DIY Natural Holiday Decorations: Dehydrated Orange Slices
I dehydrated orange slices for the first time ever and used them for holiday decorations.
My Pinterest feed has been populated with images and tutorials for dehydrated orange tutorials since October and I admit I had given in to the influence: I dehydrated orange wheels to use for holiday decorations.
My second confession: I never read the tutorials, I mean, if I can candy orange wheels to use in cocktails, how hard could it be to dehydrate orange slices for decoration? Surely they wouldn’t take as long to “make,” right?
And for my third confession: I didn’t have a direction or idea as to how I would incorporate them one they were done. I knew I just wanted them.
Here’s my basic SOP for dehydrated orange wheels
Items needed:
* 2lb bag of Oranges
I used an entire 2lb bag of oranges. I don’t recommend using clementines since the slices will reduce and be very small, unless that’s the size you desire.you
Two Half-Size Baking Sheets
Parchment Paper or Silicone Mats
Knife to cut orange slices or a Mandolin
Tongs or Spatula
Cooling Rack or Kitchen Towel
32oz Airtight Container
Directions:
1. I pre-heated our oven to 200*F and took out two half sized baking sheets and lined each with a silicone baking mat. This baking sheet size is the most commonly found size in stores. Also, if you have been using parchment paper, I recommend ordering a set of silicone mats-they’re a game changer!
2. The oranges were prepped relatively easily: Since they’re not for consumption, I didn’t bother washing them. I just grabbed each orange directly out of the bag and cut on each end with a paring knife. Cutting the ends got rid of the pith which made for prettier orange wheels. And of course, the mandolin guard has an easier time adhering to the orange which makes for a safer slicing experience.
3. I then set our mandolin to a #3 (approx 1/4” thickness) and sliced each orange. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can carefully slice each orange with a sharp knife.
4. The orange wheels were laid end-to-end out on each baking sheets. No, the oranges didn’t stick together since they contracted as they dehydrated.
5. Once the oven was brought up to temp, I placed both sheets of orange slices in the oven at the same time and set a timer for 1 1/2 hours. After 1 1/2 hrs had passed, I took out the oranges, flipped them over, and set the timer again for 40 minutes. Yes, you can set the timer initially for an hour, flip the slices over, and set them back in the oven for another hour. You may need to repeat the process a few times to ensure the oranges are fully dehydrated. Fully dehydrated is key! They should not be sticky or limp!
6. Once the orange slices were completely dehydrated, I set them on a cooling rack to cool to room temp. I then temporarily stored the slices in an airtight container until I was ready to use them. I used these 32oz deli containers from Amazon.
Overall, I think the slices turned out beautifully for my first time ever making them! I went on to string some of the slices onto yarn to make a garland for our dining room windows. The rest of the slices were used to decorate our outdoor wreaths. Where ever you decide to place the dehydrated orange slices, make sure they’re not going to get wet-if they get wet they will rehydrate and sag. I also don’t recommend placing them where small animals may get to them. The slices were tossed in the yard for the animals to eat once the holidays were over-I didn’t want to attempt to save them for next year.
Have you ever made dehydrated orange slices for Christmas decor? If so, how did you incorporate them?
Some of the Items Used in This Post:
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