Dried Orange Tree Decorations

Citrus fruits for making dried oranges for the Christmas tree should be undamaged (there should be no traces of blows, cracks, frostbite on the peel). You can take not only oranges, but also other citrus fruits, such as grapefruit, lemon, lime. Citrus fruits should be washed very well to get rid of dust, dirt, and possible wax coating. Wipe them dry.

Slice the oranges thinly with a sharp knife. The thickness should be approximately 0.3-0.4 cm, but no more than 0.5 cm, otherwise they will take a very long time to dry in the oven. Try to slice the oranges so that all segments are the same thickness throughout, as the thin edge will dry out and start to burn faster, while the thick edge will remain moist.

Now the orange slices need to be blotted with paper towels or napkins to remove as much juice as possible. To do this, place several layers of paper towels on a cutting board, arrange the orange slices in a single layer, cover with another layer of towels on top, and gently press with your palm to absorb excess moisture.

Next, line a baking sheet with high-quality parchment paper. Arrange the citrus slices in a single layer so that they do not overlap. Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven at 70-80 degrees Celsius and let them dry for 4-6 hours. The drying time of the oranges will depend on the thickness of the fruit itself and the characteristics of your oven. I dried my oranges for 4.5 hours in a gas oven. To reach a temperature of 70-80 degrees, you can insert a wooden spatula, slightly opening the oven door.

Flip the citrus slices every hour to ensure even drying. If the smaller slices on the baking sheet are already completely ready, you can remove them from the oven: carefully separate them from the paper and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Afterwards, let the fully dried oranges cool completely on the baking sheet or cooling rack.

Next, they can be used to decorate the house, Christmas tree, or festive table.

From such dried oranges, you can make fragrant decor by attaching a bay leaf and a cinnamon stick to them. This bundle will fill the room with spicy aromas.

If you want to keep dried oranges longer and use them as an addition to dishes, store them in a tightly closed jar. Grind the dried oranges in a coffee grinder or blender and add them to fish, meat dishes, as well as use them for making cocktails and adding to baking.