Orange garlands have cemented their place in traditional Christmas decor, so I did a little reading to learn more about the origin of this sustainable staple. I was surprised by how many different stories I read, it makes me think that each one is just as important as the next. Oranges were used to represent the sun during the winter solstice, marking the ever increasing presence of the sun as time progressed. I also read that oranges and other citrus fruits were a symbol of luxury during the Great Depression. Lastly, as a Christmas tradition the eldest family member was to fill each stocking with oranges to symbolize St. Nicholas filling a stocking, accidentally, with gold which saved three poor maidens from being sold into slavery. (Read more here).
I find the oranges symbolic of living in Florida as they are our official state fruit. I love the ocean and warm summers. Adding dried oranges incorporates a warm, summery element during our windy and cold “winter.” Luckily, these are incredibly easy to make!
First, I preheat my oven to 175F and cut my oranges into 1/4″ thick slices. I save all of the ends and smaller pieces for simmer pots, zest while cooking, and to flavor my water! Next, take your slices and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you have a wire rack, this works great as it allows for better air flow. See my photo below. I noticed that using the wire rack allows me to “set and forget” these while they are in the oven. Using the parchment paper method, I do need to flip the slices half way. Lastly, place the sheets into the oven for a minimum of 6 hours. Again, flip the slices half way through to ensure both sides have lost moisture.
I noticed that the more oranges you want to dehydrate, the longer it will take. I ended up letting 3 sheets of slices dehydrate for about 9 hours. It’s something you need to do on a day that you will be home!
This year, to display the finished product, I created simple ornaments for my Christmas tree. The leftovers were sprinkled throughout the pre-lit garland that I placed on my buffet. To make my ornaments, I ordered a dusty blue and copper orange velvet ribbon from Amazon. I threaded the ribbon through the orange and secured them to the tree branches with a simple bow!
My goal this year is to save these dehydrated oranges so that I can re-use them next year! I think these would be amazing to use as garnishes on drinks (a festive version of an Old Fashioned), homemade potpourri, or as an addition to a gift tag! Let me know if you make these and how you use them! Happy Holidays!
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