well! I used my dehydrator and sort of tore my peels up into little pieces and dried them overnight. Or you can just set them out where they won’t be disturbed, for about a week until they are completely dry. You could also dry them in your oven on the lowest setting, this will be faster so keep checking them often. Once dry, use your blender or coffee grinder to mill them into a fine powder. I used my bullet type blender with straight grinding blade attachment. Store in in a small jar in the fridge. I got almost 2 cups worth of powder.

 

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com/047212_vitamin_C_oranges_homemade_supplements.html

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/12-surprising-uses-for-orange-peel.html

http://hubpages.com/style/Orange-Peels-for-Skin