Start looking for oranges on sale. Dried orange slices are really easy to make, last for years & look just as good with a modern or a classic Christmas. PLUS there's a new trend in citrus drying on the Internet. And I test it.
You can take your seats and relax because this is probably the easiest and most effective Christmas decoration in existence other than setting out a box of After Eight dinner mints
Dried orange slices. Slice, bake, hang. Those are your instructions. That's it.
You might think with something so simple the results would be mediocre. They are not. The results are spectacular.
Table of Contents
So what can you do with them?
You can:
- hang them on a tree
- set them in a bowl
- tuck them into garland
- make an ENTIRE garland out of them
- stick them on a wood skewer and use them in planters or windowboxes
- make a wreath out of them (I have no idea how but I'm going to try to do just that, this year)
Use them however you want, orange slices are incredibly accommodating. They'll give you no trouble at all.
How to make dried orange slices.
Ingredients
Oranges, cut to ¼" thick
- Preheat oven to lowest temperature.
- Cut the orange slices to around ¼" thick.
- Set them on wire cookie racks, not a metal baking sheet (because they can stick and don't dry as evenly)
- Bake them at the lowest temperature your oven goes to (For me that was 150F.) for 4-6 hours* or until no stickiness remains.
* I have found the length of time to dry oranges or any citrus varies WILDLY. It could take 6 hours or it could take 24 hours.
2024 Update
There's a new trend for making dried orange slices. Suddenly everyone is recommending dusting them with powdered sugar before drying to make them the most vibrant they can be.
This year I tested that trend.
Before
After
- I dehydrated one tray of sliced oranges. Half I sprinkled with powdered sugar. Half I just cut & laid down on the tray.
- The scuttlebutt in dried citrus circles is that sprinkling the orange slices with powdered sugar is *the* way to get your oranges as vibrant and glassy as possible. It's the secret trick.
- There was no difference at all. In fact the plain ones looked better.
- I've placed all the slices into individual labelled containers and I'll check their colour again in next year.
TIP FOR ORANGE SLICES
I bought most of my oranges from the reduced produce section. They were bruised and weird, and yet they all turned out perfectly.
Let them dry until when you touch them they don't feel sticky at all. That can take from 4-6 hours depending on how thick the slices are and how juicy the orange is.
When they've finished drying just remove them from the oven, call yourself Laura Ingalls and look for a place to set them.
The oranges I had on the lower rack of my oven turned out darker than the ones higher up in the oven. If I'd checked on them more often I could have removed the lower ones so they didn't darken quite as much, but I actually like the variation in colours. You could also rotate your pans throughout the drying process.
As they age, they get darker anyway so don't worry about it.
How long will they last?
Years! I've had my original orange slices since 2017 and they're still in perfect shape, they've just become a bit darker. I just store them loose in a shoebox. 🤷♀️
The magic happens when the tree lights come on. If you place or orange slices in the vicinity of a lightbulb they GLOW like stained glass. This isn't some sort of Photoshop magic, this is how the dried orange slices look at night with the tree on.
Don't they look delicious? I know your next question.
Can you eat them?
Yes you can. I've never thought they were terribly delicious but it is fun to bite into a crispy orange.
Keeping dried orange slices in a mason jar somewhere in your pantry makes you look legit. You could be a legit cocktail master, a legit homesteader, a legit crafter ... The bottom line is if you have a jar of orange slices, you've got respect.
These orange slices combined with my DIY tree candles has resulted in the most beautiful Christmas tree I've ever had. (I'm updating the tree candles this year so watch for that)
Your tree will never catch a cold which is an added bonus.
Dried Orange Slices
A Christmas ornament for all of your senses. O.K. Maybe just your eyes and nose, but still.
Materials
- Naval oranges
Tools
- Oven or Dehydrator
Instructions
- Cut orange slices to around ¼" thick.
- Set them on wire cookie racks, not a metal cookie sheet (because they can stick and don't dry as evenly)
- Bake them at the lowest temperature your oven goes to for 4-6 hours or until no stickiness remains.
- For a DEHYDRATOR set the dehydrator to 135 degrees F and let them dry until they aren't sticky. It could take up to a day but check on them every few hours.
You could hang the oranges with ribbon or twine but I wanted the orange slices and only the orange slices to show up so I just shoved a regular hook for hanging Christmas balls through them. The hooks just disappear once they're on the tree.
Let's end with a poem. I have no idea why.
"Dried oranges, crisp and bright,
Powdered sugar, pure white light.
But who needs a dusting, sweet and fine,
When citrus alone works divine?
Okay, I have had dried orange slices in my Christmas decoration box for over a decade, almost two! They get really dry and dark but still the glow of Christmas lights shine through them in a stained glass way. I’m replacing them this year, it’s about time, wouldn’t you say.
So sweet and pretty. May try a garland of lemons, little pink grapefruits, and oranges. Love this.
I'm doing another batch today! ~ karen
I am very excited to make these; for the tree and for eating!
Do you think lining the rack with parchment would prevent grid marks?
