The higher heat oven-dried ones are a bit more rustic and softer in color, while the lower heat dehydrated ones are more true to their original vibrant hues. If you have both an oven and a dehydrator and are wondering which one to go with, here’s a side-by-side comparison of oranges that I dried in my oven (left) at 170F for six hours versus my dehydrator (right) at 115F for twelve. I like mine plain – with the rind and everything – but they’re also delicious when sprinkled with a bit of sugar and/or cinnamon or dipped in melted chocolate and sprinkled with a touch of vanilla finishing salt. My first batch of dried orange slices was intended for decorating handmade gifts, but I had to make a second one because I didn’t realize just how deliciously snackable they can be. They’ll continue to dry a bit at room temperature. I’d start watching them around the 4.5 – 5 hour mark and remove them just as soon as they feel mostly dry. You will probably need to remove them early to prevent burning, though. I keep my oven at 170F, but up to 200F will work. However, lower heat settings allow the oranges to retain more their vibrant color while higher settings tend to darken them. It may be tempting to rush the process by increasing the heat a little. When I tried it with mine, it created about 50% beautiful slices and 50% mangled slices that I ended up serving to my kids as a snack. Thin, even slices (about 1/4 inch thick) create the best result, so make sure you have a sharp knife for making smooth, even cuts on hand.Īnother option is to use a mandolin for slicing, but the blade needs to be very sharp. A previous batch you see pictured was deep orange, but the ones I bought most recently were more pale, so I decided to add color by tossing blood oranges into the mix.Ĭara cara oranges are often very vibrant if you can find them, and grapefruits can work beautifully, too. Navel oranges can vary in color from deep orange to pale yellow. Choose oranges with thick, dimply peels instead of thin, smooth peels.The deeper the color of the orange, the better the result.
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