Fill your house with the most amazing aroma with this recipe for How To Dry Orange Slices, and then discover the myriad ways you will use them.
When I was a little kid, one of my favorite things to do was go with my friends to the nearby candy store and buy Life Savers. As luck would have it, each of us had a different favorite flavor, so there was never any battling over who got which ones. My favorite was orange, and that flavor preference extended to juice, popsicles, and Jell-O throughout my childhood. As I got older, my list of favorite orange-flavored foods widened to include orange chicken as my favorite Chinese food, mimosas as my favorite cocktail, and these dried orange slices for everything from snacking to cake decorating to adding aromatic sweetness to my favorite cup of tea.
Oranges have a long history of being a very special fruit. One legend tells the story of the original Saint Nicholas, who, in the early 4th century, gave a bag of gold each to three poor sisters to use as dowries so they could marry. In one version of this story, Saint Nicholas threw the bags into their house through an open window in the middle of the night, and one landed in a sock that was drying by the fire, and the Christmas stocking tradition was born! In the 19th century, oranges were placed in Christmas stockings to represent St. Nick’s bags of gold.
Try this recipe for how to dry orange slices, and you’ll get the connection. Stunning and glossy, dried orange slices look jeweled, like stained glass. Their flavor is intense: bright, citrusy, and wonderfully sweet—as the drying process concentrates the fruit’s natural sugar. The prep is simple and does not take much time. Although the drying process in the oven does take several hours, it will make your house smell absolutely divine.
Tips for perfect dried orange slices
While this is a very simple recipe, here are a few tips to keep in mind. Any variety of orange, such as navel or Valencia, will work in this recipe; if you want a deeper color, try using blood oranges. Make sure your orange slices are all the same size for even drying. As you’ll see in the instructions, the baking time is less if you use the wire rack method; this is because the air can circulate beneath the orange slices. The wire racks can get sticky, though, which is why some folks prefer the parchment-lined baking sheet method: even though the baking time is doubled, cleanup is a snap!
How do I store leftovers?
Allow the dried orange slices to cool completely at room temperature, then place them in an airtight container or a ziplock bag. Store them in a cool, dry place for 1 to 2 years.
Serving suggestions
Of course, dried orange slices make a delicious snack (even more delicious if you sprinkle a bit of Vanilla Sugar on top of them right when they come out of the oven!). But there are so many more things you can do with dried orange slices. Intensify the orange flavor in Healthier Orange Chicken And Vegetables by quartering some dried orange slices and adding them to the sauce mixture, floating them in a pitcher of the Family Stone Sipper – Cinnamon And Orange Cocktail, or in a cup of orange-laced Homemade Russian Tea. Dip them in The Best Chocolate Sauce Ever and add them to a dessert buffet, or use them to decorate this dreamy Creamsicle Cake. Dried orange slices also make beautiful additions to a Sweet And Savory Fall Cheeseboard or a Viral Peanut Butter Board, especially if you use this recipe for How To Make Perfect Peanut Butter.
How To Dry Orange Slices
Ingredients
- 4 medium oranges
Instructions
- Wash and dry the oranges. Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the oranges about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Discard the thick edge if it is mostly peel.
- Remove any seeds from the slices and gently blot them with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Preheat your oven to 200°F. Arrange the orange slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or on an oven-safe metal rack.
- Bake for 2 to 3 hours if using a metal rack (or 4 to 6 hours on parchment paper). Flip the slices every hour to ensure even drying. Remove them when they are dry and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
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