Don’t you just love the smell of fruits and herbs during the holidays. I love to dry fruit and use it to create yummy smelling Garlands and Wreaths.
If you’d like to know how to dry fruit for dried orange garland, here is how I’ve done it for years and it’s super easy!
Today I’m sharing how to dry oranges but this method works for Apples, Lemons, Limes, grapefruit, etc.
(Posts on The Ponds Farmhouse may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See the full disclosure details here.)
Materials to Dry Fruit
You don’t need a lot to dry fruit in an oven. Naturally, if you have a dehydrator, the process is simple, however the oven works great and your house smells wonderful.
Just determine what projects your want to use the dried fruit for this holiday and dry enough to accommodate these projects.
Medium size oranges, a baking sheet, parchment paper and a mandolin for even slicing.

Set the mandolin at the #3 setting because you don’t want the orange slices to be overly thin.
Note: You can slice oranges with a knife, however try to slice as evenly as possible so that they all dry at approximately the same rate.

Cover your baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the orange slices evenly over the sheet.

Bake Orange Slices Until Dry
Next, set your oven to bake at 200 degrees and place the oranges slices in the over for approx. 2 hours. Enjoy the fresh smell throughout the house!
After 2 hours, your oranges will be slightly smaller as you can see here.

Prepare and Bake Again
At this point your parchment paper may be damp or wet. If so, transfer your orange slices to a fresh sheet of parchment paper and flip the slices over to the other side.
Return to the oven and bake for another hour.
Fruit Dried for Holiday Projects
Finally, after 3 hours of baking, here is what your orange slices should look like.

Dried Oranges for Holiday Projects

Easy way to dry oranges in the oven
Ingredients
- 5-6 Oranges, Medium
Instructions
- Slice Oranges on setting 3 of the mandolin
- Cover baking sheet with parchment paper
- Place orange slices evenly over the parchment paper
- Place in 200° oven for 2 hours
- Remove from oven and if parchment paper is wet, replace
- Flip each orange slice over on the fresh parchment paper
- Place back in oven for 1 hour
Notes
If oranges are not 100% dry, you can continue to bake until desired dryness is achieve.
Warning - If you over cook, the oranges will appear brown and less desirable. The oranges will continue to dry if left on the parchment paper over night and left uncovered.
Nutrition Information
Yield
45Serving Size
1 gramsAmount Per Serving Unsaturated Fat 0g
Possible Projects Using Dried Oranges
Here are some creative ways to use your orange slices. Tomorrow, I will be sharing the garland I made with these slices. I can’t wait for you to see.
Last year, I used hot glue to hold the slices together and added a fresh cranberry to the center.
You might also enjoy how to make tassels from jute and this cute ticking tassel garland. Both of these projects work well when making a dried fruit project.


You can see how I used them on the rosemary wreath at my kitchen window. In addition, the dried fruit garland includes both oranges and apples which were dried with this same technique.


Topiaries with Dried Oranges
Here are two different DIY Topiary Tutorials to use dried fruit.
Foraged Christmas Topiaries Tutorial

Real Cedar and Orange Topiaries

Strings of popcorn is an age old tradition at Christmas and Yasminvink added dried orange slices to up the wow factor.

Simple rosemary, cloves and pinecones combine for this simple but lovely garland by Elien at Home Grown Happiness

Here is another simple dried orange slice garland by Jennifer Rizzo

I saw where Meeghan at Caligirlinasouthernworld is drying orange slices this holiday season as well. Here she has combined a lambs ear garland with dried orange slices. In addition, she adds a couple of slices to the faux cake top.

Here is another project from the holidays last year. For this project, I used a grapevine wreath, rosemary and dried orange slices for a chair charm.

Do you have several out-of-date Christmas Décor items? See how to repurpose them to use this year.
Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to sharing my next adventure with you.

Pin it to remember it


Susan Stone
Saturday 24th of September 2022
I love the dried fruit decorations but if you make them ahead of time how do you store them until it’s time to use them?
Rachel
Monday 26th of September 2022
Susan, I have been using the same dried oranges for a few years. I store in an airtight container with silica packs to prevent moisture.
Melody Lynch
Tuesday 29th of December 2020
I'm a newbie at this but this make me want to give it a shot! I think it's beautiful!
[email protected]
Tuesday 29th of December 2020
Melody, It's so easy! Thanks so much
Sylvie Clement
Wednesday 11th of November 2020
Good morning, do you have an idea on how to keep the smell (aroma) of the dried fruits ? Very nice site and thanks again. Sylvie
[email protected]
Wednesday 11th of November 2020
Sylvie, I don't have a good answer for that. I have added cinnamon to mine in the past and although it's not the original fruit scent, it is a nice smell during the holidays. The herbs continue to smell good much longer.
diana
Tuesday 10th of November 2020
so so pretty. The aroma comes thru my monitor!!!!!!!! I also love to take a fresh orange and put clove picks all over it. I have one that is over 20 years old and still has a wonderful aroma. You have such great creativity.
[email protected]
Wednesday 11th of November 2020
Diana, I have done that in the past as well. This type of thing has so many options. Thanks for sharing. Rachel
Kim | Shiplap and Shells
Tuesday 10th of November 2020
I loved this Rachel! I am going to share this next week on my weekly blog post if you don't mind,
[email protected]
Wednesday 11th of November 2020
Kim, You can always do that without asking. Thanks so much. Rachel