When I was growing up, I had a friend who’s house smelled amazing. It was like cinnamon and apples, but also sort of smoky and woodsy. Looking back, I’m pretty sure it was a Glade Plugin or something, but at the time I thought her mom was a homemaking genius.
I am not a homemaking genius. Oftentimes, I open the door and walk into the kitchen after a long day of work, only to realize that I have left wet coffee grinds languishing in the sink for the past 12 hours. Gross. That smell. It’s terrible, and it lingers.
I used to light a scented candle (These days Glade Plugins tend to put me on olfactory overload) but recently I’ve started making these homemade dried citrus wheels.
Look at me, getting all crafty!
But baby steps. This is like the easiest craft project ever. Basically you just slice a bunch of lemons, limes, and oranges into thin wheels and bake them at a very low temperature for several hours until they are dry to the touch.
You can pretty much forget about them while they are in the oven. Except you won’t because your house will smell incredible. And when they are done, there are a bunch of different ways to use them. Here are some of my favorites:
- Make citrus salt. Grind them to a powder in a spice grinder and mix with kosher salt.
- Make citrus sugar. Same as above, mix with sugar.
- Make potpourri. Tie the citrus wheels in a pretty satchel with some cinnamon sticks and star anise. Stash in your sock drawer or in the bathroom.
- Edible decorations. Use the citrus wheels to decorate cakes and cupcakes.
- Add chocolate. Dip them in chocolate and sprinkle with flaky sea salt or chopped nuts.
Be creative! You really can’t go wrong.
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- 1 orange
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet.
- Using a serrated knife, thinly slice the fruit crosswise into thin wheels. Arrange the fruit in a single layer on the wire rack. Bake until dry to the touch, 2-3 hours for the lemon and lime slices, and up to 4 1/2 hours for the oranges. Cool, then store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Stephanie says
I’ve been thinking of different drink rim ideas, I’ll bet these would be perfect.
Lucy Baker says
That’s a great idea!
grace says
these are so neat! it never occurred to me to do anything like this, but i can quickly thing of twenty ways to use them–great post!
Jess @ Nourished by Nutrition says
Woah I’m floored at how simple citrus salt and sugar is to make…Should have known! Great ideas on how to us the citrus!
Sophie says
What a great idea! I love that it’s a natural way to make your home smell nice. A great alternative to the chemical air freshener out there.
Kari says
Dried citrus wheels are so gorgeous! I love all of your ideas on what to do with them. I’ll have to give them a try!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Kelsey M says
Wow what a fantastic idea! I love that you have multiple uses for them- not just with scenting but also for recipes too!
Aarika says
This is a a really great idea! I love the smell of citrus; it is a great mood enhancer (aromatherapy). Creating citrus salt is a wonderful way to use these wheels. I can’t wait to try this. Thanks!
Sophie says
Hi there,
Great post!
Once you have dried them how long will they last please?
Thank you,
Sophie
Randal Oulton says
I dried mine to 20% moisture content remaining, which is what’s recommended for fruit. Outsides were dried and close to brittle, so they were fully dried. But the inside pulp always just remains soft and sticky, and instead of grinding to a power, the dried discs just gum up.
How does your powder turn out when you grind your wheels to a powder? And what about all the bitter white pith — drying it can’t improve its taste much….?