- Slice oranges into 1-2cm thick slices.
- Pat dry with a clean tea towel.
- Place them on a metal cooling rack over a baking tray so that air can circulate around them easily and they don't burn or stick.
- Pop them into a low oven (120°C) for about three hours.
- Turn them over every half hour or so.
How do you dry orange slices for Christmas decorations?
Simple instruction to dry orange slices for Christmas decorations and suggestions for drying whole oranges. Place them on a metal cooling rack over a baking tray so that air can circulate around them easily and they don’t burn or stick. Pop them into a low oven (120°C) for about three hours. Turn them over every half hour or so.
Can You Make your own dried oranges?
Making your own dried oranges is a great activity to keep you busy one afternoon. Not only are dried oranges great for Christmas decorations but the drying process will make your home smell like a warm citrus dream.
How long does it take to dry oranges in the oven?
Place the cookie sheet on the oven rack. If using parchment paper, turn the slices every hour until dry, which generally takes about three to four hours. Mine took about 3.5 hours and were dried perfectly without any burning. Look for a translucent appearance on the flesh of the orange to determine completion.
How do you make a string out of oranges?
Use a knife tip to cut a small hole through each fresh orange slice, just inside the rings of pith and skin, so you can loop a string through each opening after the slices are dried. Press a clove, star side up, into the center of each orange slice.

How do you dry oranges at home?
InstructionsPreheat the oven to 175° F.Wash and dry the oranges, then slice crosswise ⅛-inch thick.Set slices in a single layer on baking sheets topped with wire racks.Cook for 4-6 hours, until dry to the touch, rotating every few hours for even cooking.Cool completely before storing or using.
How do you dry oranges in the oven for Christmas decorations?
InstructionsPreheat your oven to 170 degrees F.Slice the oranges into 1/4 inch slices.Lay the slices on an oven safe rack, then place that rack on to a cooking sheet. This will allow air to flow around the oranges as they bake.Bake for 6 hours. Turn the slices over every hour or so.
How do you dry dried oranges?
Cut shallow slits in orange peel from top to bottom without removing peel. Make eight to 10 slits on each orange. Allow slit oranges to dry in dehydrator or low-heat oven for 12 to 24 hours.
How do you dehydrate oranges for ornaments?
InstructionsThinly slice oranges.Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.Bake in a preheated 200 degree oven for 3-4 hours. Flip every 30 minutes to make sure they dry evenly.Place hook or twine in each slice once dried and hang on tree.
How do you dry orange slices for Christmas wreath?
Cut 10 oranges into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ($4, Target). Bake in a 175°F oven for four hours, flipping the oranges halfway through. It's important to cook the orange slices at a low temperature so they don't burn or brown.
How long will dried orange slices last?
Dried orange slices will last about two or three years. That is, they'll look their best for the first couple of years, and start to turn increasingly brown thereafter. Yet that doesn't mean they are “bad” or unusable after that time! We've hung much older dried orange ornaments on our holiday tree before.
How do you dry whole citrus fruit for Christmas decorations?
Place in the centre of the oven at your oven's lowest temperature. It will take between 4 and 8 hours to dry out the oranges. When they are dry the insides will be dehydrated and the skins will darken.
How long does it take to dry out oranges?
Arrange orange slices on dehydrator trays, leaving room for air circulation. Set the dehydrator to 135 degrees F (fruit/vegetable setting). Start checking the orange slices after 2 to 3 hours. Depending on the thickness of the slices, it can take anywhere from 3 to 7 hours for the slices to completely dry.
How do you make Christmas orange garland?
How To Make Dried Orange Garland:Slice oranges around 1/8″ thick. ... Blot with paper towels to remove excess juice.Lay out on parchment lined baking sheets.Bake at 200° for about 2 hours, flipping every 30 minutes. ... Let orange slices cool completely.String on twine and hang.
How do you dry orange slices without an oven?
Air Drying The air-dry method requires the fewest tools. Simply run a piece of jute cord or baking twine through the tops of your orange slices, and hang them in a cool, dry place. Much like drying flowers, you'll need up to a week (or more) for the orange slices to dry completely.
How do you dry orange slices for Garland?
How to Make Dried Orange GarlandStep 1: Preheat the oven. We're preheating the oven to 200F. ... Step 2: Slice the Oranges. ... Step 3: Press out Excess Juice. ... Step 4: Arrange on Baking Sheet. ... Step 5: Bake. ... Step 6: Cool & Twine the Orange Garland!
How do you make dried orange and cinnamon Christmas decorations?
Putting your Cinnamon Stick and Orange Slice Ornaments together:Start with a cinnamon stick. ... Thread the string through the centre of 1 orange slice.Thread the string through a silver bell.Tie and knot the string around another cinnamon stick.Repeat with the remaining orange slices, cinnamon sticks and bells.More items...
