The Poultry Keeper

DownWithFactoryFarming · Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 33

If you get an orange, and cover it all over in cloves (stick them in it) and then put it somewhere warm and dry (I used an airing cupboard) for a few weeks, it goes crisp, and smells gorgeous. I made one about 3 years ago and it still smells Smile

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

Is that a whole orange ???

Doesn't the insides go manky?

Debs

George · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 5661 Location: London

Deb, you would usually use a whole orange, and providing it is dried out fully it will not go manky, Shocked

It's best to use an orange that isn't very ripe though Wink

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

Thanks George for the clarification.
May give that a go!!! (I know cloves keeps ants away!!!)

Where would I put one to dry if I haven't got an airing cupboard?

George · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 5661 Location: London

Not sure about how you would dry it without an airing cupboard as they take quite a long time to dry out. Crying or Very sad

Orange-Clove Pomanders
Pomanders were originally metal or ivory filigree balls filled with spices fixed with ambergris, hence the name (from the French "pomme d'ambre", or apple of ambergris). Having a bowl of these fragrant oranges (or lemons) near an entryway or on a kitchen table is one of my favorite and easiest holiday decorating traditions. Prep time depends on how the size of the fruit; the smaller, the quicker it will harden and dry. P.S. - don't eat 'em - they're just for fragrance!
6 oranges (or lemons)
whole cloves
decorative ribbons
The Spice Mix
4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons ground cloves
2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons ground allspice
1/4 cup orrisroot powder (as preservative)

6 pomanders

336 hours prep

Combine the spice mix ingredients.
Wash oranges.
Insert cloves into oranges in a decorative pattern (stripes, swirls, whatever strikes your fancy!).
Roll cloved oranges in the spice mixture within 24 hours and set in a warm place to dry, turning fruit daily.
Drying takes from two weeks to possibly a month.
Pomanders are completely dry when they are hard.
Remove pomanders from the spice mix, dust off a little, and tie with decorative ribbons. Set out in a bowl, or you can use as Christmas ornaments.

debcat · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 2:30 pm Post subject:

I remember making these when I was small,
they smell lovely Laughing

NannyP · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 4:15 pm Post subject:

George · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 5661 Location: London

NannyP · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 8:23 pm Post subject:

S'okay, it just looked funny, 336 hours prep time, so odd for a recipe Wink

thewinkingtiger · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 936 Location: East Yorkshire, UK

Thanks for the recipe George - maybe sitting them on top of the boiler will do the trick!!!

jaydee67 · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 9:48 pm Post subject:

Where do you get your orris root powder?

debcat · Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2005 9:59 pm Post subject:

I can't remember rolling them in anything, just putting the cloves in leaving a gap for the ribbon then leaving them to dry

~*Diamond*~ · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 7:45 pm Post subject:

we did that at school on tuder day (that is where you all have to dress up as tudors and do tudor stuff quite cool) anyway it didn't keep long coz where i stuck my cloves in it went all mauldy Sad

but yes it did smell lush Very Happy