Christmas Fragrance

Holiday Spice Potpourri

What could complement the holiday season better than a wonderfully smelling home? Enjoy!
By Stephanie Smidts – Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Ingredients

4 oranges
4 lemons
1/2 cup whole cloves
1/2 cup whole allspice
10 cinnamon sticks, broken
10 bay leaves, crumbled
3 or 4 half-pint jelly jars with bands and lids

Preparation

Using a vegetable peeler, peel fruit carefully, removing only the peel, not any of the white pith. Cut or tear peel into one inch pieces. Spread peel on paper towel lined pan. Place in preheated 175 degrees Fahrenheit oven or set oven to WARM. Dry in oven for 1 1/2 hours, tossing occasionally. Peels should be leathery and/or slightly crunchy. Spread peels on dry paper towels and let air dry for 24 hours. Combine with remaining ingredients. Fill jars with mixture, place lids on and screw bands on tightly.

To use: Remove lid and leave band on for decoration to fragrance a room. Or put one tablespoon into a jar and fill jar with boiling water to release the fragrance.

Note: If your house is filled with kitchen aromas, boil a few cinnamon stick in a small pot of water and soon the house is taken over by a wonderful cinnamon fragrance.

The boiled out cinnamon sticks can then be placed in a glass filled half way with water. Then place the glass on a heater and you have the cinnamon aroma in the house all day long. Just refill the water when it gets low.

Oranges such as the one shown fill any room with a festive winter aroma ant they look very beautiful. Pomanders have been used since medieval times.

2005