Most preppers have no idea how many survival uses for oranges there really are. After all, most people know that this fruit is good for them, and that they have fiber and loads of vitamin C to help them stay healthy.
But the truth is, there’s WAY more to oranges than meets the eye. In fact, oranges are so useful for survival (and important for our day-to-day health) that I can’t move forward with my day without teaching you these…
23 Survival Uses For Oranges
1 – Keep Infection At Bay
Orange oil is an effective cleaning product that can help disinfect surfaces and keep you healthy longer.
2 – Make a Fire
Dried out orange rinds make great tinder in a pinch. You can also squeeze the oil from orange peels onto dryer lint and use that to get the flames burning.
3 – Increase Morale
Ever notice how good smelling foods puts you in a better mood? By spraying orange oil around the house, you can immediately start to decrease your stress and breathe in the delicious scents to clear your head.
4 – Stay Trim
Nothing slows you down more like fatty, carb-laden foods. Get your healthy eating back on track by eating oranges for snacks. Not only will these keep you full, but there’s only about 85 calories in a large orange, so it’s a guilt-free snack you can truly enjoy.
5 – Get Out Of Your Food Rut
Survival food is important, but you can easily get bored eating the same stuff day in and day out. Get out of the rut by washing a whole orange, freezing it, and then grating the rind. By sprinkling the orange peel shavings on breakfast foods, fish, rice, soup, and more you’ll get a whole different level of flavors that’s sure to make your tastebuds happy.
6 – Ease Stomach Cramps
You can make an herbal tea with orange peels to help ease stomach cramps and aid in digestion. This tea can also help stimulate your appetite if your stomach’s been having problems.
7 – Transform Your Water
We all know we need to keep drinking water throughout the day, but this can just get plain boring after a while. Add some citrus to your water by freezing orange zest and water in ice cube trays. Add the ice cubes to a fresh glass of water, and the drink will taste so good you’ll wonder why you haven’t been using this method all along.
8 – Make Marmalade
Marmalade lasts a long time, is downright delicious, and is an excellent addition to your food preps. Make it using spices like cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg to make it extra tasty.
9 – Make Powdered Zest
Powdered orange zest can be useful in a surprising amount of ways. Dry and powder orange rinds to take advantage of their uses.
10 – Make A Cleaning Solution
Combine orange rinds with white vinegar to have a yummy smelling and effective cleaning solution.
11 – Sweeten The Disposal Smell
Food disposal systems have a tendency of smelling gross. Spray orange peels with vinegar, and drop a few down the disposal every time you run it. This will make the smell a lot more bearable (if it doesn’t take it away entirely).
12 – Make Orange Curd
Nothing lifts people’s spirits quite like honey sweetened orange curd. Add it on top of ice cream for a delicious, mood-boosting treat.
13 – Keep Your Sink Clean
Cut an orange in half, and then dip each half lightly in salt. Then use the orange to scrub the inside of your sink. Rinse with water, and see your sink sparkle. (Note: This technique works even if you’ve already squeezed out the juice).
14 – Repel The Moths
Stab holes in an orange using a toothpick. Then fill these holes with cloves, and bake the oranges for an hour on low until they become hard. Cool the oranges, and then attach a ribbon or string for hanging. Hang the oranges in your bathrooms, around litter boxes, in kitchens, and any room/area that tends to smell. The citrus smells delicious, and the cloves act as a natural moth repellant.
15 – Make A Face Mask
Dry out the orange peels, and then grind them into a powder. Combine equal parts powder and water (or milk) until it makes a paste. Apple this paste to your face and body for a rejuvenating mask.
16 – Prevent Lumps In The Brown Sugar
Oranges have the natural ability to prevent brown sugar from hardening and lumping together. Take a two-inch wide segment of orange rind, and place it in your brown sugar. Keep the sugar in an air-tight container.
17 – Make An Oil Dressing
Everyone knows that good dressing makes every salad better. Combine orange peel segments, your favorite herb sprigs, and dried cranberries in a bottle, and then fill it with extra virgin olive oil. Keep the bottle in a dark place (like inside a cupboard), and shake it every few days to keep it flavored. After a few weeks, the herbs, cranberries and orange peel will flavor the oil, making it delicious on top of fresh lettuce leaves.
18 – Flavor Your Sugar
Combine sugar with fresh orange peel in a jar. The oil inside the orange peel will slowly seep into the sugar, giving it a delicious citrusy taste. Remove the peel after a few weeks and enjoy.
19 – Make Citrus Extract Powder
Zest an orange and dry it out. Then place the zest in a blender and pulverize into a powder. Keep in a clean jar.
20 – Keep The Cats Away
Keep those pesky felines away from your survival garden and houseplants by placing dry orange rinds around the base of the plants. Cats hate the smell of oranges, so they’ll be sure to stay away.
21 – Use Oranges For Compost
You can compost orange rinds to use for your survival garden.
22 – Reduce Trash Odors
Lay segments of orange peel at the bottom of a trash can before adding a fresh bag. The citrus scent will help mask the trash odor, and will help prevent insects from infesting the trash can.
23 – Flavor Your Honey
Add a citrusy boost to your honey by placing segments of orange peel into your honey, and letting them steep for a few weeks. Or, if you’re feeling impatient, you can heat this combo on the stove (but don’t let it boil). Take out the peels, and put your new citrusy honey in a clean jar.
