How to dry orange slices

Homemade dried orange slices add a festive feel around the home. Scatter them across your Christmas dinner table, tie strings around them to use as baubles on a Christmas tree, or string onto a garland with other dried decorations.

Not only are they an eco-friendly way to decorate the house, they're very fragrant and add a citrusy smell.

Cassie Best

Cassie is our Head of Food. After training as a chef at Leiths School of Food and Wine, she's worked for Good Food for the last 13 years, creating hundreds of recipes, including many you see on the cover of the magazine. She has a passion for creating easy family meals that everyone can cook and also loves to bake with her two children. See more of Cassie's recipes

See more sustainable ideas, including easy Christmas table decorations and our top 10 DIY Christmas crafts.

How to dry orange slices

Ingredients

• 2 oranges
• 3 apples
• small handful cloves
• 5 cinnamon sticks
• thin ribbon, twine or string

Method

Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Slice the oranges and apples very thinly, using a mandolin for the apples, if you have one. Arrange the slices on the trays, then bake for 45 mins-1 hr, turning halfway through cooking, until completely dried out. Leave to cool.

Once cool, stud the oranges with cloves. Thread some ribbon, twine or string through the centres of the orange slices, then tie a knot to secure. Follow with a slice of apple, and another knot, also tying a cinnamon stick to a few of the decorations.

Looking for more Christmas inspiration? See more ideas

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Are you making your own decorations this year? Share your tips below...