citrus skins and compost

Hello - all around us there are laden citrus trees. I've been making marmalade, lemon curd and using them in cooking. BUT I don't want to put them in my compost AND also, rats seem to enjoy them.
Any recommendations are welcome.
Sue, North Auckland, NZ

Hi there Sue. Welcome to Permies!

I confess I don't quite understand why these are not compostable. Is it because of the rats? Or worries about sprays and such?

Perhaps what I do for bones and dead birds/squirrels might work. I dig a deep, narrow pit and line it with a steel barrel that has no top or bottom. A heavy steel or concrete chunk seals the top. Dogs, rodents and wild animals can't get it. Insects can, and they break down most of it. Ultimately the metal sleeve is pulled and the deep soil is a little richer.

Hi Sue. My homestead hosts dozens and dozens of various citrus trees. I eat, sell, trade, and give away what I can, but I’m still overloaded with citrus. I discovered that sheep will eat it, so I can dispose of some more of the excess that way. But I still end up with a lot of excess citrus from time to time. So I put it into the compost bins, or dig it directly into the gardens via trenching. I’ve never had a problem doing this.

Citrus skins have oils that could be used in different ways.

I don't have the opportunity to get many citrus peels.

I dry all of mine to use later.

One of the things I make with them is potpourri.

We have had several threads with suggestions like these you might like:

Use any extra lemon peels to steep in vinegar and make the best and cheapest household cleaners possible.

https://permies.com/t/120/130317/ungarbage/reuse-person#1240454

I use citrus peel infused vinegar as a weed killer. I like to infuse distilled white vinegar with citrus peels  for about a year, then I use this for a weed killer and a heavy de-greaser

https://permies.com/t/46042/Vinegar-herbicide#744503

https://permies.com/t/16727/Lemon-Peels

https://permies.com/t/134461/kitchen/Tasty-Bitter-Lime-syrup-distressed