"Oranges and lemons...

...say the bells of St. Clement's".

Childhood memories of playing this traditional singing game in the school playground came back to me whilst preparing some oranges and limes for decorating this Christmas. the idea of having a "foodie" tree appeals but the size of the room doesn't when 8 guests arrive for our evening meal on Christmas Eve!
This hasn't stopped me making rings of scented fruit to hang in my home - somewhere...

Dried Orange and Lime rings.

An average size orange will give you about 4-5 rings.

Heat oven to 70°C.

Prepare a baking tray with a layer of baking paper.

Lay kitchen towel paper on a board, and as you slice each orange or lime into 1cm slices, place them on the towel to absorb the juice that comes from them.

Use more paper towel to gently press down on each slice and remove excess juice.

Place the slices onto the baking tray and place into the oven for 3-4 hours.

The slices should be dried but will not be completely dry and brittle. The rind will be dry and may have shrivelled slightly.

I left mine in the oven whilst it cooled, and then left them out on the kitchen table overnight (and probably the whole of the next day!) before storing in an open lidded kilner jar in a cupboard until I have decided how to use them.

Christmas, here we come! 😀

Update:

I didn't dry these long enough! They still had moisture in and went mouldy after a week or so. So, big tip - make sure you thoroughly dry them.
A second batch took 5-6 hours in a very low oven. I also dried them on a rack instead of baking paper, but remember to move them occasionally so they don't get 'rack burn' - the barbecued look isn't so Christmassy!

Cut slices about 1cm. I did ends too - they all smell the same.

Soak up the juice before drying.

Dry for as long as it takes to completely lose the softness of juicy oranges. 4 hours minimum...

Fingers crossed for batch 2. Hope you didn't have the same problems as me! Happy Christmas! 🎄