8 December 2012 Last updated at 10:19

Christmas dinner: What would you eat?

By Hannah Briggs BBC Food

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Every year 20% of edible fruit purchases get binned, according to campaign group Wrap. Christmas is a perfect time to use peel, but are we wasting the best part?

"Never throw out the peel of oranges, satsumas and mandarins. When cooking rice they give a beautiful fragrance," says Cyrus Todiwala, head chef at Cafe Spice Namaste in London.

Mr Todiwala says that the peptin in raw papaya skin can even help tenderise tough meat.

While many of us might add the zest of a lemon to our pastry, or grate some orange skin into our Christmas mincemeat, fruit peel does not usually factor into our everyday diet.

UK households throws away 1.1m tonnes of fresh fruit every year, says Emma Marsh of Wrap, 50% of which is avoidable waste.

But what may be waste to one person, is a nutritious snack to another.

Dr Marilyn Glenville, a nutritionist and expert on women's health, says that eating a wider range of fruit peels is beneficial to our health.

"Most of the antioxidants contained in fruit are found within the peel or the pith rather than in the pulp itself.

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"The recommendation now is to eat a rainbow of different colours across fruit and vegetables to get a greater variety of antioxidants in our diet."

How can we make peel more palatable?

"The Persians used citrus peel extensively in their cuisine and some of those nuances came to India," says Mr Todiwala.

He explains that dhaansaak, a signature masala curry of the Parsi Zoroastrian community, has both lime and orange peel as core ingredients.

"India has several varieties of large, and extra large limes and lemons that are not as juicy as the smaller ones, but have an amazing impact on the food they are blended into for flavour, aroma and taste," says Mr Todiwala.

"Dried peel works wonders in custards, curries and gravies... it also adds great flavour to grilled chicken, lamb and pork," he says.

Reusing peel in the kitchen is a good way to cut down on food waste, explains Mr Todiwala, provided that you are willing to experiment.

"It's best to use your imagination and not feel afraid of trying different peels.

"Water melon peel for instance makes a lovely bhaji when shredded and cooked simply."

In Brazil banana skin is often used in baking - like in this cake

In Brazil banana peel has traditionally been used in cake recipes, explains Luiz Oliveria, founder of Cravo e Canela, a London-based catering company specialising in Brazilian patisseries.

"There is a banana peel cake that is common in the northern parts of Brazil near the Amazon, but not so popular in the south," explains Mr Oliveira.

The recipe involves cutting off the ends of the banana and blending the peel in a food processor with water, before combining the purée with the cake mixture.

Food blogger Lorraine Elliot, also known as Not Quite Nigella, came across a recipe by Edna Toldeo, a Brazilian woman who describes the cake as "a luxury made from rubbish".

Getting under the skin:

Eating fruit and vegetables with the skin on can increase our intake of vitamin C and fibre, says the Department of Health.

Peel nutrients
Produce (100g)	Fibre (g)	Vitamin C (mg)
Potato - (skin on, baked)	2.7	8
Potato - (skin off, baked)	1.4	4
Raw orange peel	10.6	136
Raw lemon peel	10.6	129

Always wash the skin of fruit or vegetables before eating. This is to get rid of any bacteria that might be on the surface.

Source: Food Standards Agency, Department of Health and The Composition of Foods by McCance and Widdowson

Intrigued, she decided to give it a go.

"I didn't even know that you could eat it, which sounds silly, as I've used orange and citrus peel before.

"I'd say that the banana skin resembles finely chopped dates, and the cake is a distant cousin of the sticky date pudding."

Away from the kitchen, the peel of plant-based matter is also catching the eye of scientists. They are investigating the health benefits of polyphenols, chemicals found within the skin or fruit and vegetables.

Polyphenols have at least 100 effects on cancer cells which look to be beneficial, like the antioxidant effect, says Leicester University's professor Will Steward, head of clinical oncology.

Antioxidants are molecules that prevent cells from being damaged or destroyed in the process of oxidation.

"In theory antioxidation is a way of reducing cancer risk and cardiovascular risk.

"But the question with all of these things, is how much of what chemical you're getting, because a bit of fruit peel probably has an absolutely miniscule antioxidant effect," says Professor Steward.

In food manufacture, apple peel is also being trialled in dairy products and as a substitute for flour in baked goods, says Professor Ana Maria Mendoza-Wilson, at the centre for food investigation and development in Mexico.

Her recent study found that polyphenols could be extracted from apple peel and used as antioxidant additives in food manufacture.

"In previous studies the apple flesh has been used in the manufacture of sausages, but with the purpose of improving the texture of the product through the pectin and fibre content.

"Recently in different parts of the world, laboratory trials are being performed with milk, adding polyphenol extracts to enhance antioxidant properties while increasing shelf life."

Although there is no scientific consensus on the impact of antioxidants on our health, experts agree that fruit peel helps improve digestion and makes us feel more satisfied after eating.

Compôte is a French dessert often made with lemon or orange peel

"White pith is actually beneficial because it has higher levels of pectin in it which is known not only to lower cholesterol but can also help feed the beneficial bacteria within the digestive system," says Dr Glenville.

The Department of Health (DOH) says that insoluble fibre found within the peel of fruit and vegetables helps to keep bowels healthy.

"It passes through the gut without being broken down, and it helps other foods to move through the digestive system more easily," says a DOH spokesperson.

One way to overcome the bitter taste of citrus peel or pith is to make a fruit smoothie or a compôte, says Dr Glenville.

"It's better to make a smoothie than a juice, because you can whip everything up including the skin, and you're not discarding anything in terms of nutrient content."

In the winter months adding a touch of citrus zest can also brighten up your baking, says Jo Harrod Bertinet of the Bertinet Kitchen in Bath.

"We often add some [citrus peel] to our focaccias to provide a lift and to contrast with the deeper flavour of Kalamata olives.

"For a simple supper I love to do a risotto using some fresh thyme with lemon juice and zest.

"Not only is it a fantastic comfort dish but the lemon really puts a spring in your step."

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