DIY Dried Fruit Potpourri

January 21, 2019

What’s a girl to do on a snowy day?

Woke up to a bit of snow!

On the weekends, I like to open a window and let the fresh air in.

I’m kind of a ‘Fresh-air kind of girl.’

With new snow on the ground and covering everything,

the air was a bit too crisp for open windows.

So I found a Scent-sational idea.

 

 

Since I like my home to smell fresh, I discovered the idea of making

homemade potpourri.

I like the kind of potpourri that sits around in a bowl,

looking pretty, and letting off its wonderful sent.

Homemade potpourri costs less than buying it at the store,

and you get to customize it yourself.

 

 

Finding a bit of fruit that was beginning to look past it’s prime;

oranges, lemons, and an apple, I sliced each fruit into 1/8″ to 1/4″ slices.

 

Apple Slices

 

Orange slices

 

Orange and Lemon slices

 

 

I Set the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

I used a cookie sheet and lined the cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Laying apple slices on one baking sheet and the citrus slices on another.

The apples bake up  and dry much quicker than the citrus fruit.

The apples will turn a tan color and will feel a bit leathery.

 

 

I baked the citrus fruit for about 1 hour longer.

Bake the fruit for 1/2 hour, and turn each slice.

Continue this process until you get the look and feel you like.

The citrus take longer.

I continued to turn the fruit every 1/2 hour.

The rinds will harden and the center of the fruit becomes somewhat translucent.

After drying the fruit slices, you can mix up your ingredients…

making your potpourri.

 

Layering in apples and oranges.

 

Added cinnamon sticks

2 – 4 cinnamon sticks, breaking them in half.

 

Added whole cloves

I didn’t measure the amount of cloves.

Just poured in a healthy amount to my liking.

Last, added Bay Leaves

4 – 10 bay leaves.

This too, was to my preference.

Mixing it altogether, I placed it in one bowl for a larger impact.

Looks great, smells great!

Smells great while you are baking the fruit!

Alternative Stovetop Potpourri

In a small sauce-pan, add orange slices, lemons, 1-2 tablespoons of whole cloves,

a couple of bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks.

Fill your pan about half way with water

and simmer on the stove.

You will have to keep adding water to the mixture

for as long as you like simmering.

 

…a little wild west stylin’ for Wild West living.

 

  “Create your own style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.”

― Anna Wintour