Every year around this time, I start making these clove studded oranges. I have some around the house that are upwards of twenty years old... (true!) They last forever ,(nearly) and smell so good for a very long time.(though maybe not twenty years). Long before there were canned air fresheners (yuck), this was one of the ways to freshen and scent a home. They are all natural, and smell better than anything sprayed from a can. I've been asked how I go about making them so here goes.
Materials needed:
1. A thick skinned orange. Navels are nice. I've used grapefruit, lemons and limes as well, but the oranges smell the best.
2. Whole cloves, whole cinnamon sticks, and some ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Don't spend a fortune here. The Dollar Stores usually have them for a buck or so.
3. Natural type gardening string or ribbon.
4. A knitting needle or penny nail and a long large sized crochet hook
To stud the orange, you can either just plunge the cloves right into the orange, pressing with your fingers, or make little holes with the knitting needle or nail. (not too deep, just enough to start the hole). I like the knitting needle (easier on my fingers).. using a technique of making a half dozen holes at a time, then filling each with a clove. Don't make a bunch of holes and then not fill them with the cloves.
You can either make an design on the orange with the studded cloves, or stud the entire orange all over. You can do this project in phases over the course of a couple or three days.. leaving the orange out with the cloves, and studding here and there when you have a few minutes. After a few days, you'll start to see the skin of the orange toughen up, and it might get a bit difficult piercing the skin, depending on the age of the orange to start with.
When you've got the orange studded as you like, You can leave it as it is to cure. Just put it in a place where the air can get to it, and in a wooden bowl or something that breathes. Give it a little turn every time you pass by. Or, to hang it, use the long crochet hook to make a hole completely through the orange, starting at the stem end. Loop the string onto the crochet hook and pull it on through. Tie a cinnamon stick on the loose ends and pull the loop up so the stick holds at the bottom. (preventing the orange from slipping off the string) The orange might leak some juice during this process, which is fine. Liberally sprinkle the whole thing with some of the ground spice. Some will stick, some wont. You can then hang the orange to cure. This can take several weeks or more, depending on atmospheric conditions inside your home. But all the while, the air will be filled with the scent of citrus and spice. Yum.. You'll almost want to take a bite. (but don't)
Ill post another picture of this orange when its finished.
