Drying oranges for decorations

[Lula13]

Morning everyone, I have searched the forum and can't find the answer so please forgive me if i'm repeating anything. I'm about to start the xmas decorations and want to try to do some homemade ones but not sure how I dry out orange slices. Also I know this is abit of a silly question but do I just use normal oranges.... Thanks in advance

[yummyhoney]

i think you just slice them and put tehm in the oven for a few mins,,i'm sure someone wiser will be along shortly!!

[twinkle_star]

You'll need to put the over on a very very low temperature - as low as it gets or pilot setting - or you'll end up with cooked orange slices (yummy but not what you're going for). Line the trays with greaseproof to stop the slices sticking and leave them in there for hours and hours but check them often. If they're getting cooked more than dried then take them out to cool down.

You can also do it by just putting them in warm place on tray - my mum does them over her aga but I imagine over a radiator would be ok.

[BexInLondon]

Yep normal oranges are what you use. I slice them, sit them on kitchen roll for a couple of hours, pat them dry then sprinkle with salt and put them in the airing cupboard for a few days (turning occasionally if you remember). It helps to use a drinking straw to make little holes near one edge when they're not fully dry - this is for threading the ribbon later! Oven-drying works too I hear, though I'm a cheapskate and don't want to use the oven when time does as good a job.

They look so beautiful hung with red organza ribbon and with fairy lights twinkling through them. So far everyone (ok, everyone female and about 2 of the men) who has visited has asked where I got them.

[JackieO]

These I saw in Fortnums ,three small slices in a net bag along with a small stick of cinnamon priced at £8.00.Needless to say I didn't buy any but did mine at home on kitchen top on the top of a radiator. Cost the price of a couple of oranges and some kitchen roll about 60p

[Caterina]

Last year I put thick-ish slices on the radiator and they dried beautifully, then I hung them on some wood branches with red ribbon and they looked really good, people commented on them when they visited!

[zippychick]

Oh GOSH I'm going to have to do these! woopeeeee! Radiator all the way. Would you put them direct on the radiator or with paper in between? Silly question?

[HariboJunkie]

To make them even prettier and nice and smelly I stud the rind of each slice with cloves all the way round before drying.

[SunnyGirl]

I'm going to have to do some of these too they sound great! Zippy I think that the kitchen roll will stop the oranges sticking to the radiator and make it a lot easier than cleaning it I bet that greaseproof paper would work just as well. I can't put mine on the radiators as the dogs would think I'd kindly put a free buffet out I'll stick to the airing cupboard method I think!

[sassyblue]

Thanks so much for this thread l was going to ask myself because l forgot where l saw the earlier thread! Someone always beats me to it though, great minds lol....

[zippychick]

Originally Posted by sassyblue

Thanks so much for this thread l was going to ask myself because l forgot where l saw the earlier thread! Someone always beats me to it though, great minds lol....

i had visions of you talking to yourself , asking yourself how to do it

Haribo - lovin the cloves idea My Mum already thinks my orange studded with cloves is funnily cute. Wait til she sees these

Sunnygirl - great thanks! I have both. Woundn't have though doggies would eat oranges!

[bargainbird]

Jumping on this band wagon also, airing cupboard for me too, DS and Dogs would have great fun otherwse. Mum just grabbed mine at aldi 75p for bag Haribo, where the blooming heck do i find cloves :confused:?

[SunnyGirl]

Zippy One of the dogs is a Labrador so in other words is a canine dustbin I had to retrieve one of DD's epilepsy tablets from her this morning as she pounced as soon as she saw DD drop it Luckily I saw it happen as even though they're both insured it could have been deadly for her.

Edited to add: Bargainbird Cloves are in with the herbs & spices usually.

[zippychick]

oh my word , that would have been such a disaster! EEK!

[bargainbird]

Thanks SG

[luxor4t]

Last Night I noticed Homemade Kirsty had some dried whole oranges that reminded me about this but before I could start slicing, OH had peeled a couple & was eating them... so I joined in

Now I must find some more bargain oranges!

[THIRZAH]

Chatsworth House had whole dried lemons on some of their christmas trees. I have three drying in the airing cupboard suspended from the shelves in mesh bags so am hoping they'll turn out ok.

[Quasar]

Originally Posted by JackieO

These I saw in Fortnums ,three small slices in a net bag along with a small stick of cinnamon priced at £8.00.Needless to say I didn't buy any but did mine at home on kitchen top on the top of a radiator. Cost the price of a couple of oranges and some kitchen roll about 60p

I'm glad I found this thread as I also want to know how these are made, so I can tell my sister who is enchanted by them.

I was in Fortnum and Mason yesterday with her, who has come to the UK to visit me for a few days. We bought a few things including a dried orange and cinnamon wreath. £47 for three items! My mum gave her/us money to spend though.

[Lula13]

Thank you every one...I felt the same about putting the oven on for all that time so I'll stick with the airing cupboard...

[Muddles]

Bargain Bird I bought a bag of Cloves from Julian Graves for about a £1 for Pomanders.

Great to hear you can dry orange slices in airing cupboard or on rads as I was put off having the oven on for hours.