When you are about to eat your mikan, wash the outer skin thoroughly and dry it off with a clean towel! These days, you don't know what sort of pesticides have been put on your food. You will find it difficult to wash after you peeled it.
I usually dry my mikan peels in three stages:
Stage 1
Place the mikan peels out on a plate or dish on a window still that gets plenty of sun. You really want the peel to dry out thoroughly. You know all the moisture has evaporated when you can easily crush a peel or break it into two pieces.
Eventually, the peels will dry up, harden and release a lovely, somewhat burnt, aroma.
Stage 2
Next, i place the dried skins into a ziplock bag. Make sure to leave lots of air so they can "breathe". I will usually chuck the bag in the back of my car and leave it out there for a good month or so. I don't have a garage, so my car is out and exposed all day long. The heat inside the car, combined with the additional exposure to the sun really dries them out. Your car will take on the aroma of the dried mikan, which you may or may not be partial too. I happen to love it!
Stage 3
After about a month or so in my car, I take the peels out and transfer them to an airtight jar. I find the ones with a seal and lid are the best--something like this (http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/322003648/food_clear_kitchenware_metal_clip_glass.html). In an airtight jar like that one, they will stay like this indefinitely.
These peels are really great to have around if you want to add a layer of smokey complexity to stocks. I also use them when I am making Raiyu (Chinese chili oil) (see recipe here) for some additional flavor. They are also excellent for making Chinese Five Spice Powder (see recipe here). I dont recommend them in stir frys, as they tend to taint the meat with a smokey, burnt flavor.
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