Bring the fragrance of Christmas into your home with Dried Orange Slices. Learn how to make these easy, homemade orange slices for the holiday season.
A favorite Christmas activity, sometime in early December, preferably on a wintry, snowy (in my dreams) kind of day, I love to make dried orange slices for my kitchen Christmas tree.
It’s like a mini-vacation from the hubbub of the season. A stress-free day to recoup from crazy, hectic schedules.
The aroma from my oven is like Christmas incense, evoking memories of a simpler time.
Of all the trees in our house, and I do love them all, there is something special about my kitchen tree. It’s loaded with all things natural, homemade … whole.
On this rustic, homemade tree, I fasten to the branches dried orange and apple slices studded with cloves and usually tied with raffia. I always make gingerbread men and sometimes gingerbread stars tied with satin or grosgrain ribbon and trim the tree with cranberries. Sometimes I even tie individual cinnamon sticks for extra sensory excitement.
Drying oranges is a simple and rewarding task, perfect for a wrapping day or a Christmas card day … or any stay-at-home day.
Dried Orange Slices
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Ingredients
- 2 large navel oranges, sliced into 1/4′ slices
- a handful of whole cloves
Preparation
- Lay slices of oranges on paper towels and blot as much juice from the oranges as possible. Place several clove studs in each orange slice. Place orange slices on a baking sheet, not touching, and bake in preheated oven for 4 – 6 hours, turning periodically so that they can dry on both sides.
- Thread ribbon, raffia, or other medium through slices after they’ve been dried and use as ornaments.
Ideas for Dried Oranges:
