We have been using our dehydrator a lot lately and, after purchasing a box of oranges, I decided to try to dehydrate a few to use as lovely smelling decorations around the house – dried orange and cinnamon sticks go so well together. Keep reading to learn how to dehydrate oranges and how to use them.
Dehydrating Oranges
- To dehydrate oranges, first wash, scrub and dry them.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the oranges into ¼” or 6mm thick slices. The thicker they are cut, the longer they will take to dry.
- Place the orange slices onto the dehydrator trays and place in the dehydrator.
- Set the temperature for 135˚F or 60˚C
- Dry for 12-18 hours, until the oranges are completely dry and brittle.
- Change the trays around every four hours to help with the drying process.
Storage
Once the orange slices have dried, cool them before placing them in an airtight container.
Uses
- They could be used as holiday decorations
- Tags for jars given as gifts
- Attached to a wreath for a lovely door decoration.
- A garnish to salads or platters
- To add flavour to a glass of water.
- Grind up the dried oranges and use the powder to flavour soups and baked goods.
- Add a ribbon and hang from your Christmas tree
- Hang them in front of light to make them really pop!
Once these oranges have been full dehydrated, they will need to be conditioned to be kept without going off. Fill a jar about two-thirds full and seal the lid. Over the next week or so, shake the jar a couple of times a day. If you start to see mold, they will need to be thrown out. If you see moisture, they are not dried enough, and need to be placed back into the dehydrator.
Once they have been conditioned, the jars can be fulled completely and stored in a cool, dark place. If they do start to have a strong smell or you can see moisture in the jars, it is time to dehydrate another batch of oranges.
If you don’t have a dehydrator yet, I recommend these dehydrators!
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