Thank you!
I'm not sure, but I do think it would interfere with proper drying. It may just take more flipping and longer that way though. ~ karen!
Hi Karen, I'm not sure if I missed it somewhere in your article, but I was just wondering if they had a wonderful citrus smell to them, which I'm guessing they do, and about how long does that scent last on them? Thanks so much! Love your articles. :)
Desirae
Actually we are thinking of using the dried stem and branches from one of our harvested cannabis plants. String a few lights and a few ornaments, did I hear dried orange slices?
Hi Karen,
Would clementines work as well? I bought a mini crate but they aren’t very sweet so this could be a win-win.
Thanks
Hi Vivian. I think they'd work, they'd just end up being quite small. They shrink a lot when they dehydrate. But they could be really cute small! ~ karen
I'm making them in my dehydrator - your tree is so pretty! I will then send them through the food processor after Christmas for dried orange (peel and flesh) powder to add to whatever strikes my fancy. Thanks for the ideas!
Don't forget though, that they'll last for yearsssss so you don't need to pulverize them at the end of the season if you don't want. :) ~ karen!
Absolutely doing this – thank you! I'm most excited about mason/vintage jars of them in my pantry – oh, oh – and maybe some hanging from pantry shelves – strung on twine – rustic twine!!! When my pantry items are charming it makes me feel like I have my sh-(act) together – despite realism to the contrary. 😏🙄😅
Have fun with it Janette! ~ karen!
Hmmm...thinking ahead to my 3 foot tree that I'll be decorating this year - I'll use Clementines for a smaller version, maybe even lemons and limes. Thank you for this reminder that natural is so much more appealing!
Another use for dried citrus slices: if you have ants coming into your house, put a few where they come in. Ants don't like the smell of citrus and they'll stay away. They can smell it even if we don't.
That tree is indeed most beautiful. Very old timey and makes me pine for Christmas' past. I have no room for a tree in my home and miss the welcome feeling of warmth and coziness a Christmas tree always gave me. I may just print out that picture with your permission, and hang it up somewhere instead.
Print away! But do you not have room for a small tabletop tree? That could be just as cozy if you put the little battery operated copper wire lights on it. ~ karen!
I made these last year however they didn't make it to this year. Unfortunately I ate them all, it's not 'you can eat them', it's more of holy these are good. I love them. I don't know if the variety of orange matters but in this case I think it did. I used Cara oranges that I got from Sobeys Alberta.
So, I get to do it again this year. :)
I have a bundle of more oranges to make more and I am definitely going to try them. I'm already thinking I should probably dip them in chocolate. :) ~ karen!
Yes! Great idea!
Dipping them in chocolate (or white chocolate) is a very good, very dangerous idea. It's hard to stop ating them.
In non-pandemic years, you could plop one or two in a clear cellophane bag, tie it with raffia and set a bowl out of 'em out for friends, family members, visitors, guests, delivery people and Santa to take home as they leave. They are amazing!
Today might be the day! ~ karen!
Natural, timeless, easy ... so perfect !
This is lovely and charming! I have just the tree for this.
Excellent! Good luck. :) ~ karen!
So pretty! I've been wanting to make these for several years! On a side note, I noticed your suggestion at the end of this post for your DIY Christmas Tree candles. About a week ago, I had the brilliant idea of adding candles to my tree this year. The candles for sale on the internet were either too expensive or cheap looking. So, I thought, "why not make them myself! Sounds like something that 'Art of Doing Stuff' gal would do." And sure enough, on my first internet search, up pops your instructions and DIY post on tree candles. Ha! I wasn't surprised.
LOL. Yup! DIY Christmas candles are my kindda thing. I still love them, they look fantastic! And dipping them in silicone is so fun! Good luck. ~ karen!
I did these in my air fryer this year!! I made the most beautiful garland that is now hanging in my kitchen for the off season!!!
Mari, what temp and how long did you bake them in your airfryer please?
Dried oranges are also delicious to eat. Dip a dried orange halfway into white, milk or dark chocolate. Lay on a waxed paper tray and allow the chocolate to set. Drop a couple in a cellophane bag and tie with a lovely ribbon or string and they also make a great gift for visitors or party goers.
Karen, I made these this year and am totally enthralled. So beautiful with the lights shining through!
I know, eh?! It's the lights behind them that make them magical. ~ karen!
Hi Karen- I followed your directions and used a rack. I ended up with “grill marks” on the slices. The racks were clean and my oven temp was 170 degrees-lowest it goes. I am going to try it again, but might you have any other suggestions? Thank you!
I made mine last year and found them just as beautiful when I pulled them out this year! And they smell good! My favourite thing ever! I'm making more..as hostess gifts...Only because my friends think I've pulled off some kind of Xmas miracle with these and I don't have the heart to disillusion them 😇
It's amazing how well they hold up! I found the ones I kept in a plastic bag stayed more orange than the ones I left out of a bag. ~ karen!
Crap, now I need to make the homemade candles too, why, Karen, why?!
Just because. ;) ~ karen!