We have been doing an old fashioned Christmas which has been wonderful! We decided to do all homemade decorations on the tree, so I decided to make a rustic orange slice garland for the tree.
I also used apple and decided to sprinkle the fruit with cinnamon. It smells divine. As the fruit was drying out, it made the house smell divine! And each time I’m near the tree, I can smell the spiced fruit — no need for candles to make the house smell Christmassy!
The spiced fruit garland is simple to make but does take time for the fruit to dry out, or basically dehydrate. But once done, it can last several years which is lovely!
Let’s get started!
Slice oranges and apples. Place in parchment paper on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake at 200F for several hours — until the fruit is dry and slightly crispy. It took about 6 hours to dry the fruit. If there’s any moisture in the fruit, it will rot. These garlands can last several years!
Once dry and cooled, string them onto a thread for a garland or tie jute to hang as an ornament. It’s ready to be hung onto the Christmas tree! It smells so good!
After Christmas, I store each garland in a plastic bag or container to help keep it smelling fresh. Each year, I take it out and place it on the tree!
enjoy from Our City Homestead to yours