Extending the Tangerine Season

How to Dry the Peel and Make Your Own Mix March 2002 -- Three or four varieties of tangerines are in season at California farmers market this time of year. But tangerine season won’t last much past April.

Robert Wemischner, a cookbook author and culinary arts teacher at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, has a simple idea for how to savor tangerines even after the season has passed. Buy a bunch of tangerines now, dry the peels and grind them into powder.

Make Your Own Mix

"They dry at room temperature," says Wemischner. "But you might want to help it along in a low oven. Just watch them, because you don’t want them to brown."

When the peels are dried to a crisp, Wemischner puts them in a spice grinder or spice mill. You can make your own special mix by throwing in some sesame seeds or hot pepper flakes, he says.

What to Do With Powdered Tangerine Peel

To use the powder, Wemischner puts a few spoonfuls in olive oil to make a paste and lets it sit for 15 minutes. He smears the paste on fileted fish, something like halibut or Chilean sea bass which has a higher fat content and is better grilled or broiled.

"It’s an excellent flavor booster, and really easy," Wemischner says.