Preparing the oranges
Start by rounding up your oranges. Give them a little clean by running them under the tap and wipe them dry with your tea towel.
Cutting The Fruit
Once you have your clean and dry oranges it’s time to slice. Place on a chopping board. Cutting through the orange across the stem so that you have a nice cross-section of the orange segments when it’s cut.
Drying The Oranges
Now that you have your favourite slices on the rack, place the rack in the oven at 140C, 120C if you have a fan oven. You can leave them for an hour minimum. Turning them regularly until they have completely dried out. Some people like to prop the oven door open a little with a wooden spoon to allow any moisture from the oranges to evaporate.
Drying out a full orange
When drying full oranges, all you need to do is cut slits through the sides following the line of the stem and then place them in the oven for up to 15 hours at 120C. Low and slow is the aim to get rid of all that inner moisture.
Try Something Different
If you want to jazz up your orange slices you can push cloves into the dried orange slices before hanging them up.
How to Dry Oranges for Christmas
Let me show you how to dry oranges for Christmas! Drying oranges is guaranteed to put me in a festive mood, it is so easy to do and the house smells fabulous while I’m at it!
Drying Whole Oranges
I don’t have a mantle piece over my fire but if I did I would love to have a go at making a swag out of whole dried oranges, dried orange and apple slices and dried chillies like these beauties I saw at the Bath Christmas Market last year!
How to Dry Oranges for Christmas Decorations
Simple instruction to dry orange slices for Christmas decorations and suggestions for drying whole oranges.
Why dry oranges?
Dried orange slices are both nostalgic and festive because they are a throwback to when people simply decorated their homes for Christmas and winter using what they had on hand.
How to Make Dried Orange Slices in the Oven
There are no hard and fast rules for making your own holiday orange slices. Simply slice and bake until dry. Oven drying times will vary based on your oven. Keep and eye your slices as you dry them to prevent burning.
How to Store Dried Orange Slices
Dried orange slices can be stored in any air-tight container in a cool dry place. A mason jar or Ziploc works well.
Here Are a Few of Our Favorite Ways to Use Dried Orange Slices
An orange garland is the quintessential holiday decor. String your orange slices with jute twine and hang them across the mantel or a bookshelf.
FAQs About Dried Orange Slices
If you’ve dehydrated your orange slices thoroughly, they can last up to two years in an air-tight container. But if you didn’t remove all the moisture during the drying process they may mold when stored.
How To Make Dried Orange Slices
Dried orange slices are a beautiful and versatile Christmas decoration that adds a touch of holiday cheer. Learn how to make them — plus eight ideas for how to use them here.
Community Q&A
The oranges were left outside and there were bugs in them when I brought them back in. If I remove the bugs, are the oranges still edible?
Tips
Especially if you’re using the dried slices as a snack or garnish, store any you’re not using right away in an airtight container zip-close bag. They’ll typically last for 2-7 days this way, depending on their moisture level and the humidity. Look for any mold spots before eating them.
Warnings
Use a sharp knife and work safely when slicing oranges. Children should be supervised closely if they're helping out.
About This Article
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Christopher M. Osborne, PhD. Christopher Osborne has been a wikiHow Content Creator since 2015. He is also a historian who holds a PhD from The University of Notre Dame and has taught at universities in and around Pittsburgh, PA.
Save Dried Oranges From Year To Year
I often save my orange slices from year to year. They keep very well once dried, and look decorative even once they turn a darker brown with age.
Mix With Other Citrus
You can use other types of citrus fruit as well, such as grapefruit, lemons and limes.
How To Dry Orange Slices For Decoration
Before looking at dried orange slices for decoration, let’s first start with the actual drying process of the orange slices.
What To Do With Dried Orange Slices
Dried orange slices can be used in many ways, from adding them to recipes in the kitchen, to using them for decoration during the holiday season.
How Long Do Dried Oranges Last As Decorations?
I have kept some of my dried orange slices for years. Mainly because I enjoyed them in their darker form, and they were well dried and preserved.
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How to Make Dried Citrus Christmas Ornaments – Step by Step
1. Slice your oranges with a sharp knife about a half-centimeter to a centimeter thick. The thinner they are, the more transparent they’ll be, but make sure not to cut them too thinly. They’ll warp and curl if they’re thinner than a half-centimeter.
Here Are a Few More Christmas Crafts and Cocktails!
For more inspiration, subscribe to my newsletter follow me on Instagram, on Pinterest, tiktok and Facebook! And if you ever make any of my tasty drinks or treats, take a picture and tag me. I want to see!
How to Make Dried Citrus Christmas Ornaments
These dried orange slices with star anise make the prettiest, natural and fragrant DIY Christmas ornaments for your tree! They’re so simple to make and look like glowing, stained-glass windows!
