How to Make Dried Orange Slices
Learn how to Make Dried Orange Slices to use in crafts, potpourris, garlands and more! This is a slow, low-heat method that will take 3 – 6 hours, depending on how dry you want them, but it’s worth the wait!
Nostalgic and Festive
I absolutely LOVE that orange slices are making a comeback in Christmas decor. They’re nostalgic and reminiscent of Christmases past…when things were simple and people decorated their homes with what they had on hand. Christmas decor was made of simple things like gathering greens from their yards or nearby forests, strings of popcorn garland for the tree and old oranges were sliced and dried to hang…just simple and lovely.
Simple and so pretty
One of the easiest ways to add a tiny bit of simplicity to your holiday decor is to make these dried orange slices. They’re SO simple to make…really there are no hard and fast rules. It’s as easy as slicing and baking.
TIPS and TRICKS for Making Dried Orange Slices:
- Orange Drying Options:
- Option #1: Low heat, long time. If you want fully dried oranges slices, I found the best method to be baking for 6 hours at 170 degrees.
- Option #2: You can also bake the orange slices at 250 degrees for about 3 hours, then hang them when the oranges are still slightly moist. If you leave them, they will air dry.
- Option #3: Air drying. Just slice the oranges and let them air dry over the course of several days. I would do this on a baking rack so air can circulate around them.
- When baking, if possible, place the orange slices on an oven safe baking rack placed over a cookie sheet. The baking rack will allow the warm oven air to circulate around the oranges.
- Flip the orange slices over about every hour or so during baking. This is to ensure both sides bake equally.
- Make sure to watch the orange slices a little more closely at the 5 hour mark. I wanted mine to be orange in colour so I actually removed them from the oven when they were slightly underdone. It’s ok that they finish drying in the air.
- Once the slices are done, you can add them to all kinds of craft projects.
7 things to do with your dried orange slices:
- Make Christmas Tree Ornaments. These Cinnamon Stick and Orange Slice Ornaments are SO pretty! Or just simple add an ornament hook to each dried orange slice and hang them individually on your Christmas tree.
- String them to make a garland. I made a cute garland and strung it on my Kitchen Christmas Tree.
- Add them to a Potpourri. Dried oranges are very pretty when added to scented pine cones to make a dried decorative potpourri. Or add them to a Christmas Stovetop Potpourri like this one.
- Add them to a Mulling Spice Mix.
- Make them a part of a Christmas centrepiece. Dried orange slices look lovely scattered amongst evergreens on a table setting.
- Add them to a wreath. I love how they look in my Giant Evergreen Wreath!
- Hang them on a Christmas mantel. They look lovely mixed in with fresh greens on a fireplace mantel.
- Use them as a garnish for drinks. They would look really pretty added to a glass of this Winter Sangria.
Happy decorating!
Watch the video! How to Make Dried Orange Slices
– – – – – – –
How to Make Dried Orange Slices
Learn how to Make Dried Orange Slices to use in crafts, potpourris, garlands and more! This is a slow, low-heat method (degrees are in FAHRENHEIT) that will take 3 – 6 hours, depending on how dry you want them, but it’s worth the wait!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Drying Time: 360 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
- Category: Craft
Ingredients
- oranges
Instructions
- Preheat 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. The oranges slices should be somewhat pliable when they’re done. Start checking them diligently around the 5 hour mark.
Keywords: dried orange slices, oven dried orange slices
PIN IT to make later!
Have an inspired day!
Thanks for those tips Jo-anna! I’ve wanted to try making some for a while! I pinned this to my holiday board to hare 🙂
xoxo
Thank you so much Jen! xo
Lovely! How long do these last and what’s the best way to store them? Thank you!
★★★★★
Superb
once dried, how long do they keep for? Do they get moldy after a certain period of time?
Hi Elyse! I’ve had some for 4 years and they’re fine. Just don’t keep them in an air-tight bag and they should last a long time. They do darken over time though. I find it best to make new batches every year.
Thanks for this. Can I store them forever? Or does it go bad at some point?
★★★★★
Hi! I have some for many years, but you will notice that after time the colour of them changes…they kind of darken. Just make sure to store them somewhere dry.