How to Dry Fruit for Christmas Decorations
Drying fruit at home is a very easy task that allows you to get the exact result you want: forming a wreath with pineapple and pear slices or a flashy centerpiece with slices of oranges and lemons. It is also a way to make the most of excess seasonal fruit which may end up getting spoiled. Although many kinds of fruit can be dried using the same techniques as for drying flowers (with air and silica gel), you can also get good results by drying it in the oven or with a food dehydrator. At oneHOWTO we explain how to dry fruit for Christmas decorations to get a perfect and very attractive result.
You'll need:
- Fruit
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Dish towel or paper towels
- Oven tray
- Greaseproof paper
- Plain paper
- Clear acrylic spray sealer
- Lemon juice (optional)
- Salt (optional)
Steps to follow:
The first step to dry fruit for Christmas decorations is to cut the fruit into 6mm slices on a table with a sharp knife,. Except for citrus fruits, mix 500 ml of lemon juice with a tablespoon of salt and let the fruit soften in this solution for one minute so it doesn't acquire a brown color.
Dry all the slices gently with a tea towel or a napkin by tapping them. Line the baking tray with grease-proof paper and distribute the fruit slices on top, forming a single layer.
Turn the oven to a minimum temperature. Bake the fruit slices until they are dry but flexible. This may take several hours. Check the fruit every 20 to 30 minutes to prevent it from burning, and turn them occasionally.
When the fruit is ready, take it out of the oven and set aside to cool and become crisp. Spread the now cold slices on a piece of paper and drizzle them with clear acrylic sealer to prevent them from absorbing moisture.
Dried fruit can be used to create very attractive and often aromatic Christmas decorations for your home. It can be used alone or with pine cones, holly and other branches to form garlands and wreaths.
You can also poke a hole trough each fruit and pass a thread through in order to create an original Christmas tree ornament too.
The choice is yours! You can learn how to make recycled Christmas tree decorations here if you want to make more DIY decor.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Dry Fruit for Christmas Decorations, we recommend you visit our Art & handicraft category.
Tips
- A few slices of dried oranges in rows interspersed with branches of cinnamon add a striking finishing touch to a citrus potpourri.