Orange Pomanders

Horasio

I have done it with satsumas too.

The aroma lasts for years. I had to throw mine away last year, as the mice had a nibble on it!

carbonel

recently got cloves from Tesco, I think about 60p for jar containing enough for 3 oranges - pomanders are a lovely inexpensive gift too. And unusual.:j

welshcakes

The children make these of an evening running upto Christmas. We just use oranges and cloves and a little red ribbon. The kids stud their initials with the cloves. Lemons can also be used and we hang that one in our downstairs wc over xmas.

organic_wanabe

welshcakes, how do you know when they are ready to use? Mine is still in my airing cupboard but I don't think its totally dried out yet, but at least it hasn't gone mouldy (yet!).

Alfietinker

Oooh, what is this with drying and preserving? I always make them a week before Xmas but just stick cloves in oranges and when they start to go mouldy I throw them I take it they last for ages if they're dried then?

soba

Was thinking of making some of these for Christmas, so I guess I need to start now. Don't care for the idea of using orris root if it can cause allergies, so I'll look for sandalwood oil in the health food shop tomorrow and see if it's expensive. If it is I'll make them without any preservative and see what happens. Last year I made air freshener from strips of orange peel, cloves and cinnamon sticks. It was a lovely Christmassy smell.

jennyjelly

Soba, how do you use the sandalwood oil as a preservative? Just rub the oranges with it? I have some that I would like to use for this.

BTW, Morrisons do really cheap packs of herbs and spices so I imagine that would be a good source of cloves. Will check it out tomorrow and report back.

EDIT: Woods is a really good place to buy oils online - very good prices and quick delivery.

soba

jennyjelly wrote: »

Soba, how do you use the sandalwood oil as a preservative? Just rub the oranges with it?

It's something I've never done before, but I found this when I was browsing and thought I'd follow their 'recipe'.

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/pomanders.html

organic_wanabe

Just to update on my little experiment that started this thread. Mine did go mouldy before they were properly dried (without using either the orris root or sandalwood) and so were thrown away (60p binned). I graduated onto Yankee candles - more expensive but lovely festive scents!

Spirit_2

I make pomanders every year - no preservatives, just cloves and an orange. It does make your fingers hurt, so it is good if you can rope in an unsuspecting visitor to 'help'. Just thinking of making them puts me in a festive mood.