I don’t know about you, but I hate arriving anywhere empty-handed. I love to bring along a little something for the hostess. In a pinch a bottle of wine will do, but this simple potpourri makes a thoughtful, unique gift that’s perfect during the holiday season.
A trip the grocery store for a few items, and a few snips of fresh greenery from your garden is really all you need to make this heavenly smelling concoction. It will scent your home for the holidays and you are going to be surprised at just how easy it is to make.
To start you will want to line a cookie sheet with a silpat liner and preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
Slice a fresh orange as thinly as you can and place the slices on the cookie sheet so they are not touching.
Dust the orange slices with a generous layer of powdered sugar. Bake the slices for 2-3 hours. How long it takes to cook them depends on how thinly you are able to slice the orange. You want to bake out all the moisture from the slices.
Check them after about an hour. If they are drying nicely, use a pair of tongs to turn them over. Continue to bake them until they are completely dried.
Place them on a wire rack and allow them to cool after they are dried to your satisfaction.
No need to dry orange slices if you are gathering ingredients together at home to use. You can slice an orange and drop the fresh slices right into water with the remaining ingredients.
Drying the orange slices preserves them making it easier to give this potpourri as a gift. It is still perishable due to the fresh cranberries and Rosemary sprigs, so you will want to make it shortly before you give if as a gift. You can store it in the fridge for a couple days if needed.
Gather together the remaining ingredients:
- 3-4 Cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon whole Cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground Nutmeg or Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1/2 cup fresh Cranberries
- 3-4 fresh Rosemary sprigs
- 3-4 dried Orange slices
I have collected canning jars over the years and I like to place all the ingredients in a jar and tie with a bit of festive twine. If you don’t have any glass jars you could easily use a small cellophane bag instead.
Add a handwritten tag and you are all set.
Simmering potpourri in a slow cooker is a safer option than on the stove with an open flame.
Whether you simmer potpourri on the stove or in a slow cooker this will scent your home beautifully for the holidays. I hope you decide to give this a try this holiday season.