Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Make Dry Fruit For Crafts







Use dried oranges to make festive crafts.


Decorating with dried fruit crafts will give your home a natural, country-inspired look.To save money, use in-season fruits, such as oranges in the winter and apples in the autumn, to create the crafts. You can use the dried fruit to make Christmas tree garlands, ornaments, wreaths and potpourri, among other items. Dried fruit crafts also make thoughtful holiday presents for friends, family members, co-workers or your children's teachers. You don't need a food dehydrator to dry the fruit; simply dry them in your oven instead.


Instructions








1. Cut round fruits, such as apples and oranges, into ¼-inch thick slices; be sure to leave the apples' cores intact.


2. Stir a mixture of 2 cups lemon juice and 3 tbsp. of salt together in a mixing bowl. Place the apple slices into the juice and allow them to rest for 20 minutes; the mixture will prevent the apples from turning brown. Remove the slices from the mixture and dry them with a paper or kitchen towel.


3. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Set a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Arrange the apple or orange slices, or a combination of both, on the rack. Make sure that the slices don't overlap.


4. Place the slices into the oven and bake them for six hours, or until they are completely dry. Allow the fruit slices to dry and spray them with a coat of clear acrylic spray to seal.

Tags: dried fruit, fruit crafts, fruits such, slices into, them with, your oven