Saturday, May 14, 2011

There is no blue without yellow and without orange

Everyday I pack an orange or two in my hubby’s lunch.  And until recently he was throwing the peels away.  That is until I discovered that I could make my own orange oil easily and economically. 

Orange oil is a strong solvent and can be found in many commercial cleaners.  All you need is a ¼ cup for every gallon of warm water.







Be careful because orange oil is extremely flammable.  It’s also highly acidic and should be handled with care; rubber gloves are a reasonable precaution.











To make orange oil all you need are dried orange peels, cheap vodka, a clean glass jar with a lid, a coffee filter, a large shallow bowl and a clean jar with a lid to store the oil.
 







Lay the orange peels out on a ventilated surface, like a paper plate holder or wire rack, to allow for full circulation of air.  The peels dry out within a few days. 

Once the they are dry, fill the jar halfway with dried peels then and cover them with vodka. Place a lid on the jar, and shake it to combine the mixture. Allow the peels to marinate in the alcohol for at least a week (I let them sit for a couple weeks), shaking the mixture each day. The oil in the peels will be extracted into the vodka.

After the peels have soaked in the vodka for at least a week, strain out the peels through a coffee filter. 












In order to extract as much oil as possible, press the peels through a citrus juicer.   You will get a lot more liquid from the remaining peels.

The oil infused will have an orange tinge and a decidedly orangey aroma. 





Leave the liquid uncovered. Over a period of several days, the alcohol will evaporate and leave behind natural orange oil.





14 comments:

  1. Just wondering, is there any reason you couldn't use rubbing alcohol instead of vodka if you arent going to use the orange extract for any food purposes?

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  2. You can't soak orange peels in rubbing alcohol. You have to use denatured alcohol.

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  3. ** thank you for your orange oil tip..my question is how much oil is needed for a gallon of water?..the number was not clear to me..please advise thank you...kathy..

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  4. The oil is very strong. It really depends on what you're using it for. Just a few drops in dishwater will have a disinfecting effect. A dilution ratio of 20/1 is safe . . . use distilled water. I hope that helps. If it doesn't, please let me know.

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  5. thank you Cher for the information. i need to clean kitchen wooden cabinets that have carvings in it..and it has a thick build up of grease and yulk on it..i think i would have to make a gallong of oil for it..please advise also how much oil to fill up a gallon of distilled water..for this dirty job..thanks again..kathy

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  6. Figure about 1/4 cup of oil per gallon of water.

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  7. thank you, will keep you updated when solution is made..kathy

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  8. Can you tell me how much orange oil this made from estimated amounts of what you used?

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  9. can you use this method with things like cloves, cinnamon, lavender, eucalyptus? If not any ideas on how to do it. How can you tell the strength, approximately anyhow? Looking forward to hearing from you.

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  10. do the orange peels have to be dried? AND have you ever tried making it with peels that were not dried?....just wondering what the difference would be between the two - OH and have you ever recycled the vodka, as in making another batch of orange oil with it instead of pouring it out?

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    1. I know - dumb question about reusing the vodka - I reread your instructions!

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  11. Just curious how much oil this ends up yielding??

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  12. What about using other plants then orange? Say sage, chamomile, mint, etc?

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  13. I am curious? This process could be used for any citrus? Have you tried such as garlic? banana? I guess what I am asking in general, if you can dehydrate it, try to get the oil with d-alky?

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