DIY Dried Orange Garland (Oven or Dehydrator)
Come learn how to make a beautiful DIY dried orange garland using the oven or a dehydrator, plus tips how to hang and store them. This is an easy and sustainable natural holiday craft idea!
Equipment
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Baking sheet lined with parchment paper (for oven method) OR a food dehydrator
- Lint-free cloth towel or paper towels for blotting
- Twine, string, or ribbon of choice
- Mini clothespins (optional)
Ingredients
- Fresh oranges (or lemons, grapefruit, limes, blood oranges, etc)
Instructions
Prep
- Cut the oranges into thin slices, ⅛” to ¼” thick. Try to cut each slice the same thickness for even drying. Cutting across the “equator” or center of the orange (as opposed to top stem to bottom) to reveal the perfect cross-section.
- Gently blot them with paper towels or a cloth towel to remove excess juices and expedite the drying process.
- Spread the orange slices in a single layer on either a parchment-paper lined baking sheet or food dehydrator trays.
Drying Oranges in a Dehydrator
- Set the thermostat to 130-135°F (a “fruit” setting or medium heat). When in doubt, check them after an hour or two to ensure they’re not turning brown and adjust as needed.
- Allow them to dry until no moisture remains** (See notes below.) In our machine, the orange slices were mostly dry within about 8 hours, though a few damp pieces remained, so I turned the temp down to 125F and let it continue to run overnight to finish off.
- Depending on your dehydrator, you may want to rotate the trays after several hours to promote even drying.
Drying Oranges in the Oven
- Dry the orange slices in the oven on 200 to 225°F for several hours, until they’re fully dry* (see notes below). It should take anywhere from 3 to 5 hours, depending on your oven and size of orange slices. I found the sweet spot in our oven to be 215F, where 200 was going too slow but 225 was turning them brown.
- Carefully flip the slices every hour or so to promote even drying, then transfer to a cooling rack once complete.
Create a Garland on Twine or String
- Cut piece of twine as long as you’d like your garland to be, plus some extra length – just in case.
- Use the tip of a pen, chopstick, a thick nail, wood skewer, or other slender pointed object to make two small holes in each orange. Creating two holes instead of one helps the orange slices hang in a nice straight line along the garland.
- Poke the holes through the orange slices near the rind (the strongest part) and about an inch or so apart.
- Thread one end of the twine through each hole in the dried orange slice, and then gently pull to the end of your garland.
- Repeat the process and continue to add more dried oranges to the garland, spacing them however far apart you prefer. Keep them close together for a very full look.
Hang and Enjoy
- Hang your dried orange garland across a sunny window, on the Christmas tree, down a stair railing, on the fireplace mantle, on the front door, across a bookshelf, as part of a tablescape, and more. You can also hang your garland (or several strands) vertically!
Storage and Shelf Life
- Store flat in a cool, dry, dark location. Use tissue paper or other cushioning as needed to protect the dried oranges. If dried and stored properly, a dried orange garland can last many years. However, they will all naturally turn a darker brown color over time.
Notes
**For either method** The orange slices are considered “fully dry” once they appear dry, and thickest parts of the fruit are no longer gooey or soft to the touch. It is okay if they feel ever-so-slightly sticky still, since they will continue to dry and harden once they’re removed from the heat.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!